Bill Beckner stories, Page 113
Westmoreland softball playoff capsules: Games of Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Class 5A semifinals 11-Chartiers Valley (15-4) vs. 2-Penn-Trafford (17-2) 5 p.m. at West Mifflin Winner plays: Winner of 4-North Hills (16-3) vs. 1-Armstrong (18-4) on June 2 (time TBD) in championship at Cal (Pa.) Players to watch: Marie Kinchington, Chartiers Valley; Cam Ponko, Penn-Trafford Extra bases: Chartiers Valley stunned No....
Patrick Comer named athletic director at Westmoreland County Community College
Patrick Comer will lead Westmoreland County Community College sports into the future. Comer, of Greensburg, was named the school’s next athletic director. From the start, he will oversee an important move by the college. WCCC is primed to compete in NJCAA Division II and will offer scholarships to athletes starting...
Penn-Trafford’s Piconi gets her mojo back at plate in time for WPIAL softball playoffs
There is a marked difference in Kylee Piconi’s confidence — and her batting average — lately. As it turns out, the two things are not mutually exclusive. The Penn-Trafford junior shortstop has sparked the Warriors softball team through two rounds of the WPIAL playoffs, all the while ending a hitting...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Jeannette’s Gio Vonne Sanders eyes transfer options
Gio Vonne Sanders entered the transfer portal looking for an opportunity with another Division I program. The former St. Francis (Pa.) standout defensive back out of Jeannette has a few bites on the line. Northeast Conference teams Duquesne and Sacred Heart, who know Sanders well, have offered scholarships. He recently...
Westmoreland baseball playoff capsule: Central Catholic vs. Norwin, Monday, May 23, 2022
Class 6A quarterfinals 5-Central Catholic (11-9) vs. 4-Norwin (10-8) 4 p.m. at Plum Winner plays: Winner of 8-Seneca Valley (14-7) vs. 1-Mt. Lebanon (13-7) on Tuesday in semifinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Cade O’Leary, Central Catholic; Jack Whalen, Norwin Extra bases: Central Catholic finished third in Section 1...
Westmoreland softball playoff capsules: Games of Monday, May 23, 2022
Class 4A quarterfinals 5-Montour (13-4) vs. 4-Yough (13-3) 3 p.m. at West Mifflin Winner plays: Winner of 8-Freeport (10-6) vs. 1-Beaver (16-0) on Wednesday in semifinals Players to watch: Mia Arndt, Montour; McKenzie Pritts, Yough Extra bases: Montour held off Knoch in the first round 11-9. The Spartans trailed 9-7...
Westmoreland notebook: Jeannette continues to honor the late Tre Cunningham
Tre Cunningham’s name and legacy carries on at Jeannette. The late three-sport star, who was killed in a motorcycle accident in the summer of 2020, was honored through a high school boys’ basketball tournament last year at Jeannette. Last week, the Jeannette Educational Foundation presented the Tre Cunningham Memorial Basketball...
Westmoreland athletes of the week: GCC’s Corinn Brewer, Penn-Trafford’s Andrew Kessler
Corinn Brewer School: Greensburg Central Catholic Year: Senior Claim to fame: Brewer continues to prove she is one of the elite track and field athletes in the WPIAL. The Notre Dame commit won the pole vault at the WPIAL Class 2A championships at Slippery Rock, while also finishing second in...
Norwin notebook: Baseball team finishes strong to earn playoff berth
The Norwin baseball team rallied to earn a WPIAL Class 6A playoff spot and a decent seed in the bracket. The fourth-seeded Knights (10-8) were scheduled to take on No. 5 Central Catholic (10-9) in the quarterfinals of the eight-team bracket May 23. The Knights were 4-6 at one point...
Hempfield softball loses ace freshman pitcher for season
If Hempfield makes a run to its eighth WPIAL softball title, it will finish it without freshman pitcher Riley Miller. The Spartans ace broke her left foot sliding into second base during the team’s 5-4 WPIAL Class 6A quarterfinal win over Norwin on Wednesday at Penn-Trafford. She is done for...
Smith’s pitching, pair of homers lead Penn-Trafford softball past Shaler
Mia Smith was concerned she might not pitch well Thursday because she had a shaky warmup session on an adjacent field at Plum. When game time arrived, though, the Penn-Trafford senior was practically unhittable. Funny how the best ones can lock in on the biggest stages. “Watch out when she...
Gambles pay off for Hempfield softball in walk-off win over rival Norwin
Top-seeded Hempfield played the percentages and, as a result, gets to play in the semifinals. Spartans first-year softball coach Tina Madison issued four intentional walks to Norwin — including two in the seventh inning with her team up by one run — and allowed the Knights to load the bases...
Westmoreland County WPIAL softball playoff preview capsules for May 19, 2022
WPIAL softball playoffs Capsule previews Class 5A Quarterfinals 10-Shaler (16-3) vs. 2-Penn-Trafford (16-2) 5 p.m. Thursday at Plum Winner plays: Winner of 11-Chartiers Valley (14-4) vs. 3-Trinity (16-2) on Tuesday in the semifinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Mallor Moran, Shaler; Kylee Picconi, Penn-Trafford Extra bases: Shaler was a...
