High school roundup for June 5, 2023: Penn-Trafford baseball stuns state’s top-ranked team

By: Tribune-Review
Monday, June 5, 2023 | 10:38 PM

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Ian Temple hit an RBI single during a three-run first inning and belted a solo home run in the fifth, leading Penn-Trafford to an 8-5 upset win over Central Mountain, the top-ranked team in the state, in the first round of the PIAA Class 5A baseball playoffs Monday.

Temple, Brody Hoffman and Brady Lane each had three hits for the Warriors (16-6), who will face WPIAL champ Shaler in the quarterfinals Thursday. Carmen Metcalfe drove in three runs and Chuck Fontana doubled and drove in a run.

“Getting the first playoff win meant everything,” Penn-Trafford coach Lou Cortazzo said. “We had nothing to lose and in the same vein, we were confident. These guys were ready. They wanted to represent the program.”

Nolan Marasti started and gave up two runs on one hit in 4⅓ innings for Penn-Trafford. Dylan Grabowski finished it out, allowing three runs, one earned, on three hits.

Gabe Johnson singled, doubled and drove in a run for District 6 champion Central Mountain (20-2).

“We got a good performance from our pitchers,” Cortazzo said. “It was a great team effort. Everyone contributed.”

Bethel Park 8, Mechanicsburg 2 (10 inn.) – Evan Holewinski doubled, homered and drove in five runs while Lucas Lybarger and Ray Petras each knocked in a run as Bethel Park (18-5) scored eight runs in the top of the tenth to secure a PIAA Class 5A opening round win. Cody Fey doubled for Mechanicsburg (18-7). The Black Hawks will play District 12 champion Monsignor Bonner in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Burgettstown 6, Redbank Valley 1 – Winning pitcher Andrew Bredel struck out 11 and gave up one unearned run and helped his own cause with an RBI double to propel Burgettstown (16-4) to a PIAA Class 2A opening-round win. Maddox Gratchen went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and Riley Kennedy knocked in a run for the Blue Devils. Ty Carrier finished with two hits for Redbank Valley (18-5). Burgettstown advances to face District 10 champion Sharpsville in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Cathedral Prep 6, Montour 5 – Cole Constable went 2 for 3 with a home run and four RBIs to lead Cathedral Prep (22-1) to a first-round Class 4A win. Vinny Markulin and Tony Markulin each had a hit and an RBI and Adam Weber knocked in a run for Montour (20-5). Andrew Malec got the win for Cathedral Prep, which will play WPIAL champion Hopewell in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Fairview 3, East Allegheny 1 – Adam Skelly hit a two-run double and winning pitcher Collin Bolla fanned 13 and gave up one run in 6⅔ innings to lead Fairview (18-2) to a Class 3A first-round win. Traynor Janosko doubled in the only run for East Allegheny (14-8). Fairview will face WPIAL champion Riverside in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Hopewell 3, Northern Lebanon 0 – Lucas Arington doubled in a run, John Vescio finished 2 for 2 with an RBI, and Stephen Slate had two hits to lead Hopewell (13-11) to a Class 4A victory over Northern Lebanon (17-8) in the first round of the PIAA playoffs. Kingston Krotec struck out two and allowed four hits in a complete-game shutout for the Vikings, who will play District 10 champion Cathedral Prep in the quarterfinals Thursday.

Indiana 2, East Pennsboro 1 – Steven Budash hit a solo home run and Garrison Dougherty went 2 for 3 with an RBI as Indiana (16-10) edged East Pennsboro (15-8) in a Class 4A first-round matchup. Gavin Homer got the win and Connor Geesey picked up the save for Indiana, which will play District 6 champion Bellefonte in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Karns City 2, Seton LaSalle 1 – Mallick Metcalfe fanned six and allowed one unearned run in six innings while doubling and tripling to lead Karns City (16-7) to a Class 2A opening-round win. Ethan Richardson doubled while Brian Reed struck out 10 in five innings for Seton LaSalle (17-5-1). Karns City will play Bald Eagle Area in the quarterfinals Thursday.

North Allegheny 11, McDowell 5 – Harron Lee doubled twice and drove in three runs and Owen Schall had three hits and two RBIs to lead North Allegheny (17-7) past District 10 champion McDowell (15-7) in a Class 6A first-round game. Spencer Barrett doubled and drove in a run and winning pitcher David Posey also doubled for the Tigers, who will face Cedar Cliff in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Philipsburg-Osceola 4, Avonworth 3 – Sam McDonald hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth to lift Philipsburg-Osceola (17-5) to a Class 3A first-round victory. Brandon Hahn doubled and Gavin Emigh got the win for the Mountaineers. Ben Barnes went 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs, Jake Osborn drove in a run, and Hunter Blackson and Brandon Sapolsky each doubled for Avonworth (18-7). Philipsburg-Osceola will play District 9 champion Punxsutawney in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Punxsutawney 9, Neshannock 1 – Winning pitcher Jake Sikora went 4 for 4 with three doubles and two RBIs to power Punxsutawney (19-2) in a PIAA Class 3A first-round game. Peyton Hetrick added three hits and an RBI for the District 9 champs, who will take on Philipsburg-Osceola in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Andrew Frye singled and scored for Neshannock (18-6).

