Sports
This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 01/11/2012
June 11, 2012
As the state high school baseball and softball postseason winds down, so does the 2011-2012 high school sports season this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have coverage of the Semifinals and select Championship Games from both the PIAA baseball and softball state playoffs along with pro baseball featuring the Class AA Eastern League's Altoona Curve and the Frontier League's Washington Wild Things, plus all of the news from the auto racing world with Rappin on Racin ALL here at MSAsports.netMonday, June 11th:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.netPIAA High School Baseball Playoffs: Class AAA Semifinals - West York vs Blackhawk at 3:00pm on MSAsports.netScholastic Notebook – 06/11/2012
Blackhawk coach Bob Amalia must decide whether or not to bring back standout pitcher Brendan McKay on only three days rest for the PIAA semifinals Monday. But Blackhawk’s opponent also has an ace who pitched a complete-game Thursday. Blackhawk (22-2) will meet West York (21-4) in a Class AAA Semifinal 3 p.m. Monday at Hollidaysburg. West York features Kaden Hepler, who will be pitching Division I college baseball next year at Winthrop. Hepler has been superb this season with a 12-0 record. He has a 0.54 ERA and has struck out 116 in 78 1/3 innings. He has allowed only 46 hits.2012 WPIAL Baseball All-Star Game Recaps
The top senior baseball players in the WPIAL were on display Sunday afternoon at the Burkett Complex in Robinson Township in the 2012 WPIAL Baseball Coaches Association All-Star games. The doubleheader event pitted Class AAAA stars vs. Class AAA stars and the top players from Class AA against the best from Class A. One game was a nail-biter was the other was a rout. Here are recaps from both games.CLASS AAAA 16 - CLASS AAA 3 By Mike AzadianIn the WPIAL baseball coaches association AAAA versus AAA all star game held at Burkett Field in Robinson Twp, the AAAA squad put a hitting and pitching lesson on in winning 16-3.Conestoga Boys & Garnet Valley Girls Repeat as PIAA Lacrosse Champs
June 10, 2012
The song remains the same in state high school lacrosse as a pair of District 1 teams were able to help keep the balance of power in lacrosse on the side of Eastern Pennsylvania. The Conestoga Pioneers captured a third consecutive PIAA Boys Lacrosse title while the Garnet Valley Jaguars won gold in back-to-back years by winning the PIAA Girls Lacrosse championship on Saturday in Hershey. Here are ALL of the final results from the 2012 PIAA Boys and Girls Lacrosse Playoffs.2012 PIAA BOYS LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:Conestoga Pioneers 10 - LaSalle College Explorers 7PIAA BOYS Semifinals:PIAA Baseball Quarterfinals Recaps for Thursday, June 7th
June 8, 2012
District 7 had eight baseball teams put up a 'W' in round one. With a couple of head-to-head matchups, there was a chance to have as many as six teams play in next weeks PIAA Semifinals. Instead, only two remain alive for state gold. Here are recaps from all six games on a tough day for D-7.A special thanks to Mark Schaas for his help on these recaps.PIAA CLASS AAAA Quarterfinals:PIAA Softball Quarterfinals Recaps for Thursday and Friday
It was a mixed bag for the six WPIAL softball teams on Thursday in the PIAA Quarterfinals. Three teams were victorious, including two district champions, one saw their season come to an end, one was in the lead when the game was suspended and another didn't even see a first pitch. Here are recaps from the PIAA Quarterfinals on Thursday involving those six WPIAL teams.Thanks to Brandon Showers and Bob Gregg for their help on these recaps.PIAA CLASS AAAA Quarterfinals:WPIAL Players and Alum Selected in 2012 MLB Draft
June 6, 2012
After a quiet first day, six current WPIAL seniors and alums were selected in Day Two of the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, three of which were picked by the 'hometown' Pittsburgh Pirates. Here is a rundown of area high school players who have the chance to turn pro after being selected Wednesday afternoon.* JORDAN STERANKA (6'01" 205-lbs DOB: 11/14/89) - Former Mount Lebanon Blue Devils and current third baseman from Penn State University selected in 21st Round with the 646th overall pick by the PITTSBURGH PIRATESPIAA Softball First Round Recaps for Tuesday, June 5th