Westmoreland County WPIAL baseball playoff preview capsules for May 19, 2022
Class 5A Quarterfinals 8-Penn-Trafford (14-6) vs. 1-Peters Township (19-1) 4:30 p.m. Thursday at West Mifflin Winner plays: Winner of Thomas Jefferson (14-6) vs. Chartiers Valley (10-11) on Monday in semifinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Dylan Grabowski, Penn-Trafford; Sam Miller, Penn-Trafford Extra bases: Penn-Trafford won its sixth one-run game...
Etling delivers winning hit for Southmoreland in Class 3A softball win over Derry
Southmoreland softball players jumped up and stood on the team bench during Tuesday’s playoff opener at Norwin. They were afraid to sit down because a small snake emerged from under the turf and slithered along the bench area before finally disappearing into the woods behind the dugout. Scotties freshman Makayla...
Westmoreland WPIAL baseball playoff capsule: Game of Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Class 6A First round 9-Hempfield (8-12) vs. 8-Seneca Valley (13-7) *4 p.m. Wednesday at Plum Winner plays: 1-Mt. Lebanon (13-7) on May 23 in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Brandon Coughlin, Sr., Hempfield; A.J. Capizzi, Jr., Seneca Valley Last year’s finish: Hempfield — Lost to North Allegheny, 4-0,...
Westmoreland WPIAL softball playoff capsules: Games for Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Class 6A Quarterfinals 8-Norwin (6-9) vs. 1-Hempfield (12-3) 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at Penn-Trafford Winner plays: Winner of 5-Bethel Park (9-8) vs. 4-Seneca Valley (10-6), May 25 (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Angelina Pepe, Sr., Norwin; Margaret Howard, So., Hempfield Extra bases: Norwin overpowered No. 9 Baldwin in the first...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Palmer Jackson named all-ACC
Notre Dame junior golfer Palmer Jackson, a Franklin Regional alum, was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference Team. Jackson has nine top-10 finishes in 11 tournaments and averages 70.15, which ranks 16th in the nation. He made national watch lists for the Hogan Award and Haskins Award and will play...
Norwin softball team, ‘coming in hot,’ beats Baldwin in playoff opener
Norwin softball had its team banquet the night before the playoff opener. Odd timing? For sure. But it also allowed the Lady Knight to spin forward instead of looking back. To offer pep talks and atta-girls rather than farewell hugs and nostalgia. This season isn’t over yet. “We’re coming in...
Westmoreland County WPIAL softball playoff preview capsules for May 17, 2022
WPIAL softball playoffs Capsule previews Class 5A First round 12-Latrobe (9-4) vs. 5-West Allegheny (12-4) 6 p.m. Tuesday at North Allegheny Winner plays: Winner of 13-Upper St. Clair (6-14) vs. 4-North Hills (14-3) on Thursday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Jenna Tallman, Sr., Latrobe; Elly Vicari-Baker, So.,...
Westmoreland County WPIAL baseball playoff preview capsules for May 17, 2022
WPIAL baseball playoffs Capsule previews Class 5A First round 12-Thomas Jefferson (13-6) vs. 5-Latrobe (12-7) 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Hempfield Winner plays: Winner of 13-Chartiers Valley (9-11) vs. 4-Mars (14-5) on Thursday in quarterfinals Players to watch: T.J. Bucy, Sr., Thomas Jefferson; Logan Short, Sr., Latrobe Last year’s finish: Thomas...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Hempfield grads earn 1st-team honors for Seton Hill
Coming back to Seton Hill for a fifth season has brought Jenna Osikowicz riches: an NCAA Division II Atlantic Region title, a second straight PSAC West title and now, a second consecutive PSAC West Athlete of the Year award. An outfielder from Hempfield, Osikowicz also made the all-conference first team....
6 PSAC baseball teams headed to NCAA Atlantic Regional
Six baseball teams from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference made the field for the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament, including Seton Hill, Slippery Rock and Gannon. The double-elimination tournament begins Thursday. There are two Atlantic Region “pods.” The winners will meet in a Super Regional for a spot in...
Franklin Regional lineman Nesler takes up cause of disabled veterans
Inspired by what he heard and saw, Andrew Nesler set out to help — a good soldier wanting to pay back an army of them for their service. A junior football player at Franklin Regional, Nesler formed a fundraiser called “DefenseForDefense” aimed at raising money for disabled war veterans. The...
Softball playoff capsule: Baldwin vs. Norwin, Monday, May 16, 2022
WPIAL softball playoffs Class 6A First round 9-Baldwin (4-11) vs. 8-Norwin (5-9) 3 p.m. Monday at West Mifflin Winner plays: 1-Hempfield (12-3) at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Penn-Trafford Players to watch: Gabby Jaquay, Fr., Baldwin; Madie Kessler, Jr., Norwin Last year’s finish: Baldwin — Lost to Bethel Park, 9-1, in...
