High School Highlights (May 8)
Norwin wins 5th high school baseball title in row
Norwin refused to share the Class AAAA Section 2 baseball title, keeping its perfect season intact with a convincing victory against its rival.
Nick Cubarney had four RBIs and nine strikeouts as the winning pitcher to lead the host Knights to an 11-4 win against Penn-Trafford (10-8, 7-5) Monday.
Max McDowell had a home run and three RBIs for Norwin (16-0, 11-0), which is ranked No. 1 in WPIAL Class AAAA by the Post-Gazette.
The Knights won their fifth consecutive outright section title and have a 26-game section winning streak.
Other top baseball games
• Greg Lynn went 4 for 4 with three RBIs and three runs to lead Class AA No. 3 Ellwood City (18-2, 12-2) to a 13-3, five-inning victory against No. 1 Riverside (15-5, 12-2) that allowed the host Wolverines to tie the defending WPIAL champion Panthers for the Section 5 title.
• Clayton Bouchard, Nelson Westwood, Jake Pilewicz and Jack Fecko each had two hits as host Quaker Valley (10-5, 8-5) kept its playoff hopes alive with a 6-4 win against Freedom (12-7, 9-5) in Class AA Section 1. Pilewicz also had seven strikeouts in pitching a complete game.
• Zack Tobias drove in the go-ahead run with a double in the fifth inning as Upper St. Clair (14-4, 9-3) won at Class AAAA No. 5 Mt. Lebanon (11-8, 8-4), 5-4, in Section 3 play.
• Nick Vento had four RBIs as host Franklin Regional (8-10, 7-5 Class AAAA Section 4) clinched a playoff spot with a 10-6 win against Kiski Area (9-8, 4-7).
City League thriller
• Rege Sauer pitched four shutout innings of relief and drove in Billy Land with a double in the top of the eighth for the go-ahead run as City League No. 1 Brashear (12-2, 8-1) came back to beat No. 2 Allderdice (12-3, 5-2), 7-6. Sauer went 3 for 4 for the Bulls, who overcame an early 4-0 deficit.
Quite a start
• Class AAAA No. 3 Bethel Park began the game with each of the nine players in its lineup having a hit, spurring a 14-run first inning en route to a 18-4 five-inning victory against Baldwin (7-11, 4-8 Section 3). Dakota Forsythe, Logan Carrigan and Anthony Cinello each had three hits for the Black Hawks (17-2, 10-2).
Stars of the day
• Class A No. 1 California's T.D. Conway had 11 strikeouts and one walk in pitching a no-hitter as part of a 9-0 win against Beth-Center (9-8, 8-4) in Section 1. The Trojans completed their regular season unbeaten in 17 games and perfect in 12 section games.
• Sewickley Academy freshman Drew Johnson had eight strikeouts and allowed four hits in pitching a complete game as the Panthers (4-9, 4-9) beat Class A Section 4 rival Avonworth (12-7, 10-4), 4-3.
• Ben Hartz allowed four hits in pitching a five-inning complete game and also had three RBIs in leading Class AA No. 2 Shady Side Academy (15-2, 11-1) to an 11-0 Section 4 win at Riverview (9-8, 4-7).
Top softball games
• Hempfield earned a share of the Class AAAA Section 1 title for the second consecutive season with a 10-0 victory against Norwin (14-3, 10-2). Karilynn Null pitched a six-hitter and Alaina Montgomery had two doubles, two RBIs and two runs for the Spartans (15-4, 10-2).
• Portia McBride had 10 strikeouts in pitching a one-hitter as host Elizabeth Forward (13-6) beat Class AAA No. 4 McGuffey (14-5), 1-0, in a non-section game.
Norwin refused to share the Class AAAA Section 2 baseball title, keeping its perfect season intact with a convincing victory against its rival.
Nick Cubarney had four RBIs and nine strikeouts as the winning pitcher to lead the host Knights to an 11-4 win against Penn-Trafford (10-8, 7-5) Monday.
Max McDowell had a home run and three RBIs for Norwin (16-0, 11-0), which is ranked No. 1 in WPIAL Class AAAA by the Post-Gazette.
The Knights won their fifth consecutive outright section title and have a 26-game section winning streak.
Other top baseball games
• Greg Lynn went 4 for 4 with three RBIs and three runs to lead Class AA No. 3 Ellwood City (18-2, 12-2) to a 13-3, five-inning victory against No. 1 Riverside (15-5, 12-2) that allowed the host Wolverines to tie the defending WPIAL champion Panthers for the Section 5 title.
• Clayton Bouchard, Nelson Westwood, Jake Pilewicz and Jack Fecko each had two hits as host Quaker Valley (10-5, 8-5) kept its playoff hopes alive with a 6-4 win against Freedom (12-7, 9-5) in Class AA Section 1. Pilewicz also had seven strikeouts in pitching a complete game.
• Zack Tobias drove in the go-ahead run with a double in the fifth inning as Upper St. Clair (14-4, 9-3) won at Class AAAA No. 5 Mt. Lebanon (11-8, 8-4), 5-4, in Section 3 play.
• Nick Vento had four RBIs as host Franklin Regional (8-10, 7-5 Class AAAA Section 4) clinched a playoff spot with a 10-6 win against Kiski Area (9-8, 4-7).
City League thriller
• Rege Sauer pitched four shutout innings of relief and drove in Billy Land with a double in the top of the eighth for the go-ahead run as City League No. 1 Brashear (12-2, 8-1) came back to beat No. 2 Allderdice (12-3, 5-2), 7-6. Sauer went 3 for 4 for the Bulls, who overcame an early 4-0 deficit.
Quite a start
• Class AAAA No. 3 Bethel Park began the game with each of the nine players in its lineup having a hit, spurring a 14-run first inning en route to a 18-4 five-inning victory against Baldwin (7-11, 4-8 Section 3). Dakota Forsythe, Logan Carrigan and Anthony Cinello each had three hits for the Black Hawks (17-2, 10-2).
Stars of the day
• Class A No. 1 California's T.D. Conway had 11 strikeouts and one walk in pitching a no-hitter as part of a 9-0 win against Beth-Center (9-8, 8-4) in Section 1. The Trojans completed their regular season unbeaten in 17 games and perfect in 12 section games.
• Sewickley Academy freshman Drew Johnson had eight strikeouts and allowed four hits in pitching a complete game as the Panthers (4-9, 4-9) beat Class A Section 4 rival Avonworth (12-7, 10-4), 4-3.
• Ben Hartz allowed four hits in pitching a five-inning complete game and also had three RBIs in leading Class AA No. 2 Shady Side Academy (15-2, 11-1) to an 11-0 Section 4 win at Riverview (9-8, 4-7).
Top softball games
• Hempfield earned a share of the Class AAAA Section 1 title for the second consecutive season with a 10-0 victory against Norwin (14-3, 10-2). Karilynn Null pitched a six-hitter and Alaina Montgomery had two doubles, two RBIs and two runs for the Spartans (15-4, 10-2).
• Portia McBride had 10 strikeouts in pitching a one-hitter as host Elizabeth Forward (13-6) beat Class AAA No. 4 McGuffey (14-5), 1-0, in a non-section game.
