Westmoreland County high school baseball recaps from Friday, May 5th 2023:

Norwin 6 Hempfield Area 1

Behind a complete game from Ethen Culbertson, the Knights ousted homestanding Hempfield Area 6-1. In a matchup of two postseason qualifiers, Norwin improved to 8-6 in Section 2-6A, while the Spartans, losers of six in a row, dropped to 7-7. In going the distance, Culbertson permitted five hits and no walks. Nolan Ryan, Steve Rodgers, and Nate Silberman provided RBIs in a three-run third inning for Norwin. Colin Polechko compiled a pair of hits for Hempfield, while Gage Wheaton added a double.

Plum 8 Franklin Regional 2

A five-run inning proved the difference, as the Panthers dropped an 8-2 tilt at home against Plum. With the loss, Franklin Regional dropped to 6-4 in Section 1-5A, while first-place Plum improved to 8-2. The Mustangs scored six unanswered runs, including five in the fifth inning, keyed by a two-run homer by Colin Watson. Brady Dojonovic earned the win on the hill for Plum, as he allowed two runs on six hits, issuing four walks and striking out five in six innings. FR received a pair of RBIs from Blake Bertucci, who plated Max Bernadowski and Chase Lemke on groundouts.

Greater Latrobe 15 Belle Vernon Area 5

Fueled by a stellar effort by Logan Bradish and an outburst in the seventh, the Wildcats notched a 15-5 win at Belle Vernon Area. Bradish homered, driving in five runs, and he also garnered the victory on the bump by working six innings. Additionally, Jacob Cramer went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for GL, which scored 10 times in the final inning. For the Leopards, Tanner Steeber went 3-for-3, while Jake Gedekoh smacked a double and scored a run. The Wildcats conclude Section 2-4A play with a mark of 9-1, while the Leopards finish at 4-6.

North Catholic 4 Kiski Area 2

Despite scoring twice in the seventh, the Cavaliers dropped a 4-2 outcome on the road to North Catholic in a battle for first place. Blake Fritz provided a two-run triple for Kiski Area, while Blake Primose belted a two-run homer for the Trojans. KA, which has already secured a playoff berth, dropped to 6-3 in Section 4-4A, while NC moved to 7-2.

Valley 12 Derry Area 5

Propelled by seven runs over the final two innings, the Vikings claimed a 12-5 victory at Derry Area. Nikolas Heakins and Alexander Vagnier led Valley with two hits and three RBIs apiece, while Wesley Schrock provided two runs batted in. Cason Long went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Trojans, while Nate Gray provided a double and an RBI. With the win, Valley elevated its mark to 3-7 in Section 3-3A, while Derry Area dropped to 4-6.

Deer Lakes 8 Burrell 6

The skid continued for the Buccaneers, as Burrell fell 8-6 at home against Deer Lakes. Dropping its seventh game in a row overall, Burrell sputtered to 4-7 in Section 3-3A, while the Lancers improved to 2-7. Ryan Bates had a pair of RBIs for the Bucs, while Ryan Cochran compiled a home run and a double, driving in two runs for Deer Lakes.

Yough 8 McGuffey 5

Boosted by a hot start, the host Cougars dispatched McGuffey 8-5. Consequently, Yough stayed unblemished in Section 4-3A, improving to 10-0 and securing at least a share of the section, while the Highlanders dropped to 5-5. The Cougars scored seven runs over the first three innings. Matt Sanner provided a two-run single and Carson Pasinski added a run-scoring double in the first inning. Two frames later, Yough tacked on four more runs, highlighted by a triple by Pasinski, who finished with three hits. Additionally, James Shoman also had three hits, including a pair of doubles and two RBIs. Working into the sixth inning, Nate Bell earned the victory on the rubber.

Brownsville 6 Greensburg Salem 2

The Golden Lions sustained a 6-2 defeat on the road at Brownsville Area. The setback dropped playoff-bound Greensburg Salem to 8-2 in Section 4-3A, while the Falcons moved to 3-9. Matthew Scarpa provided a pair of doubles for GS in the loss, while Davey Timko earned the win for Brownsville, pitching into the seventh inning and recording seven strikeouts.