High School category, Page 460
Belle Vernon softball fends off comeback bid, advances to state quarterfinals
Less than a week after winning the fifth WPIAL title in program history, the Belle Vernon softball team survived and advanced in its PIAA tournament opener Monday afternoon. The Leopards scored four pivotal insurance runs and managed to fend off a late rally by District 3’s Trinity to come away...
Howard sisters lead Hempfield softball past Mifflin County in PIAA opener
Sisters Maggie and Lauren Howard are a couple of years apart in age and class, but they look alike, talk alike and, to Hempfield’s delight, play alike. The Hempfield siblings had a key impact on Monday morning’s PIAA Class 6A playoff opener against visiting Mifflin County, combining to go 4...
Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Greensburg Salem’s Aubrie Loughner
Every year, dozens of high school athletes in Western Pennsylvania continue their careers in sports like football, basketball, soccer or baseball at the college level. But for one senior in Westmoreland County, her sport of choice is far from traditional. Greensburg Salem’s Aubrie Loughner spends her time out of school...
Freeport’s departing seniors helped rebuild baseball program
Even though only one baseball team in each classification gets to celebrate a title at the end of the year, members of the Freeport baseball program can’t be too upset with how their season turned out. After winning only five games in each of the last two seasons, the Yellowjackets...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Plum’s Carson Svidron
For as long as he can remember, Plum senior Carson Svidron has been a catcher. “Honestly, I liked having as much gear as possible when I was younger because I thought it was fun to wear,” Svidron said. “Growing up, I kept getting better and better at it, and no...
Trib HSSN Baseball Player of the Week for June 4, 2023Video
When a fly ball in shallow center field popped out of the glove of Mt. Lebanon second baseman Brett Hamel in the sixth inning, Blue Devils sophomore David Shields did not know if his no-hitter in the WPIAL Class 6A baseball championship game was still intact or not. Even when...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports for June 5, 2023: PIAA baseball, softball playoffs commence
The WPIAL and the other 11 district baseball and softball playoffs are in the books. All of the winners, along with some of the runners-up and consolation survivors will now turn their full attention to the PIAA diamond postseason over the next two weeks, starting Monday. Baseball Two WPIAL baseball...
Trib HSSN softball team of the week for June 4, 2023Video
The golden history of Hempfield softball is important to second-year coach and former Spartans player Tina Madison. It is so important, she begins each season with a PowerPoint presentation on the accomplishments of the program. “I have a whole presentation on it I give the girls,” Madison said. “It’s my...
Trib HSSN softball player of the week for June 4, 2023Video
The Avonworth softball team has won back-to-back WPIAL Class 3A championships and begins defense of its PIAA state crown Monday. In the center of all this success is junior Alivia Lantzy. Last spring in the WPIAL finals, Lantzy allowed three hits and three walks while striking out eight in the...
Trib HSSN baseball team of the week for June 4, 2023Video
Riverside’s WPIAL Class 3A championship game victory over rival Neshannock was a win for the ages. Or considering the Panthers’ long-time coach, it was a win for the aged. Numbers were the focus after the Panthers defeated the Lancers for a third time this season 6-1. • It was WPIAL...
Greensburg Central Catholic softball team ready to take on District 9 champ Cranberry in state playoffs
Greensburg Central Catholic softball coach Mike Gaffney has been coaching the Centurions for 12 seasons. He doesn’t allow things to bother him that he can’t control. His focus is on his team and how it is performing. So, after the Centurions (14-3) were beaten by No. 1 Neshannock, 15-0, in...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Coaches want more Class 6A state qualifiers
Talk about one and done. WPIAL Class 6A softball coaches think something needs to change. Only the champion, Hempfield (18-3), moved on to the PIAA playoffs, meaning the semifinal and title-game losers were done for the year. In other classifications, the top three or four finishers advanced to the state...
This week on Trib HSSN for week of June 5, 2023
Now that we are into June, the clock is winding down on the high school sports season, however with the district postseason in the rearview mirror, the focus turns to the state playoffs in the PIAA this week on the TribLive High School Sports Network. Trib HSSN begins our coverage...
Penn-Trafford has unfinished business, opens state playoffs against Central Mountain
When Lou Cortazzo was named interim baseball coach at Penn-Trafford two weeks before the season began, people around the district were stunned at the timing. Cortazzo replaced Dan Miller as coach, and despite the sudden change the goals stayed the same: make the WPIAL playoffs, win the section, qualify for...
