Westmoreland County softball notebook: Sister act aids area teams

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 | 3:13 PM

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It’s been a sister act this season for several county softball teams.

Take Franklin Regional where junior Ciara Camacho is helping her freshman sister, Celina Camacho, make inroads to the varsity game.

While there are numerous siblings playing together in the area, some of the notable ones include senior Maggie Howard and sophomore Lauren Howard at Hempfield. They are key starters for the defending WPIAL 6A champions, while the McHugh sisters — senior Macie and junior Mya — are key contributors for Latrobe.

Another sister pair exists at Southmoreland where senior Kaylee Doppelheuer plays first base, and junior Taylor Doppelheuer plays third.

This week, Celena Camacho went 2 for 2 with a double, triple and four RBIs, while Ciara Camacho tripled and drove in two in a 10-0 win over Gateway.

Maggie Howard launched a two-run homer and drove in four, while Lauren Howard doubled in a 6-0 win over Norwin.

When Latrobe clubbed Kiski Area, 13-1, both of the McHugh girls homered.

The Rubbe girls from Penn-Trafford each had a hand in the Warriors’ 17-0 romp over Gateway. Isabella went 2 for 2 with a double, homer and five RBIs, while Gabriella doubled and drove in a pair.

New No. 1

Southmoreland, which has the look of a WPIAL title contender, took over the No. 1 spot in the TribLive HSSN Class 3A rankings.

The Scotties had been ranked No. 2.

Two other area teams, Penn-Trafford and Jeannette, made a leap, going from the land of the unranked to No. 3 in 5A and No. 5 in A, respectively.

Belle Vernon dropped two spots to No. 4 in 4A, while Yough remained at No. 4 in 3A.

In the TribLive state rankings, Hempfield is No. 5 in 6A, while Southmoreland moved into the No. 3 spot in 3A.

Hurst’s big day

It came and went with little fanfare but Monessen’s Joey Hurst had an impressive game in a blowout against Springdale.

Hurst, a senior, went 4 for 5 with a double, two triples and seven RBIs in a 23-8 win.

Teammate Grace Clingenpeel added a inside-the-park grand slam and drove in five.

First game, first win

Greensburg Central Catholic finally played a game April 9, but fell to Apollo-Ridge, 6-3, in Carbon.

Weather postponements hit GCC harder than most local teams.

The Centurions rebounded abruptly, though, rushing past Brentwood a day later, 18-3, to give new coach Chelsey Frock her first varsity win.

Games to watch

Some games of interest for local fans next week include Penn-Trafford at Franklin Regional and Southmoreland at Mt. Pleasant on Monday, and Seneca Valley at Norwin, Franklin Regional at Latrobe, Elizabeth Forward at Belle Vernon and Southmoreland at Yough on Wednesday.

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

Tags: Franklin Regional, Greensburg C.C., Hempfield, Monessen, Mt. Pleasant, Penn-Trafford, Southmoreland