Leopards鈥� Henson advances to WPIAL tennis finals
Max Henson is on pace to win his second consecutive WPIAL Class 2A Boys Tennis Championship.
The Belle Vernon senior and No. 1 seed received a bye into the quarterfinals after North Catholic’s Alex Weber withdrew.
Henson, who has committed to continue his academic and tennis careers at Cleveland State University, topped Mount Pleasant sophomore Austyn Gross, 10-0, before defeating North Catholic’s Justin Garvey in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, in the semifinals on Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
The match against Garvey was a rematch of last year’s WPIAL final, which Henson won, 6-1, 6-1.
In qualifying for the finals, Henson assured himself a spot in the PIAA Class 2A Boys Tennis Championships at the Hershey Racquet Club in late May.
Henson won the state title last season in a 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Carver Engineering and Science’s Samir Roberts-Mouzon in the final. Henson won all four of his matches at the state tournament last year in straight sets.
Henson played Quaker Valley junior Will Meagher, the No. 3 seed for the district title on Thursday at North Allegheny. The result of the match was not available at press time, but a recap on www.heraldstandard.com will be made available Friday morning.
Gross earned a 10-7 victory over Central Valley’s Cody Clayton in the first round before bowing out to Henson in the quarterfinals.
Frazier junior Nolan Taucher upset No. 5 seed Ben Crefeld of Blackhawk, 11-10, in a tiebreaker, which Taucher won, 7-5.
Taucher’s run ended in the quarterfinals to Garvey, who picked up a
10-3 victory.
BASEBALL
WEST MIFFLIN 6, UNIONTOWN 0 — The starting pitching of the Titans’ Jackson Fite and six errors hindered the Red Raiders in a Section 2-4A setback at Bailey Park.
Fite, a senior, threw six innings of shutout ball, as he yielded three hits. The right-hander struck out 11 and walked two. Caden Wills struck out the side in the seventh to close the game out.
West Mifflin improved to 4-0 in section play and 8-2 overall. Uniontown dropped to 2-4 in section and overall play.
The Red Raiders’ Brayden Hinzy, who was the starting pitcher for the home team, got Uniontown off to a hot start in the bottom of the first inning when he led off the frame with a double to left field. Fite was able to record a strikeout for the first out, and the Titans completed a double play to end the inning when Fite forced a flyout to center field and Hinzy was thrown out at third base after tagging up on the play.
Hinzy allowed five runs, but only two were earned, on four hits in six innings of work. He had four strikeouts and walked three.
West Mifflin’s Braedan Andzelik, Justin Dillon and Chase Maggio each had a double. Dillon scored two runs, singled and walked, and James Moneck fielder’s choice in the fifth was the lone run batted in for the visitors.
Elim Martin and Chandler Myers had one single apiece for the Red Raiders.
BELLE VERNON 8, LAUREL HIGHLANDS 4 — Ramaree Morgan hit a solo home run and Sevi Vecchiolla had a run-scoring double, but the Leopards were too much for the Mustangs in Section 2-4A play at Laurel Highlands.
Morgan, who led off the bottom of the sixth inning with his shot over the wall in center field, had two hits, and Vecchiolla was hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded to drive in his second run. Teammate Noah Lion was also hit-by-pitch with the bases full for an RBI.
Jack Edwards had two doubles and two RBIs for Belle Vernon (). Teammate Connor Bergman had three hits and RBIs, and also doubled. The Leopards’ Vincenzo Francia and Jesse Sobczak each had two hits and both drove in one run apiece.
Zach Plymire earned the win on the mound after yielding two earned runs on four hits over six innings. He had six strikeouts and walked three.
WAYNESBURG CENTRAL 8, WASHINGTON 2 — CJ Corwin didn’t allow an earned run on 6 鈪� innings in the Raiders’ Section 4-3A victory over the Prexies in Washington.
Corwin allowed two runs on nine hits with eight strikeouts and no walks. He had a base hit and drove in two runs.
Austin Surber had three hits and an RBI for Waynesburg (2-1, 2-6). Teammate Jarett Tretinik tripled and scored twice.
Logan Bochna knocked in a pair of runs and singled for the visitors.
William Callan hit a two-run home run for the Prexies (2-3, 4-4). He also had a single. Joe Wilson had three base hits for the home team. Noah Patton had two singles for Washington.
SOFTBALL
LAUREL HIGHLANDS 3, RINGGOLD 2 — The Mustangs scored their three runs in the first two innings and held on for a Section 2-4A victory over the Rams at Ringgold.
Payton Senge earned victory in the circle and allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits over seven innings. He struck out eight and walked one.
Chloe Komacko had two of Laurel Highlands’ three hits. Teammate Harlie Dirda added a single. Dirda, Komacko and Mackenzy Harshman had the RBIs for the Mustangs (4-2, 4-2).
Alice Ramous took the pitching loss, but the Ringgold starter yielded three earned runs on three hits over seven innings. He didn’t record a strikeout and walked five.
Teammate Jules Campa had a run-scoring double.
ELIZABETH FORWARD 16, UNIONTOWN 5 — The Lady Warriors have been rated as the No. 1 team in Class 4A by several publications, and they showed the Lady Red Raiders why in a Section 4-2A contest at Bailey Park.
Sophie Pasinsky had six RBIs for Elizabeth Forward (7-0, 8-1) on three hits, including two doubles. Teammate Aubri Cimba also had two doubles. Abby Nigut had the Lady Warriors’ fifth two bagger.
Nigut had three hits, three RBIs and scored three runs. Cimba had two hits and two runs batted in.
Lauren White hit a two-run home run for Uniontown (2-3, 4-3) in the fifth inning. Juliet White added a single and RBI for the home team. Katie White, Graci Rodeheaver, Sincere Dunlap and Sadie Savage all had one single apiece for the Lady Red Raiders.
BETH-CENTER 15, MAPLETOWN 5 — The Lady Bulldogs scored a combined 10 runs in the fifth and sixth innings for a Section 2-1A triumph over the Lady Maples at Beth-Center.
Kendall Welsh had 10 strikeouts and walked two in earning the pitching win. She yielded five earned runs on eight hits over six innings. Welsh also doubled and drove in two runs.
Teammate Bella Stepp tripled and had two RBIs.
Beth-Center’s Keira Lamp knocked in four runs and tripled. Emmalee Liberatore added two RBIs for the home team.
Mapletown’s Makenna Lotspeich had two singles.
The Lady Bulldogs improved to 1-3 in section action and 2-5 overall.