Westmoreland PIAA baseball capsules: Games for Monday, June 5, 2023
PIAA baseball playoffs Class 5A First round Penn-Trafford (15-6) vs. Central Mountain (20-1) 4 p.m. Monday at Lock Haven District seeds: Penn-Trafford 7-3; Central Mountain 6-1 Winner plays: Winner of the 7-1 Shaler (19-4)/3-5 Muhlenberg (15-8) on Thursday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Ryan Grabowski, Penn-Trafford; Brady...
Alle-Kiski Valley PIAA softball capsule: Game for Monday, June 5, 2023
PIAA Softball Class 3A First Round 7-3 Burrell (14-6) at 6-1 Juniata (22-3) 4 p.m. Monday at Juniata High School, Mifflintown Winner plays: Winner of 7-1 Avonworth (21-1)/10-2 Fort LeBoeuf (20-1) on Thursday in second round (site/time TBD) Players to Watch: Katie Armstrong, Burrell; Liz Gaisior, Juniata Extra-bases: Burrell is...
Westmoreland PIAA softball capsules: Games for Monday, June 5, 2023
PIAA softball playoffs Class 6A First round Mifflin County (12-8) at Hempfield (18-3) 11 a.m. Monday at Robert D. Kalp Field, Hempfield District seeds: Mifflin County 6-1; Hempfield 7-1 Winner plays: Winner of 3-2 Central Dauphin (20-2)/1-3 Downington East (21-3) on Thursday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch:...
Burrell softball team wants long ride to start deep run
Burrell High School graduation is Thursday evening. Four senior members of the Bucs softball team who will be receiving their diplomas — Abbie Larko, Alanna Miller, Cassidy Novak and Katie Armstrong — hope the day is a busy one as it also is the day of the second round of...
Gateway notebook: Gators tandem takes 3rd at PIAA doubles championships
Emily Levine wasn’t witness to her Gateway doubles team’s run to third place at the PIAA Class 3A tournament May 27, at the Hershey Racquet Club. Her husband had undergone emergency eye surgery, and she wasn’t able to travel. But the news that traveled back to the Pittsburgh area excited...
Penn Hills Progress notebook: Redeemer Lutheran track team collects medals
The Redeemer Lutheran track team turned in a strong performance at the National Christian School Athletic Association track and field championships at Geneva College in May. Alexis Banash was the Rams’ top finisher on the girls side, winning two events. Banash won the long jump (14 feet, 11.75 inches) and...
Penn Hills relay team gets feet wet at PIAA track championships
Penn Hills track and field coach Lee Zelkwotiz was happy to be able to take another group of athletes to Shippensburg to compete in the PIAA Class 3A championships on Memorial Day weekend. Following a few years with lower numbers after the start of the pandemic, the Indians track team...
Gateway showcases ‘premier baseball and softball complexes’ during WPIAL playoffs
When the baseball and softball fields at the Gateway Sports Complex were still in the construction stage, Gateway athletic director Don Holl gazed into his crystal ball and saw the facility hosting a number of WPIAL playoff games. Hope and optimism turned into reality over a two-week span from May...
Sewickley Academy baseball hit stride in season’s 2nd half
A month into the WPIAL baseball season, Sewickley Academy finally found its groove. The Panthers were 3-7 and riding a three-game losing streak on April 18. Following a 16-2 section loss to Eden Christian, Sewickley exploded for seven wins in a row to enter the WPIAL playoffs. The Panthers finished...
Surging sophomore leads Quaker Valley track team at states
Sophomore sensation Jay Olawaiye made the biggest impact for Quaker Valley at the PIAA track and field championships at Shippensburg University. Olawaiye finished as the Class 2A runner-up in the girls triple jump thanks to a leap of 37 feet, 7 inches. “Jay’s performance was phenomenal,” QV coach Jared Jones...
Penn-Trafford’s Matt Sarnowski caps season with 3rd-place finish at PIAA meet
It doesn’t happen often, but two of the top discus throwers in Pennsylvania reside in Westmoreland County and live less than 10 miles apart. So when the 2024 track season begins, Hempfield junior Peyton Murray and Penn-Trafford junior Matt Sarnowski, who finished first and third, respectively, at the 2023 PIAA...