It was a rough day Monday for PIAA baseball and softball opening round contests as Mother Nature wiped out most of the action with games delayed until Tuesday. However, the west had a clean slate on Monday...with the exception of two softball games played at Penn State University. Rain suspended one game and postponed the other, forcing two for Tuesday in Happy Valley. Here is a recap of both of those First Round contests.Thanks to Todd Brown for his help on these recaps.PIAA CLASS AA First Round:PIAA Softball First Round Recaps for Monday, June 4th
June 4, 2012
Hatboro-Horsham, Philipsburg-Osceola and Minersville were joined in the state softball winners circle last year by one WPIAL team, the Valley Vikings in Class AAA. Valley did not qualify for the postseason this year, but the 2012 WPIAL champs are all off an running in the 2012 version of the state softball tournament. Here are recaps from the First Round of the 2012 PIAA Softball Playoffs from Monday, June 4th.Thanks to Bob Gregg, Josh Rowntree and Jason Tennant for their help on these recaps.PIAA CLASS AAAA First Round:PIAA Baseball First Round Recaps for Monday, June 4th
A year ago, two WPIAL teams; Riverside in AA and Serra Catholic in A joined Conestoga and Northern York and PIAA baseball champions. Serra did not qualify for the state postseason this spring, leaving Riverside as the lone D-7 school looking to repeat in the PIAA. That dream for the Panthers remains alive after Round One, Here are recaps from the First Round on Monday, June 4th in the 2012 PIAA Baseball Playoffs.Thanks to Steve Nagler, Mark Schaas and Hugh Mulvey for their help on these recaps.PIAA CLASS AAAA First Round:This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 06/04/2012
With the district high school baseball and softball postseason behind us, the focus switches to the diamond state playoffs starting this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have coverage of the First Round and the Quarterfinals from both the PIAA baseball and softball state playoffs along with pro baseball featuring the Class AA Eastern League's Altoona Curve and the Frontier League's Washington Wild Things, women's pro football featuring the Pittsburgh Passion and mens semi-pro football featuring the Tri-State Steel Storm, plus all of the news from the auto racing world with Rappin on Racin ALL here at MSAsports.netMonday, June 4th:Chambersburg and Bethlehem Catholic Win 2012 PIAA Boys Volleyball Titles
June 3, 2012
In the end, there was nothing but empty dreams returning home to Western Pennsylvania after a pair of District 7 teams fell in the state Semifinals on Saturday at Penn State. Both Norwin in AAA and Ambridge in AA fell one game shy of the state finals, the Knights in three games, the Bridgers in five heartbreaking games. In the end, Chambersburg from District 3 and Bethlehem Catholic from District 11 were crowned champions. Here are ALL of the final results from the 2012 PIAA Boys Volleyball Playoffs.2012 PIAA CLASS AAA CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:Scholastic Notebook – 06/01/2012
June 1, 2012
After Blackhawk’s Brendan McKay pitched a shutout in the WPIAL Class AAA championship Thursday, Blackhawk coach Bob Amalia said there is no stage too big for McKay. But as sophomores go, McKay has the entire stage to himself. The way McKay has pitched this season brings about a question. Has there ever been a sophomore pitcher in the WPIAL who has enjoyed this much success in one of the largest classifications? McKay, a sophomore left-hander, has been tremendous for a pitcher in any year, let alone one in his sophomore season. His statistics go beyond impressive.Northern Brights: Seneca Valley, Blackhawk, Ellwood City & Neshannock Are Gold in 2012 WPIAL Baseball
