Knights baseball outlasts Spartans earns spot in title game

Norwin baseball claimed a pair of wins in two days last week, including a come-from-behind victory against rival Hempfield Area, to advance to the title game. Last Monday, the No. 4 seed Knights opened the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs with a 5-4 victory in nine innings against Butler Area, and followed with a 7-4 triumph against the No. 8 Spartans the following day. Against the Golden Tornado at North Allegheny High School, Norwin erased a 4-2 deficit with a run in the sixth inning, and the tying run in the seventh on a pinch-hit double by Caden Sivrich. The decisive tally came in extras when Jake Sincak scored on a Butler error. One day later at Boyce-Mayview Park, the Knights scored four times in the sixth inning to take the lead, highlighted by a bases-clearing double by Nathan Silberman. Silberman had a pair of doubles and four RBIs in the victory, Trevor Vitsas went 3-for-3, and Brayden Wardzinski earned the victory on the mound by working 3.2 innings in relief, allowing one unearned run. Norwin, which improved to 14-8 on the season, will face No. 2 seed Seneca Valley in the WPIAL Class 6A Championship at 1 p.m. Tuesday at EQT Park in Washington.

Hempfield, PT softball advance to championships

A pair of Westmoreland County softball teams will compete for gold this week, as top seeds Hempfield Area and Penn-Trafford each advanced to the title game in their respective classifications. In Class 6A, the Spartans overmatched fourth-seeded Canon-McMillan 8-2 last Tuesday in the semifinals at Montour High School. The Spartans, who garnered a bye in the quarterfinals, were paced by Lauren Howard, who went 4-for-4 with three RBIs against the Big Macs. Additionally, Claire Mitchell went 3-for-4 with a home run and three runs scored, while Allie Cervola was 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored. In the circle, Riley Miller went the distance, permitting just five hits and two unearned runs. The Spartans (20-1) will battle No. 2 Seneca Valley in the title game on Wednesday at 2:15 at Lilley Field at California University of Pennsylvania. The Warriors, meanwhile, blanked No. 4 North Hills 7-0 last Tuesday at Fox Chapel Area High School. Allyson Paulone was nearly unhittable against the Indians, as she took a no-hitter into the seventh and registered a one-hit shutout, issuing one walk and racking up three strikeouts. Kylie Anthony notched a two-run triple for the Warriors (20-2). As a result, Penn-Trafford will seek its first WPIAL crown, as the Warriors will face second-seeded Shaler Area at 4:30 Tuesday at Lilley Field.

BVA tabs Tyburski to replace Salvino

Following the storybook final season for legendary boys basketball coach Joe Salvino at Belle Vernon Area, Ricky Tyburski will take the reins for the Leopards. Tyburski, a longtime assistant to Salvino, was unanimously approved last Tuesday as the new boys basketball head coach. He has served next to Salvino for the past 15 campaigns, beginning at Monessen in 2010. During his time there, the Greyhounds captured three WPIAL crowns. Tyburski joined Salvino when he shifted to Belle Vernon Area in 2018. This past season, the Leopards reached the pinnacle, winning the WPIAL Class 4A Championship 54-49 against North Catholic. Additionally, BVA won a game in the state playoffs before falling to Sharon in the second round, finishing the campaign at 22-5. Tyburski is a 2002 graduate of Monessen, where he played basketball and helped the Greyhounds win back-to-back district titles in his junior and senior years.

Westmoreland trio wins T&F state gold

Three Westmoreland County standouts brought home gold over the weekend at the PIAA Class 3A and 2A Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University. Derry Area senior Sophia Mazzoni prevailed in Class 3A, while Jerry Davis of Greensburg Central Catholic and Ligonier Valley’s John Jablunovsky stood atop the podium in Class 2A. Mazzoni, a senior, captured the javelin title on Saturday, as she achieved a throw of 158-2, easily surpassing the effort of 151-6 by Mary Grusky of Punxsutawney Area. Mazzoni also won gold last year, when she competed in Class 2A. Also on Saturday, Davis, a junior, won the 400 dash with a time of 48.50, ahead of runner-up Shymir Blevins of West Catholic, who timed 48.99. Lastly, Jablunovsky, a senior, won the Class AA high jump on Friday, as he cleared 6-6, just ahead of Kyleal Cottrell of Bristol, who topped 6-5.

Greater Latrobe’s Wetzel flips to Pitt

After decommitting from Marshall University as a result of a coaching change, Greater Latrobe’s John Wetzel signed with the University of Pittsburgh this past week. Wetzel, a three-star safety prospect, pledged to the Panthers on Wednesday, joining the program as a late addition to the 2025 recruiting class. Playing QB for the Wildcats in 2024, Wetzel went 68-for-125 passing for 914 yards, with six touchdowns and eight interceptions, while he rushed 178 times for 1,076 yards and eight touchdowns. Defensively, he paced GL with 89 tackles, along with one interception. Collectively, Greater Latrobe went 5-6, reaching the WPIAL Class 5A postseason.

Leopards’ Henson wins state tennis title

Max Henson proved dominant against the best in the entire state, as the Belle Vernon Area junior cruised to the PIAA Class 2A Boys Singles Tennis Championship on Saturday at the Hershey Racquet Club. Henson won gold with a 6-2, 6-1 triumph against junior Samir Roberts-Mouzon of Carver Engineering and Science. Henson opened the state bracket with a 6-0, 6-0 whitewash against Trinity’s Rowan Bayley, bested Daniel Gallagher of Bishop Shanahan 6-2, 6-2 in the quarterfinals, and ousted Saucon Valley’s Deven Pandey 6-1, 6-0 in the semifinals. Henson, who participated in high school tennis for the first time this season, also won the WPIAL singles crown last month.