Michael Love stories, Page 9
Indiana works out of 1 last jam, beats Montoursville for PIAA title
UNIVERSITY PARK — Indiana built some breathing room early in Friday’s PIAA Class 4A baseball championship game against District 4 titlist Montoursville at Penn State’s Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. But when a four-run lead was whittled down to one, and the Warriors loaded the bases with no outs in...
Faith Christian stops Freedom’s surprise playoff run in state title game
UNIVERSITY PARK - It was not the start Freedom hoped for Friday morning in the PIAA Class 2A baseball championship game against District 1 champion Faith Christian at Penn State’s Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The Lions collected three hits and took advantage of a pair of Bulldogs errors in...
Upper Dublin too much for Shaler in PIAA Class 5A final
UNIVERSITY PARK — In the PIAA Class 5A finals two years ago, the Shaler baseball team made an epic comeback from down five runs to stun Strath Haven and claim the program’s second state championship. The Titans hoped for some similar magic Thursday evening after they dug themselves a six-run...
Unbeaten in state title games, Riverside tops Mount Carmel for program’s 6th PIAA crown
UNIVERSITY PARK - Riverside baseball is on top of the PIAA mountain once again. The Panthers weathered a late-inning storm from District 4 champion Mount Carmel in Thursday’s Class 3A baseball championship game at Penn State’s Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Riverside played small ball and pushed across two runs...
Riverside wins another duel with South Park to reach Class 3A state finals
When Riverside defeated South Park 1-0 in 12 innings in the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals, the Eagles hoped for another opportunity to face the Panthers in the PIAA playoffs, while Riverside expected the possibility of another game between the two teams. Opportunity and possibility became reality Tuesday afternoon at Seneca...
Monroeville Red Pandas rally Gateway grads for 3rd season in North American Baseball Association
Donovan Baxter helped organize the Monroeville Red Pandas baseball team two summers ago as an expansion Class AAA team in the Pittsburgh branch of the North American Baseball Association. With a large part of the team made up of Gateway graduates, the Red Pandas returned Monroeville to the league after...
After strong finish this season, Gateway flag football looks forward to next spring
Gateway’s girls flag football team stood at 3-3 after a loss to Shaler on April 27. The Gators needed to string some wins together to get into Pittsburgh Girls Flag Football League playoff contention. “We didn’t play many preseason games, so the week we started, a couple of the other...
On brink of elimination, South Park uses furious 7th-inning rally to get past Quaker Valley
AC Miller reached base in each of his first three at-bats in Thursday’s PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal against Quaker Valley at Plum High School. The South Park senior got on with a fielder’s choice in the second inning and scored the Eagles’ first run, and he was the beneficiary of...
Riverview baseball proud to go down fighting
Carter Loughren put on the Riverview uniform one final time Monday afternoon when he and his Raiders teammates battled District 10 champion Mercyhurst Prep in the first round of the PIAA Class 2A baseball playoffs. He hoped the Raiders would keep going in the state tournament, but the Lakers had...
Riverview rallies but comes up short in PIAA baseball playoffs
ERIE — The Riverview baseball team had to battle from an early deficit in Monday’s PIAA Class 2A first-round game against Mercyhurst Prep at Mercyhurst University in Erie. Trailing by four runs after one inning, the Raiders cut the Lakers lead to one with a three-spot in the third. But...
A-K Valley PIAA baseball playoff preview capsule: Game for Monday, June 2, 2025
PIAA baseball playoffs Class 2A First round 7-3 Riverview (15-7) vs. 10-1 Mercyhurst Prep (22-1) 4:30 p.m. Monday at Mercyhurst Winner plays: Winner of 5-1 Tussey Mountain (13-10) and 7-2 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (15-8) Thursday in quarterfinals (site/time TBD) Players to watch: Zack Kruszewski, Mercyhurst Prep; Johnny...
Gateway thrower Dino Nadarevic closes high school career with pair of state titles
Dino Nadarevic entered the PIAA Class 3A track and field championships at Shippensburg confident in his opportunity to bring home PIAA gold. “I knew I was one of the top-seeded people there and had a good chance at winning both events,” he said. “I knew it was my last state...
