GCC boys falter late in semis loss

The Greensburg Central Catholic boys basketball team could not make a double-digit lead stand, as the Centurions fell 52-48 against Sewickley Academy in the PIAA Class 2A semifinals at Peters Township High School last Saturday. GCC scored the first nine points of the game, and led 19-9 after the opening frame. With Brady O’Rourke accounting for 14 points in the first half, GCC held a 36-27 edge at the intermission. The Panthers outpaced the Centurions 25-12 in the second half, however, to punch their ticket to the state final against Linville Hill. In addition to O’Rourke, Samir Crosby tallied 11 points and AJ Tarpley netted 10 for Greensburg Central Catholic (26-4), which was in pursuit of its first PIAA championship appearance since 2011. The duo of Lucas Grimsley and Mamadou Kane each posted 17 points for the Panthers (24-5).

Spartans softball starts 3-0

Hempfield Area softball has notched three victories to begin the season, as the Spartans have outscored their foes by a combined margin of 18-4 in nonsection play. Hempfield opened the campaign with an 8-3 victory at Penn-Trafford and followed with a 5-0 win at West Allegheny the following day. Last Tuesday, the Spartans claimed a 5-1 home win against Shaler Area. In the victory against the Titans, Riley Miller earned the victory in the circle, working five innings and allowing one run, striking out six. Ella Berkebile provided a pair of RBIs for the hosts, while Josephine Cline also posted a run batted in. The Spartans open Class 6A play today at North Allegheny.

Westmoreland basketball stars dot Cager Classic rosters

The rosters for the annual Cager Classic basketball all-star games were released last week, and more than a dozen Westmoreland County senior standouts made the cut. In the girls game, the East roster consists of Franklin Regional’s Madi DeRiggi, Addison Musto, and Toryn Fulton, Madeline Joyce and Bella Horcicek of Kiski Area, Burrell’s Jules Fisher, and Janelle Norman of Valley, while Valley’s Tonya Norman will serve as the head coach. In the boys contest, the East includes the Kiski Area trio of Jacob Musselman, Carson Heinle, and Colin Keller, Connor Crossey and Jonah Johnston of Franklin Regional, Burrell’s Tucker Bitar, and Mikael Allen of Valley, while Vikings’ head coach Brice Flenory will guide the squad. The 28th installment of the Cager Classic will take place at Highlands High School on April 5, with a skills competition occurring the day prior.

Burrell hockey captures state title

Denied a PIHL championship earlier last week, Burrell hockey rebounded to capture a state title over the weekend. The Buccaneers fell 5-1 against Morgantown last Tuesday in the PIHL Division 2 Championship at the UPMC Lemieux Complex. But since Morgantown is from West Virginia, the Bucs instead represented the western side of the state and claimed an 8-3 victory against Pope John Paul II in the inaugural Division 2 Pennsylvania Cup Challenge. Playing at the RMU Island Sports Center on Saturday, the Bucs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, as Luke Mink netted a pair of goals and Julian Kemp added another. Burrell never relinquished its advantage, as Jared Wall and Dante Taliani also notched two goals apiece, with Taliani also dishing out three assists. Kooper Price registered 22 saves in net for the victory for the Bucs.

Seton Hill baseball sweeps IUP

After falling short against IUP in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Super Regional last year, Seton Hill baseball exacted a measure of revenge over the weekend, as the Griffins recorded a four-game sweep against the Crimson Hawks in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opener. Playing at IUP on Friday, Seton Hill notched lopsided wins of 19-1 and 16-4. On Sunday, the Griffins won twice more at home, claiming victories of 13-2 and 4-1. In the first game of the series, seven Griffs produced multi-hit efforts, led by Owen Henne, who went 4-for-5 with three runs and two RBIs. In Friday’s nightcap, Jakob Haynes went 4-for-5 with six RBIs and four runs, homering three times. In the first game on Sunday, Seton Hill pounded out 21 hits, led by Owen Mandler, who went 4-for-5 with three runs and two runs batted in. The Griffins closed out the sweep boosted by a big performance by Colin Ahr, who went 1-for-3 with three RBIs, including a two-run blast. As a result, Seton Hill moved to 17-3 on the campaign.