Bill Beckner stories, Page 215
Penn-Trafford grad Nedley adds pop to Penn softball
Emma Nedley was once a wide-eyed youngster plopped in front of the TV watching college softball with innocent wonderment. She enjoyed the double plays. She appreciated the diving catches and smiled when the teams started chanting with excitement to start a rally. But she loved the home runs. That’s what...
Westmoreland lookahead for Week of April 1, 2019
MONDAY Baseball: Greensburg Central Catholic and Jeannette are no longer section opponents but the teams plan to renew their rivalry with a nonsection game at Clarkson Field in Jeannette. Penn-Trafford will take on Hampton in nonsection play at Hempfield Park. Southmoreland visits Greensburg Salem, and Yough goes to Norwin. Franklin...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Hempfield sophomore catcher reopens recruitment
Sophomore Emma Hoffner still plans to play Division I softball and clearly has the talent to do so. But the Hempfield all-state catcher is going to explore her options before making a firm commitment. Hoffner has opened her recruitment after initially verbally committing to St. Francis (Pa.) as a freshman....
Norwin grad Matijevic assigned to Double-A
JJ Matijevic will start his third season in the minor leagues in Double-A. The former Norwin and Arizona star was assigned to the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Texas League, an affiliate of the Houston Astros. The 6-foot, 206-pounder who bats left-handed and throws right-handed, finished last season with the...
Gannon softball hits 8 home runs in conference game
Gannon turned an inconspicuous Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference softball game into a home run derby. The Knights belted eight home runs on the way to a 15-0 win over Mercyhurst in five innings Thursday in Erie. It was the second game of a doubleheader. Mercyhurst (5-18, 1-1) won the first...
Hempfield’s Hoffner opens recruitment
Sophomore Emma Hoffner still plans to play Division I softball, and has the talent to do so. But the Hempfield all-state catcher is going to explore her options before making a firm commitment. Hoffner has opened her recruitment after initially committing to Saint Francis (Pa.) as a freshman. Head coach...
Martindale’s grand slam lifts North Allegheny past No. 1 Hempfield
After missing last softball season with a knee injury, Rachel Martindale was anxious to get back on the field. The North Allegheny senior shortstop, though, could have shelved what seems to have become her second-best sport. She is headed to Akron on a basketball scholarship. She was one of the...
IUP women fall in semifinals
Another thrilling run through the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Tournament finally came to an end for IUP Wednesday night in Columbus, Ohio. The Crimson Hawks were stopped in the Final Four for the second straight year as Southwestern Oklahoma used a strong fourth quarter to register a 66-57 victory...
Maund helps Penn-Trafford top North Allegheny on future home field
Maclean Maund plans to play college baseball at Seton Hill. The Penn-Trafford senior looked right at home on his future field Wednesday as he and his teammates avenged a playoff loss to North Allegheny on the turf at the Seton Hill Baseball Complex. Maund was glad his team rented the...
Regula resigns as Derry girls basketball coach
Matt Regula’s stay was short at Derry, his departure not altogether by his choice. But he looks back on his time coaching the girls basketball team at his alma mater with pride. “It gave me the chance to prove that I can be a successful head coach,” said Regula, who...
Western Pennsylvania sites announced for Drive, Chip & Putt
The Western Pennsylvania Golf Association announced local qualifiers for the 2020 Drive, Chip and Putt competition that culminates in a year at Augusta National Golf Club. Registration is underway. Local qualifying sites include: Willowbrook Country Club, Allegheny Township — June 12 Green Oaks Country Club, Verona — June 13 JC...
Hempfield product Harrell to play in national 3-on-3 tournament
Now that his college career is over, Kason Harrell has every intention of playing professional basketball. The wheres and whens have yet to be worked out, but the Purdue Fort Wayne senior knows he’ll be playing against some of the country’s best players in the interim. Harrell, a Hempfield graduate,...
Penn-Trafford moves games to Seton Hill
To counter changing field conditions in Harrison City, Penn-Trafford is moving some baseball and softball games to the artificial turf fields at Seton Hill University. Last year, the Warriors softball team played Hempfield at Seton Hill. The baseball games set to be played at the Greensburg campus include: Wednesday: vs....