WPIAL champion Gateway tandem again returns home with PIAA medals
Gateway’s Logan Memije and Zidaan Hassan again carried the mantle of WPIAL champions into the PIAA Class 3A doubles tournament May 23-24 at the Hershey Racquet Club. And for the second time in as many years, the Gators duo — Hassan a senior and Memije a junior — brought home...
Pitching, defense help Riverview play June baseball
The Riverview baseball team’s pitching and defense surrendered just six runs over four games in the WPIAL Class 2A baseball tournament. That is a surefire recipe for postseason success. While the Raiders didn’t reach their goal of playing for a WPIAL championship, they were able to parlay three victories in...
Plum, Riverview track and field athletes cap season on PIAA medals podium
Plum junior Owen Proskin took a big-meet understanding into the PIAA Class 3A track and field championships May 23-24 at Shippensburg. Having competed at states last year as a sophomore and also at several prestigious USA Track and Field meets, Proskin was ready to go after it in the 110-...
Seniors get final chance to don high school softball uniforms at Western PA All-Star Game
Bella Stewart and Pyper Ferres played a lot of softball together the past four springs as Burrell teammates. They shared numerous victories and took part in three playoff trips with the Bucs. The seniors will have one more opportunity to take the field together before they head off to college,...
Arnold high school, Lower Burrell Legion baseball teams won titles 60 years ago
This week, the WPIAL crowned baseball champions in six classifications. But 60 years ago, only one WPIAL titlist reigned supreme. With no classifications at the time, the team from Arnold had to go through a number of bigger schools to earn WPIAL gold. With no fear, the 1965 Lions took...
Strong pitching, clutch hits keep season alive for Riverview with 3rd-place win over Laurel
WASHINGTON — With its season on the line, the Riverview baseball team stood tall against Laurel in a WPIAL Class 2A third-place game Wednesday afternoon at Washington & Jefferson’s Ross Memorial Park. Raiders sophomore pitcher Lukas Duncan again was effective in a complete-game effort, and Riverview got just enough offense...
Big inning helps Eden Christian top Greensburg Central Catholic in WPIAL Class A consolation game
Eden Christian Academy erupted for five runs in the bottom of the third to cap a nine-run uprising over the first three innings as the Warriors cruised to a 10-2 victory in the WPIAL Class A third-place consolation baseball game Wednesday afternoon against Greensburg Central Catholic at Washington & Jefferson’s...
Trip to state playoffs on the line when Riverview baseball takes on Laurel in 3rd-place game
Eli DeVita is ready to do whatever he can to help make sure Wednesday’s WPIAL Class 2A third-place consolation is not his final high school game. “We know Laurel is a playoff team and they made it as far as we did,” said DeVita of the No. 12 Spartans who...
After tough playoff assignment, Gateway volleyball reflects on banner season
When the Gateway boys volleyball team defeated Fox Chapel on May 8 to wrap up an 8-2 Section 4-3A slate and clinch the section championship outright, players, coaches, administrators and many others at the school were excited and expected to see the Gators presented with a first-round home game when...
Gateway’s tennis run comes to close in PIAA quarterfinals
The Gateway boys tennis team had its sights set on a run to the PIAA Class 3A championship match when it kicked off its tournament May 13 against District 3 third-place finisher Manheim Township at Pure Athletex in Marshall Township. The Gators, led by the singles trio of seniors Adam...
Plum sprinter Gabrielle Layne signs with Pitt
Gabrielle Layne stood in the library at Plum High School last Wednesday with a smile on her face from ear to ear. She spent a small part of her afternoon celebrating a decision that will shape the next four years of her life. The Plum senior track and field standout...
After unexpected playoff exit, Plum coach reflects on 18-win season
Last year, the Plum baseball team entered the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs as the No. 5 seed and hoped to make a strong postseason run. But No. 12 Trinity had other ideas and outlasted the Mustangs in 11 innings to crush Plum’s postseason desires. The sting of a playoff upset...
Freeport distance runner Michael Braun locked in on gold during last trip to PIAA meet
As a freshman, Michael Braun placed 10th in the 3,200-meter run at the WPIAL Class 2A championships. He didn’t reach his goal of qualifying for the PIAA meet, but he took note of the top performances in Shippensburg from area athletes, including the 1,600-meter state title by Deer Lakes senior...
