Bill Beckner stories, Page 150
Hempfield alums Holmberg, Orie win conference track & field titles
A pair of Hempfield alums were crowned conference champions at the NCAA Division I level Saturday. Penn State grad student Maddie Holmberg won the heptathlon at the Big Ten Championships in Champaign, Ill., while DePaul sophomore Mackenna Orie won the shot put title at the Big East Championships in Geneva,...
Westmoreland notebook: Norwin, Hempfield could meet in baseball, softball playoffs
Norwin and Hempfield could meet again in the WPIAL baseball and softball semifinals, and that could mean at least two local teams making the Class 6A finals. The teams split their section series. The baseball teams shared a section championship. The WPIAL playoffs begin this week, and the local matchups...
Seton Hill’s Tommy Pellis has big week of accolades on eve of PSAC semifinals
Tommy Pellis is glad he came back for a fifth baseball season at Seton Hill. So are the Griffins. A grad student outfielder and Greensburg Central Catholic grad, Pellis is having his best college season, and reaping the awards that can come with it. National prominence is nothing new to...
Norwin grad Christiana Skrabak making impact in final season with Seton Hill softball
Seton Hill softball player Christiana Skrabak was as impactful in a 16-0 runaway victory against Mercyhurst in the deciding game of a best-of-three Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference quarterfinal series as she has been all season. Skrabak is a grad student from Norwin who is making sure her finale ends with...
Norwin notebook: Kessler’s home run trot a familiar sight for Knights
Sophomore Madie Kessler wasn’t aiming for Route 30, but those who witnessed her towering home run against North Allegheny believe the ball might have landed on the highway below Norwin High School. An umpire was even impressed, saying he hadn’t seen a ball hit that far. Kessler’s tape-measure blast to...
Franklin Regional softball team hits upswing as playoffs approach
After losing its first two games, the Franklin Regional softball has been a model of consistency. Sort of. A four-game winning streak was followed by four losses. But then, as you might have been able to guess, the Panthers won four more in a row. Coach Jim Armstrong is focusing...
Saint Vincent baseball rallies to reach PAC finals
Saint Vincent isn’t quite ready to cash in its chips. The Bearcats baseball team rallied for two wins Friday in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Tournament and, all of the sudden, will play for the championship. Fourth-seeded SVC (17-17) staved off elimination twice by defeating No. 3 Franciscan, 13-4, and No....
Norwin soccer coach Lauren Karcher resigns after 7 successful seasons
Pregnant with her second child who is due to arrive in mid-September, Lauren Karcher knows she won’t be able to dedicate all of her attention to the girls soccer program at Norwin. She had the same issue in 2019 when she gave birth to her daughter, Harper, and she turned...
Previewing the PSAC softball championship: West Chester vs. Seton Hill
PSAC softball championship series West Chester (28-14) vs. Seton Hill (32-12) When: Friday, Saturday at Seton Hill Softball Complex, Greensburg. Game 1, 4 p.m. Friday; Game 2, 1 p.m. Saturday (Game 3 to follow, if necessary) Coaches: Diane Lokey, West Chester; Jessica Strong, Seton Hill What’s next?: The series winner...
Latrobe in lofty spot as Westmoreland County softball squads earn top WPIAL seeds
Even though it seemed like it at first glance, there was no clerical error or mix-up on the right side of the WPIAL Class 5A softball playoff bracket when it met public eyes Thursday. Latrobe, the No. 2 seed? It even surprised Latrobe’s coach. Bob Kovalcin was slightly taken aback...
Westmoreland high school baseball notebook: Area teams set for WPIAL playoffs
The WPIAL will convene Friday to draw up playoff brackets. The pairings will be announced around 3 p.m. on the Trib High School Sports Network. At least 10 Westmoreland teams are headed to the postseason, which could begin Monday. Local qualifiers are Hempfield and Norwin (Class 6A); Franklin Regional, Latrobe...
Westmoreland softball notebook: Franklin Regional surges into playoffs
After losing its first two games, the Franklin Regional softball has been a model of consistency. Sort of. A four-game winning streak was followed by four straight losses. But then, five more wins in a row. Coach Jim Armstrong is focusing more on the most recent streak, which earned the...
