Bill Hartlep stories, Page 9

Tia Germanich Class: Senior School: Deer Lakes Sport: Softball Report card: Senior catcher Tia Germanich belted a three-run home run to lift the Lancers to a 3-1 victory over Freeport on Friday. It was the only hit for the Lancers (4-2, 1-0) in the Section 1-3A win. Germanich also hit...

Maddie Kee Class: Senior School: Deer Lakes Sport: Softball Report card: Deer Lakes senior Maddie Kee was 3 for 4 with five RBIs and earned the win in relief in a 7-0 victory over Kiski Area on Wednesday and then struck out 15 batters in a 3-1 victory over Laurel...

Giona Lavorini Class: Junior School: Knoch Sport: Swimming Report card: Lavorini won a gold medal in the 100-yard breaststroke at the PIAA Class 2A girls swimming championships March 16 at Bucknell. Lavorini dropped more than a second from her prelim time to win the championship heat in 1 minute, 2.11...

No. 14 Oakland vs. No. 11 N.C. State 7:10 p.m. Saturday, PPG Paints Arena TV: TBS Winner plays: Winner of Colorado (26-10)/Marquette (26-9) on March 28-29 in Sweet 16 Series history: First all-time meeting. Oakland (24-11, 18-5 Horizon League) Coach: Greg Kampe (40th season) How they got here: Oakland upset...

No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 3 Creighton 9:40 p.m. Saturday, PPG Paints Arena TV: TBS Winner plays: Winner of No. 2 Tennessee (25-8)/No. 7 Texas (21-12) March 28-29 in the Sweet 16 Series history: Oregon leads the all-time series 2-1. Oregon (24-11, 15-8 Pac-12) Coach: Dana Altman (14th season) How...

No. 6 South Carolina vs. No. 11 Oregon 4 p.m. Thursday, PPG Paints Arena TV: TNT Winner plays: Winner of 3-Creighton (23-9)/14-Akron (24-10) on Saturday in second round Series history: 1st all-time meeting South Carolina (26-7) Coach: Lamont Paris (2nd season) How they got here: South Carolina earned an at-large...

No. 6 Texas Tech vs. No. 11 N.C. State 9:40 p.m. Thursday, PPG Paints Arena TV: CBS Winner plays: Winner of 3-Kentucky (23-9)/14-Oakland (23-11) Saturday in second round Series history: N.C. State leads 2-1 Texas Tech (23-10) Coach: Grant McCasland (1st season) How they got here: Texas Tech earned an...

No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14 Oakland 7:10 p.m. Thursday, PPG Paints Arena TV: CBS Winner plays: Winner of 6-Texas Tech (23-10)/11-N.C. State (22-14) on Saturday in second round Series history: First meeting Kentucky (23-9) Coach: John Calipari (15th season) How they got here: Kentucky earned an at-large bid from...

No. 3 Creighton vs. No. 14 Akron 1:30 p.m. Thursday, PPG Paints Arena TV: TNT Winner plays: Winner of No. 6 South Carolina (26-7)/No. 11 Oregon (23-11) on Saturday in second round Series history: Creighton leads 3-1 Creighton (23-9) Coach: Greg McDermott (14th season) How they got here: Creighton earned...

Ava Golding Class: Sophomore School: Kiski Area Sport: Wrestling Report card: Kiski Area sophomore Ava Golding finished third at the first PIAA girls wrestling championships March 9 after beating Western Wayne’s Sara Shook, 19-2, in the bronze medal match. The 136-pound grappler also won WPIAL and West Regional titles and...

Three WPIAL underclassman pitchers earned first-team all-state honors last season, and each returns for the 2024 season, hoping to lead her team to a championship. Union captured a second straight district title and finished as the PIAA runner-up behind Mia Preuhs in the circle. WPIAL runner-up Carmichaels has sophomore pitcher...

After winning the past two WPIAL Class 2A softball championships, Neshannock again enters the season as a favorite. Behind an all-state pitcher and seven returning starters, coach Jackie Lash’s Lancers have the arm and bats to again contend for WPIAL and PIAA gold. Standing in the way will be a...