RMU’s Vatakis snags dual-honor from NEC
Dana Vatakis is a rare dual-award-winner in the Northeast Conference this week. The freshman softball player at Robert Morris was named NEC Pitcher of the Week and Co-Rookie of the Week. A Monessen graduate, Vatakis made five appearances last week for the Colonials (5-20, 0-1), carding three complete games and...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Big week for Saint Vincent baseball
Saint Vincent senior Bobby Finn tied a school record when he hit three home runs in the second game of a baseball doubleheader Sunday against Chatham in a 20-3 victory. Finn finished 4 for 5 with six RBIs for the Bearcats (10-3, 3-0), who had 19 hits in the win....
IUP women advance to national semifinals
IUP is headed back to the NCAA Division II Final Four. The Crimson Hawks women built a 10-point lead by halftime and cruised past Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 73-60, in the Elite Eight on Tuesday at Old Dominion in Columbus, Ohio. Carolyn Appleby (Greensburg Central Catholic) scored a team-high 17 points,...
Fundraiser started for wrestler who lost father during NCAAs in Pittsburgh
Steve Sprague watched his son, Michael, wrestle his final college match Friday in Pittsburgh. About 30 minutes after the match ended, Steve Sprague suffered “a cardiac event” and died. Now friends are trying to raise money for the grief-stricken family with a GoFundMe page. Michael Sprague is a senior 149-pound...
Six Saint Vincent athletes honored by PAC
Saint Vincent had a good week. The proof is in the accolades. A half-dozen Bearcats athletes from four sports were recognized by the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. Two baseball players and two from the softball team were honored. Junior Jimmy Malone was named PAC Pitcher of the Week. He allowed seven...
Campus clippings: Marc Bucci returns to take over Pitt-Greensburg soccer
Marc Bucci already was familiar with the men’s soccer program at Pitt-Greensburg, having served as an assistant coach in 2017. That made his transition to head coach of the Bobcats a little easier. Bucci will take over the program following the departure of Dan Keefe, who left to become an...
Westmoreland high school lookahead: Week of March 25, 2019
MONDAY Baseball: Teams will try to get in games as the WPIAL season dodges wet weather. A full slate of nonsection action includes Greensburg Central Catholic at Steel Valley, Burrell at Kiski Area, Greensburg Salem at North Hills, Indiana at Norwin, Monessen at Bentworth and Southmoreland at Mt. Pleasant. Softball:...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Ligonier Valley’s Jablonski gets offer
Ligonier Valley already has one football lineman who is drawing Division I attention in junior Michael Petrof. Now, it has two. Junior Christian Jablonski last week received his first offer, from Cornell. The school also offered Petrof, a 6-foot-2, 275-pound two-way tackle who who already had offers from Fordham, Yale,...
GCC grad Pellis finds comfort zone with Seton HillVideo
Tommy Pellis tried to make it work at Penn, tried to find solace in his environment on and off the baseball diamond. He gave it two years in Philadelphia — more than enough time, he thought, to try to blend in and become established. But coming to terms with the...
Belle Vernon football getting help from new weightlifting aid
Opening day of spring sports in the WPIAL was greeted with, sigh, a dose of snow and cold. Meanwhile, a Tsunami hit in Rostraver. Belle Vernon’s football team was continuing to get ready for the fall with its new training tool. The Leopards added ew technology to their weight-lifting program,...
Next up for IUP women: The Elite Eight
The IUP women’s basketball team will be seeking a second straight trip to the NCAA Division II Final Four. The Crimson Hawks (29-3), seeded third in the Elite Eight (national quarterfinals) will meet No. 6 Azusa Pacific (28-5) at noon on Tuesday at Ohio Dominican’s Alumni Hall in Columbus as...
Pitt-Greensburg hires Bucci as men’s soccer coach
Marc Bucci already was familiar with the men’s soccer program at Pitt-Greensburg, having served as an assistant coach in 2017. That made his transition to head coach a little easier. Bucci will take over the program following the departure of Dan Keefe, who left to become an assistant at Lincoln...