Riverside 3, Tyrone 2 – Ashton Schlosser and Darren McDade each drove in a run as Riverside (22-0) scored two runs in the sixth to lock up a Class 3A first-round win. Bo Fornataro tripled and Mitchell Garvin struck out five and walked one for the Panthers. Ashton Walk knocked in two runs and Zac Legars had two hits for Tyrone (12-12). Riverside will play District 10 champion Fairview in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Saegertown 6, Bishop Canevin 0 – Henry Shaffer threw a complete-game no-hitter, striking out nine, to lead Saegertown (19-3) past Bishop Canevin (15-4) in a PIAA Class A first-round game. Luke Young tripled and drove in a run for the District 10 runners-up, who will meet Clarion in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Shaler 7, Muhlenberg 1 – Miguel Hugas went 2 for 4 with two doubles and four RBIs to lead Shaler ( 20-4) to a Class 5A win in the first round of the PIAA playoffs. Luke Jarzynka and Colby McGuire each had an RBI and Colby Weber got the win for the Titans. Derek Wilson doubled in a run for Muhlenberg (15-9). Shaler will face off against Penn-Trafford in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Sharpsville 7, Serra Catholic 4 – Stephen Tarnoci had two hits and an RBI and pitched 2⅔ innings of scoreless relief to lead Sharpsville (15-7) to a Class 2A first-round win. Luke Distler singled, tripled and drove in a run for the District 10 champs, who will meet Burgettstown in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Isiah Petty and Owen Dumbrosky each had two hits for Serra Catholic (19-4).

Southern Fulton 8, California 3 – Dane Harvey hit two home runs and drove in six runs for Southern Fulton (23-1) in a PIAA Class A first-round win. Dom Martini, Brody Todd and Caden Monticelli each drove in a run for California (14-9). Southern Fulton will face District 10 champion West Middlesex in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

West Middlesex 12, Union 2 – Devin Gruver went 3 for 3 with a triple, a home run and four RBIs to lead West Middlesex (15-9) to a PIAA Class A first-round win. Richie Preston went 2 for 2 with a double and two RBIs for the District 10 champs, who will meet Southern Fulton in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Matt Stanley and Mike Gunn doubled for Union (14-6).

Softball

Armstrong 15, Mechanicsburg 4 – Jordyn Klingensmith doubled and drove in three runs and winning pitcher Cameryn Sprankle doubled twice and finished with two RBIs to lead Armstrong (20-2) in a Class 5A first-round victory. Jessica Pugh doubled and had two RBIs, Jenna Clontz knocked in a run, and Shelby Cloak finished 4 for 5 for the River Hawks. Bella DeMaio went 3 for 3 with an RBI for Mechanicsburg (22-4). Armstrong will play West Chester Rustin in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Avonworth 12, Fort LeBoeuf 2 – Winning pitcher Alivia Lantzy struck out 10 in five innings and went 1 for 3 with two RBIs to lead Avonworth (22-1) to a first-round Class 3A victory. Sydney Savatt doubled, tripled twice and drove in two runs, Rylee Gray had two RBIs, and Cassie Heinauer knocked in three runs for the Antelopes. Kendall Stull smashed a two-run home run for Fort LeBoeuf (20-2). Avonworth will play District 6 champion Juniata in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Carmichaels 7, DuBois Central Catholic 0 – Megan Voithofer tripled and drove in a run, Ali Jacobs went 1 for 4 with two RBIs, Sophia Zalar drove in a run, and Kaitlyn Waggett doubled as Carmichaels (19-1) scored all its runs in the third inning to blank DuBois Central Catholic (18-4) in the PIAA Class A first round. Bailey Barnyak fanned nine and allowed five hits in a complete-game shutout for the Mighty Mikes. Carmichaels advances to play Glendale in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Chartiers-Houston 13, Cambridge Springs 3 – Ella Richey went 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs, Lauren Rush doubled, tripled and had an RBI, and Seanna Riggle doubled and drove in two as Chartiers-Houston (15-6) won a Class A first-round game. Meadow Ferri struck out 15 in seven innings while tripling and knocking in two runs for the Bucs. Maddie Dragosavac hit an RBI double and Hailee Rodgers tripled and drove in a run for Cambridge Springs (14-5). Chartiers-Houston will face District 6 champion Claysburg-Kimmel in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Claysburg-Kimmel 8, Frazier 3 – Mckenna Black homered and drove in three runs and Zakera Bush went 2 for 3 with an RBI to lead Claysburg-Kimmel (21-3) to a Class A first-round win. Jayanna Ciferno went 2 for 2 with a home run and two RBIs while Maria Felsher, Grace Vaughn and Jensyn Hartman each drove in a run for Frazier (14-4). Claysburg-Kimmel will play Chartiers-Houston in the quarterfinals Thursday.