Some of the top senior boys and girls basketball players from the A-K Valley and beyond will take part in the 27th annual Cager Classic, set for April 6, at Highlands High School. There will be a girls game at 5:30 p.m., followed by a boys all-star contest at 8....

PIHL playoffs Division 2 Semifinals Burrell (17-3) vs. Deer Lakes (12-6-1) 8:45 p.m. Thursday at Robert Morris University Island Sports Center, Moon Winner plays: Winner of Bishop Canevin (18-1)/Neshannock (15-3-1) in Division 2 championship game at 8:45 p.m. Monday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, Cranberry Players to watch: Tyler Danko,...

Avonworth won a second consecutive WPIAL Class 3A title and a third in four years last spring, and the Lopes again have the look of a team worthy of hoisting a championship trophy. Four all-state players return along with a Division I-bound shortstop, as Avonworth chases a three-peat. But several...

Competition was spirited in Class 4A softball last season, and several contenders again look to have rosters ready to battle for WPIAL and PIAA glory. Parity was on display throughout the postseason a year ago, as Belle Vernon edged Montour for the WPIAL title but lost to WPIAL No. 1...

PIAA basketball playoffs Boys Class 3A Second round Deer Lakes (22-4) vs. Forest Hills (21-4) 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Armstrong District seeds: Deer Lakes 7-1; Forest Hills 6-2 Winner plays: Winner of 10-2 Franklin (21-5)/5-1 Chestnut Ridge (23-4) Saturday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Wayne Love, Deer...

PIAA basketball playoffs Boys Class 5A Second round Fox Chapel (16-11) vs. Bethel Park (14-13) 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at AHN Arena, Peters Township District seeds: Fox Chapel 7-5; Bethel Park 7-6 Winner plays: Winner of 3-3 York Suburban (21-6)/7-1 Moon (24-3) on Friday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to...

Trinity captured its first WPIAL softball title last season by outslugging top-seeded Armstrong, 11-7. Shaler made a run through the PIAA tournament to finish as the state runner-up. All three teams again have some firepower in the lineup and should challenge for the district championship and possibly beyond. Here is...

Hempfield climbed back to the top of the pack in WPIAL Class 6A softball last season. The Spartans had won five straight championships in the highest classification from 2015-19 and added their eighth district crown last spring. They return a loaded lineup and Division I pitcher for another run at...

Leah McCandless Class: Senior School: Burrell Sport: Bowling Report card: McCandless won the girls singles title at the Western PA Regional bowling tournament Friday at AMF Noble Manor Lanes. She defeated Conneaut’s Lexi Potts in the championship match 211-182. McCandless, who was 11th at regionals and 24th at states in...

Andrew McCutchen continues to check boxes in his return from an Achilles injury that ended his 2023 season early last September. The 37-year-old designated hitter belted his first home run of the spring 418 feet to center in the bottom of the sixth inning Friday in helping the Pirates to...

PIAA basketball playoffs Boys Class 5A First round Fox Chapel (15-11) vs. Cathedral Prep (15-10) 7 p.m. Friday at Hagerty Family Events Center, Erie District seeds: Fox Chapel 7-5; Cathedral Prep 10-1 Winner plays: Winner of 3-2 Hershey (21-3)/7-6 Bethel Park (13-13) on Tuesday in second round (time, site TBD)...

It’s been nearly a month since Burrell’s boys basketball team played a home game. After their 58-44 win over rival Valley on Feb. 9, the Bucs were expected to be road warriors for the remainder of the season. As the No. 11 seed for the WPIAL playoffs, they upset No....

WPIAL Class 5A girls basketball championship No. 5 Armstrong vs. No. 6 South Fayette 5 p.m. Saturday at Petersen Events Center On the air: Audio broadcast: Trib HSSN; Video livestream: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: Armstrong 0, South Fayette 3 (2022-23, ‘16) Armstrong (21-4) Coach: Jim Callipare Projected starting lineup No.,...