Bushy Run baseball repeats as Region 7 champs; continue in state tourney

For the second year in a row, Bushy Run legion baseball reigned supreme in the Region 7 Tournament at Forest Hills High School. After dropping their second game in the tournament, the Beavers won four in a row, beginning with a 6-0 triumph against Philipsburg last Monday. The following day, Bushy Run edged Latrobe 2-1, handing the Jethawks their first loss of the tournament. On Wednesday, Bushy Run knocked off Claysburg 4-1, and then defeated Latrobe 4-1 in the championship game. In their second victory against the Jethawks in as many days, the Beavers were led by Jayden Kennedy, who threw a complete game, allowing one run on six hits, issuing one walk while striking out three. Jake Sincak and Carmen Metcalfe produced RBIs for Bushy Run, while Sincak, Jon Lovre, Noah Rattigan, and Brody Hoffman all scored runs. Over the weekend, Bushy Run continued its surge at the Pennsylvania American Legion State Tournament at McDowell High School in Erie. On Saturday, Bushy Run knocked off French Creek Valley 4-1, and followed with a 2-1 walk-off win against Connellsville on Sunday. Brandon Rohrer earned the victory on the hill against French Creek Valley, while Lovre produced a pair of runs batted in. Against Connellsville, Metcalfe was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to plate Caleb Kerstetter for the decisive run.

Veteran Kennedy hired to lead GCC girls soccer

A coaching legend at Greensburg Central Catholic will return to the sidelines this fall, as Tom Kennedy was hired to lead the Centurions girls soccer program. Kennedy’s most successful coaching stint came with the GCC boys program, which he oversaw from 1996-2010. During that tenure, he compiled a record of 231-85-7, capturing three WPIAL championships. Most recently, he guided the boys team at Greater Latrobe from 2014-22, while also serving as a volunteer assistant with the Wildcats girls team from 2019-22. Under Derek Cuthbert last year, the Greensburg Central Catholic girls went 6-8-0, including 5-7-0 in Class 1A Section 4. The Centurions qualified for the WPIAL playoffs, scoring a win in the preliminary round, but they fell to Springdale in the first round. Cuthbert is now the head coach at Jeannette.

State champion coach Salas hired at Franklin Regional

After guiding the Greensburg Central Catholic girls volleyball team to WPIAL and state titles last year, Erin Salas will now lead another Westmoreland County program. Salas was tabbed as the head coach of the Franklin Regional girls earlier this month. Salas, a Greensburg Central Catholic grad, guided her alma mater for three seasons, reaching the pinnacle in 2024, as GCC finished the season with a record of 21-3, defeating Frazier 3-0 to capture the WPIAL Class 1A Championship and edging Linville Hill 3-2 to claim the PIAA title. Prior to becoming the head coach at GCC, Salas was an assistant with the Centurions and also served as the middle school coach for a decade. She replaces Rachel Carter, who resigned from FR following the 2024 season. Last campaign, the Panthers went 5-10 overall, including 4-8 in Class 3A Section 5, missing the postseason.

KA’s Hutcherson wins Junior Nationals

Mario Hutcherson, a rising sophomore at Kiski Area, stood atop the podium at the 16U Freestyle United States Marine Corps Junior Nationals earlier this month. Competing in Fargo, North Dakota, Hutcherson dominated the 190-pound bracket, outscoring his seven opponents by a margin of 77-8. In the semifinals, Hutcherson bested Peter Mocco by a 10-6 decision. In the title bout against Caden Krueger, Hutcherson left no doubt, claiming a 10-0 tech fall. In the same tournament a year ago, he finished fifth at 175 pounds.

Seton Hill tabs Sansbury as softball coach

Mandy Sansbury was hired as the new Seton Hill University softball coach last Friday. She replaces Cassie Moore, who retired from coaching after three years at the helm of the Griffins. Most recently, Sansbury served as an assistant at Indiana University of Indianapolis for two campaigns. Prior to that stint, Sansbury had considerable experience as a head coach, as she guided the University of Mount Olive for nine years, compiling a mark of 247-174. She was also at the helm of Glenville State University for three seasons. As a player, Sansbury competed for three seasons at Ashland University, and played her final campaign at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Under Moore’s guidance in the spring, the Griffins went 29-17, including 18-10 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). SHU qualified for the conference tournament, but lost both of their contests to conclude the season.