All of the district baseball gold was discovered in the north in 2012. Two Lawrence County, one Butler County and a northern Beaver County team captured WPIAL championships at CONSOL Energy Park, with three of the four title games coming down to the final at-bat. While Neshannock was able to repeat in Class A in somewhat 'comfortable' fashion, Seneca Valley's second straight title in AAAA, Ellwood City's dethroning of rival Riverside in AA and Blackhawk's second baseball crown in AAA all came in the form of heart-pumping finishes. Here are ALL of the final scores from the 2012 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs.Canon-Mac, Montour, Deer Lakes & Char-Houston Are Golden in WPIAL Softball
There was plenty of excitement in this softball postseason all the way down to the wire with half of the championships games being decided on a walk off hit in extra innings. One team successfully repeated as champion while another won their second title in three years. The other two that sit atop the district softball hill are celebrating first time ever WPIAL golden crowns. Here are ALL of the final scores from the 2012 WPIAL Softball Playoffs.All archived broadcasts (MSA after the score) from the softball postseason are exclusively here on the MSA Sports Network is sponsored in part by Carlow University.Big Macs Tasty in Winning First WPIAL AAAA Softball Championship
Canon McMillan won their first-ever WPIAL softball championship with a 4-1 victory over Hempfield Thursday night at Lilley Field at California University. Big Macs' pitcher Alayna Astuto gave up only 3 hits in 7 innings, walking two and striking out one. Hempfield starter Karilyn Null retired the first 9 Canon McMillan batters, and the game was scoreless until Abby McCartney doubled home Maddie Engel in the bottom of the fourth inning to give the Big Macs a 1-0 lead. Olivia Lorusso followed with a three-run homer to left field to make it 4-0, which was all Astuto and Canon McMillan would need. Pinch hitter Sarah DiOrio drove home Michaela LaDonne with an RBI ground out in the top of the 7th for Hempfield's only run.Montour Blanks EF For 2nd WPIAL AAA Softball Crown in 3 Years
At the University of California of PA in the WPIAL girls AAA Softball Championships, the Montour Spartans defeat the Elizabeth Forward Warriors by a score of 7-0 to claim their second title in the last three years.They put on a hitting display and kept the foot on the gas making sure the Warriors could not come back late in the game.The scoring started for the Spartans in the 3rd inning as the number nine hitter, Junior Alyssa McMurtrie led off with a line drive home run to CF to make it 1-0. One out later Megan Vacco started a string of three straight singles, the other two by Kaitlyn Kutchman, and Alllison Hryadil and they led 2-0.The score grew to 4-0 Spartans in the 5th as Tori Roman and Stephanie Seibert singled then Olivia Dixon reached on an error.
Cougars Win Catfight, Beat Leopards in WPIAL AAA Baseball Thriller
May 31, 2012
Coach Bob Amalia's nerves have got to be frazzled as the Blackhawk Cougars won their first WPIAL baseball championship since 2004 with a 1-0 victory over the Belle Vernon Leopards at Consol Energy Field on Thursday night. The Cougars have won three straight 1-0 games on their run to the title, defeating Char Valley in the quarterfinals and Thomas Jefferson in nine innings in the semis.
Deer Lakes Comes Back Late to Claim First WPIAL AA Softball Championship
In unlikely fashion, the Deer Lakers Lancers rallied with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game and a run in the eighth to claim their first ever Class AA Softball championship with a 3-2 eight inning win over the Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions.Becca Babincak bunted to lead off the inning and stole second, after one out, Candace Scanga hit a grounder to first that Alie Perz could not handle, putting runners at first and third. Greensburg Central Catholic brought the outfield in with Siera Sarver at the plate, she drove a deep fly ball to right center over the head of the outfielders to score the game winning run.Chartiers-Houston Rallies in 9th for Dramatic WPIAL Class A Softball Title
In another classic in the Class A softball championship game at California University's Lilley Field, the Chartiers-Houston rallied in the bottom of the ninth to claim back to back titles with a walk-off win. With two outs and trailing 2 to 1, Piper McLaughlin tripled past centerfielder Megan Bayles to bring home both the tying and winning runs to give the Buccaneers their ninth WPIAL championship.
