SOFTBALL
Indiana beat Ligonier Valley, 3-2, in a non-conference game. Indiana could manage only two hits off Cheyenne Piper, but one of them was a solo home run by Olivia Zimmerman. Ella Myers drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Zimmerman went the whole way in the circle, striking out nine while giving up three hits and a walk. Piper struck out 12 for LV.
Indiana will play Beaver Area on Monday night at Gateway in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.
Homer-Center remained alive in the race for the final District 6 playoff spot with a 7-4 win over Portage. The Wildcats scored a run in the 2nd inning on Julia King’s single and three in the 3rd on a groundout and singles by Emma Popp and Emily Bowser. King got the win with 4 and a third scoreless innings of relief, striking out five. The Wildcats had 13 hits, with Popp collecting three and King, Bowser, Alaina Fabin, and Kylee Krejocic each having two. For Portage, Lily Koban, Lyndsey Castel, Sydney Castel, and Makenna Redfern all had multiple hits.
Homer-Center finishes the regular season 9-and-10 and must wait to see what Northern Cambria does in its game with Ferndale on Monday to determine which team makes the playoffs as the Double-A eighth seed. If the Lady Colts win their game, they get in. If they lose, Homer-Center gets in.
Northern Cambria played a makeup game with United and held off the Lions, 4-3. The Colts scored two runs in the 4th and 2 more in the 5th, then stopped the Lions after they scored two in the 6th. Hayley Dumm had two hits for NC and Skye Bernecky drove in two runners. Madisyn Burkett had two hits for United and Autumn Rose had two RBIs.
Marion Center blitzed Brookville, 9-0. Cheyenne Silvis struck out 15 Blue Raiders and walked none. Mya Lipsie led the Stingers at the plate with three hits. Silvis, Alexis Roush, and Natalie Black all had two hits.
West Shamokin scored a TKO of Derry, 12-1. Aleya Talmadge had three hits and four RBIs. Maria Young had two hits including a home run. Avery Elkin, Lily Jordan, and Maddie McConnell all had two hits.
Penns Manor lost to Curwensville, 9-0.
BASEBALL
Marion Center broke a 4-4 tie with single runs in the 3rd, 4th, and 6th innings to defeat United, 7-4. Dakota Bracken had three hits with a double, Noah McCoy and Alex Stewart had two hits each and both doubled, and Parker Black had two hits, with a homer. Stewart picked up the win and Braden Reichenbach had the save. United had six hits, all singles, scattered among six different players. The Stingers did not report their game stats.
Portage held off Penns Manor, 6-4. For the Mustangs, Jonah Irvin had two hits and Luke Scarton drove in two runs. The Comets’ Ashton Courvina had three hits, including two doubles. Carter Smith and Kayden Detwiler each had two hits.
River Valley trailed the Kiski School, 3-0, but scored three runs in the 5th and the game-winner in the 6th to take a 4-3 decision. Two hits apiece for Gage Pierce and Niko Vadala for the Panthers, and Vadala drove in two runs. He also picked up the win, going five and two-thirds innings and giving up three runs, one earned.