Elizabeth Forward 7, Cathedral Prep 2 – Riley Salazar hit three triples and drove in two runs while Carlee Soukup went 3 for 4 with an RBI triple as Elizabeth Forward (19-1) defeated Cathedral Prep (20-3) in the first-round of the Class 4A PIAA playoffs. Winning pitcher Shelby Telegdy, Samantha Malek and Lauren Vay each had RBIs for the Warriors. Jenna Wagner doubled for Cathedral Prep. Elizabeth Forward will face Belle Vernon in the quarterfinals Thursday.

Everett 15, Laurel 12 – Makenna Richards went 2 for 3 with a home run and five RBIs and Olivia Hillegas went 3 for 4 and drove in a run as Everett (23-0) outlasted Laurel (16-4) in a Class 2A slugfest in the PIAA first round. Addie Deal crushed two home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in six runs while Georgia Jellyman and Grace Kissick doubled and knocked in two runs and Autumn Boyd hit an RBI double for Laurel. Everett advances to face Cranberry in the quarterfinals Thursday.

Cranberry 8, Greensburg Central Catholic 7 – Jadyn Shumaker reached on an error, allowing the winning run to score in the bottom of the seventh inning for Cranberry (14-7) in a first-round Class 2A game. Emma Henry had an RBI single in the fourth and a two-run single in the fifth as Greensburg Central Catholic (14-4) rallied from a 4-0 deficit to take a 6-5 lead. Abigail Dei had an RBI single in the top of the seventh to tie the score 7-7. Henry finished with three hits, Dei also doubled, Macee Magill had two hits, and Isabella Marquez drove in a run for the Centurions. Denali Wenner and Shumaker had three hits apiece and Alexis Reisinger doubled and drove in a pair for Cranberry, which will meet Everett in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Montour 5, Bellefonte 2 – Jana Hess doubled and drove in a run and Mia Arndt had a triple and an RBI to lead Montour (16-4) to a Class 4A first-round win over Bellefonte. Delaney Barto went 2 for 3 with an RBI and winning pitcher Kaitlyn Molitoris struck out nine and gave up two runs (one earned) in a complete game for the Spartans. Montour will play Archbishop Wood in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Neshannock 9, Penns Valley 0 – Addy Frye struck out 12 in a complete-game shutout as Neshannock (21-0) blanked Penns Valley (16-6) in a Class 2A opening-round win. Gabby Quinn hit two doubles, Jaidon Nogay doubled and Jadyn Malizia tripled for the Lancers. Scotty Dinges and Ellie Coursen each had two hits for Penns Valley. Neshannock will play District 10 champion Sharpsville in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Jamestown 6, Waynesburg 4 – Kiley Matters and Savannah Thurber hit RBI doubles in a two-run fourth inning that gave Jamestown (21-2) the lead for good in a Class 3A first-round game. Hannah Wood singled, doubled and drove in three runs and Kendall Lemley had a double and an RBI for Waynesburg (16-6). Jamestown will meet Chestnut Ridge in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Shaler 2, Central Mountain 1 – Winning pitcher Bria Bosiljevac struck out 17 and Emily Spears hit a two-run homer to lift Shaler (20-1) to a first-round Class 5A victory. The Titans advance to Thursday’s quarterfinals, where they will face WPIAL champion Trinity in a rematch of a semifinal the Hillers won 5-4 in nine innings. Allison Lininger homered for District 6 champion Central Mountain (16-4).

Trinity 8, Solanco 3 – Hanna Suhoski clubbed a two-run home run and Madison Argo hit an RBI triple as Trinity (20-2) won in the PIAA Class 5A first round. Addison Agnew doubled twice and winning pitcher Taylor Dunn struck out seven and gave up three runs (two earned) for the Hillers. Sara DeFrancesco drove in two runs for Solanco (21-4). Trinity advances to play Shaler in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Union 18, Berlin Brothersvalley 3 – Winning pitcher Mia Preuhs doubled and homered for four RBIs, Olivia Benedict doubled and finished with five RBIs, and Allie Ross drove in three runs as Union (18-3) demolished Berlin Brothersvalley (13-9) in a Class A opening-round victory. Olivia Williams doubled twice and knocked in two runs and Tori May smacked an RBI double for the Scotties. Mikaela Houston tripled in a run for Berlin. Union will play District 6 runner-up West Branch in Thursday’s quarterfinals.