BASEBALL
In an important Heritage Conference West doubleheader, West Shamokin kept its chances alive for a conference championship game berth with a sweep of River Valley, 15-4 and 8-2. The Wolves’ Jude Olinger homered and doubled and drove in five runs in the first game and Logan Geist also had two hits. Gavin Burkhart doubled and tripled for River Valley. In the second game, Braden Talmadge doubled and tripled and Max Long also had two hits. Olinger threw four-and-a-third innings and Ben McConnell threw two-and-two thirds as they combined on a one-hitter.
The Wolves play a big game against 14-3 Conemaugh Township today. They are even with Homer-Center in the loss column, each with three losses with the Wolves having two games to play, against Conemaugh Township and Cambria Heights, and the Wildcats closing their regular season playing at Marion Center today.
Conemaugh Valley fell behind 2-0 but rallied for a 5-2 win over United. The Blue Jays had four hits, one of them a homer by Lance Masser. For the Lions, Ryan Felix had one of their two hits and drove in both runs.
Bryce Lewis and Anthony Swander both had two hits and Cambria Heights broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the seventh inning, holding off Portage’s rally to win 4-3.
Penns Manor erased a 5-0 deficit and beat Ferndale 6-5 in eight innings. Connor James had three hits for the Comets and Andy Jarvie, Ryland Askew, Tyler Cooper, and Tyler Mellott all had two.
SOFTBALL
A shakeup at the top of the Heritage Conference West as West Shamokin splits a doubleheader with River Valley and falls into a two-way tie with Marion Center, both at 13-2.
River Valley won the first game, 4-2 as Lillian Buckles homered and Scarlett Fridley and Callie Reaugh each had two hits. That offset a four-hit performance by Cameron Vandervort of the Wolves, who doubled and tripled. West Shamokin won the second game 8-2 as Zoe Bennett homered, Malena Stewart and Evie Grantz each had three hits, and Vandervort and Avery Elkin each had two.
Cambria Heights outslugged Portage, 17-9. The Highlanders’ Gina Lane had two hits with a home run and four RBIs, Ellie Bender and Megan Wholaver each had three hits, and four other players had two hits. The Mustangs’ Lyndsey Castel and Payton Noll both had two hits and both homered.
Marion Center played out-of-conference and lost to Bishop McCort, 5-4.
