Westmoreland high school notebook: Baseball, softball teams on move in realignment

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, August 25, 2024 | 4:08 PM

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Local baseball and softball teams did some shuffling in WPIAL spring sports realignment for 2025.

The calibration is for the next two school years.

Latrobe continued its recent trend of moving up, with baseball going to Class 5A. Football and girls soccer moved up for this fall season.

In addition, Derry and Greensburg Salem are going from 3A to 4A for baseball, and Ligonier Valley moves from 2A to 3A.

Also for baseball, Greensburg Central Catholic and Jeannette will move down from 2A to Class A.

Derry softball also is on the move, going from 3A to 4A, and Greensburg Central Catholic is dropping from 2A to A.

Marton commits

Penn-Trafford basketball player Lauren Marton made a verbal commitment to play at Shippensburg.

The 6-foot forward, who will be a senior this year, also had another NCAA Division II offer, from Wheeling.

Last season she averaged 10 points and 8.5 rebounds and shot 42% from the field.

Locals in volleyball event

Junior Eva Denis of Greensburg Central Catholic suited up for the champion Sharks in the “Queens of the Burgh” girls volleyball tournament earlier this month at the All-American Field House in Monroeville.

The event was for rising juniors and seniors.

The runner-up Miller Time team featured junior Maria Piraino of Franklin Regional and Latrobe senior Ashley Deniker.

Tennis underway

The WPIAL girls tennis season opened last week. The postseason approaches quickly: Section singles begin Sept. 11.

The WPIAL singles championships will be Sept. 18-19 at Bethel Park and North Allegheny.

Section doubles will be Oct. 2-3 at the same sites.

The team finals are Oct. 16 at Washington & Jefferson.

Record breakers

A trio of Hempfield cross country runners broke a school course record during a scrimmage against Connellsville.

Ryan Ewing (17 minutes, 44 seconds), Jonathan Stetchock (17:49) and Troy Payne (17:49) broke the previous mark of 17:55 set by Owen DeMatt in 2022. DeMatt runs now at Colgate.

The overall course record belongs to Norwin’s Enzo Jiancristoforo (17:29).

Recruiting

Norwin girls basketball players Bella Furno and Averi Brozeski added college offers.

Furno grabbed her first Division II offer, from Shippensburg, and Brozeski added a fifth D-II offer, from Clarion.

IUP, Wheeling and West Virginia Wesleyan also offered Brozeski, the daughter of Lady Knights’ coach Brian Brozeski.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Derry Area, Franklin Regional, Greensburg C.C., Jeannette, Latrobe, Norwin