Latrobe softball pitchers prove to be worthy replacements
Latrobe has done just fine without Jordan Tallman, thank you. Don’t get the wrong idea. The Wildcats miss their senior ace and can’t wait to get her back in the circle. But they have done more than provide a stopgap with a pair of underclassmen arms. Tallman injured the wrist...
Norwin baseball batters Class 5A No. 1 Franklin Regional, 18-2
Norwin had lost two section games in a row and was looking to recharge its battery – and its bats — against Franklin Regional in a nonsection baseball game that had some extra shine to it. It’s not often teams of this ilk get to meet just before the WPIAL...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Ex-Mt. Pleasant ace Alincic leaving Morehead State
Former Mt. Pleasant ace softball pitcher Carolyn Alincic is changing college programs, and possibly divisions. The strikeout pitcher who won WPIAL and PIAA titles with the Vikings, is leaving Morehead State (Ky.) after just less than two seasons. Candid and open about her decision, Alincic said she needed to hit...
Greensburg Central Catholic grads Nate Ward, Luke Mort to face off in NCAA College Cup
Nate Ward and Luke Mort pondered about the two of them meeting in a college soccer game, but chances seemed slim with them playing in different conferences. If they did meet, it could likely have to be in the postseason, maybe a few years down the road. The former Greensburg...
Seton Hill softball advances to PSAC finals for first time
Seton Hill made history Tuesday. The Griffins softball team downed visiting Gannon, 4-1, to win a best-of-three PSAC semifinals series and advance to the conference finals for the first time. The top seed from the West Division, Seton Hill (32-12) will host East No. 3 West Chester (28-11) in a...
Mt. Pleasant claws its way to victory over Southmoreland in section softball showdownVideo
Haylie Brunson has been one of the toughest outs in the WPIAL this softball season with her .600-something average and 20-plus extra-base hits. But even the senior slugger from Mt. Pleasant knew the challenge that awaited her No. 1-ranked Vikings on Tuesday against No. 2 Southmoreland in a Section 3-3A...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Saint Vincent forced to forfeit PAC playoff spots
The Presidents’ Athletic Conference softball and men’s lacrosse playoffs were going on in full force over the weekend, but one school was missing from both tournaments: Saint Vincent. The Bearcats had to forfeit their earned spots in both tournaments because of a covid-19 shutdown on campus in Unity Township. The...
Greensburg Central Catholic to play 3.5 section games in 2 days
Get used to seeing WPIAL softball teams squeeze in their remaining regular season games this week. The WPIAL will release playoff pairings early Thursday evening so teams are trying to complete their schedules. As a result, Greensburg Central Catholic has a busy Wednesday planned. The Centurions (7-3, 4-2 Section 2-A)...
Busy Roundball Classic week tips off with team practices
It is Roundball Classic week and Western Pennsylvania’s top all-star senior basketball players will begin gathering at Geneva College. Girls teams will practice at 6 p.m. Tuesday, with the boys’ 6A players to follow at 7:30. On Wednesday, the boys’ Class A, 2A, 3A and District 10 all-stars will practice...
No. 2-ranked Southmoreland softball sets back-to-back section doubleheaders
With the regular season winding down and no extension in sight, the Southmoreland softball team suddenly is in cram mode. The No. 2-ranked Scotties have played only nine games, including four in section, and have not yet clinched a playoff spot. That means a busy week lies ahead. Southmoreland (8-1,...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Seton Hill men’s lacrosse racks up honors
Seton Hill cleaned up when postseason awards were announced by the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The Griffins men’s lacrosse team, which finished second in the standings, reached the conference title game and earned its third straight NCAA Division II Tournament bid, had two major award-winners and 12 all-conference picks. Junior...
Westmoreland high school notebook: YMCA to host summer hoops leagues
A local summer basketball league is taking shape, and it will feature some of the top returning WPIAL girls players and teams. The Greensburg YMCA will host varsity girls and boys leagues beginning June 1. The girls field includes Connellsville, Greensburg Central Catholic, Greensburg Salem, Hempfield, Latrobe, Mt. Pleasant and...
Pirone, Treloar form strong 1-2 punch for Franklin Regional rotation
When baseball season began, Franklin Regional coach Bobby Saddler referenced pitching depth and how it could relate to covid shutdowns for WPIAL teams. He said the staffs with depth probably would negotiate a stoppage best but also could be effective in the new back-to-back section series format. The Panthers (13-0),...
