Pine-Richland notebook: Baseball team stopped by Butler ace

By: Jerin Steele
Sunday, May 29, 2022 | 11:01 AM

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After sharing the Section 1-6A title with North Allegheny, Pine-Richland baseball ran into a buzzsaw in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.

Butler pitcher Madden Clement pitched a three-hit shutout, propelling the Golden Tornado to a 5-0 victory over the Rams on May 23 at Seneca Valley.

Clement, the son of former MLB All-Star pitcher and current Butler basketball coach Matt Clement, struck out seven in the win. He also went 3 for 4 at the plate with a home run and a pair of RBIs.

The Rams split with Butler in the regular season, losing the game Clement pitched and taking a 1-0 victory the next day.

Joseph Connell had a pair of hits for the Rams, who finished 10-9 and earned the third seed in the playoffs after a rare postseason miss last year.

Rams girls lacrosse falls

Pine-Richland girls lacrosse fell one game short of playing for a WPIAL title, losing to Mt. Lebanon, 18-7, in the Class 3A semifinals.

However, the Rams still had a chance to extend their season. They played a consolation game against Upper St. Clair at 7 p.m. Thursday at Robert Morris’ Joe Walton Stadium past the deadline for this edition. The winner advanced to the state playoffs.

Pine-Richland was the third seed in the WPIAL tournament and earned a 12-8 victory over No. 6 Peters Township May 19 prior to the loss in the semifinals.

All-Section teams announced

Pine-Richland was well represented on both the baseball and softball All-Section teams, which were announced May 25.

In baseball, freshman outfielder Anthony Mengine was named to the first team in Section 1 and Kurt Wolfe received coach of the year honors.

Tyler Armstrong, Owen Henne and Joey Perry were second teamers, while Joseph Connell, Peyton Ford, Jacob McGuire and Andy Swartout were honorable mentions.

In softball, sophomore Jocelyn Langer and senior Gabriella Aughton were selected for the first team. Marissa DeLuca, Alexia Brown and June McCune made the second team. Mackenzie Gillis was an honorable mention.

The PA Big 56 Conference committee recognized all-section honorees from fall, winter and spring sports with a banquet May 25.

Wollerton selected for national event

Pine-Richland field hockey standout Rylie Wollerton is headed to the USA Field Hockey Nexus Championship on June 23-30 at the Virginia Beach Regional Training Center.

Wollerton, who will play in college at Louisville in the fall, was named an NFHCA All-American in December.

She had more than 100 goals in her high school career and led the Rams to a third consecutive WPIAL title.

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

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