The Heritage Conference crowned its baseball and softball champions last night.
Marion Center is the conference champ in baseball for the second straight season. Todd Marino reports.
Stingers coach Mike Pacconi says his team has overcome a lot of skeptics this season.
Pacconi says Dakota Bracken and Braden Reichenbach make a potent 1-2 punch from the pitcher’s mound.
The coach says Marion Center has always enjoyed playing at First Commonwealth Bank Field.
Bracken says it took a while for him to settle in on the mound last night.
Bracken says winning the championship is special.
Reichenbach came on in the 7th to relieve Bracken and kept up the pressure on the Colts’ offense.
Reichenbach says winning back to back title was a team goal for the Stingers from the start.
Reichenbach says games like last night’s serve as great preparation for the District 6 tournament.
Parker Black had two hits and several key defensive plays for Marion Center. He says the Stingers were confident they could win.
Black says the Stingers will enjoy the feeling of being back to back champs.
SOFTBALL
The West Shamokin Wolves are the Heritage Conference champions after knocking off Cambria Heights last night. Jake Slebodnick has the story.
West Shamokin coach Megan Aikens was thrilled for her team.
Wolves slugger Lily Jordan says they wanted another shot at the Highlanders.
Jordan says West Shamokin has had to overcome a lot as a team this year.
WPIAL
A successful first step in the WPIAL Class 4A softball playoffs for Indiana, knocking off two-time defending champion Beaver, 9-0, last night.
Olivia Zimmerman had the fastball blazing, pitching a complete-game one-hitter, striking out nine and walking two. She took a no-hitter into the 7th inning. At the plate, she was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Ella Myers was 3-for-3 for Indiana and Haley Hamilton and Julia Antonacci each had two hits.
Indiana scored three runs each in the first, third, and fourth innings. They will play a second round game against second seeded Montour on Wednesday at a site and time to be determined. Montour had a first round bye.
OTHER BASEBALL
Homer-Center dropped a 7-6 decision to Bishop McCort yesterday, with the Crushers scoring three runs in the 6th to erase a 6-4 deficit. For the Wildcats, Owen Saiani was 3-for-4 with a double. Braden Dunn was 2-for-3.
Blacklick Valley beat Penns Manor, 9-4. Ashton Courvina had three hits including a double for the Comets.
Three hits by Easton Slanoc and a home run by Billy Dombrowlsky led Portage to a 16-1 win over Purchase Line.
OTHER SOFTBALL
Ferndale topped Northern Cambria 14-3 and the Lady Colts’ loss means Homer-Center gets into the District 6 playoff field as the eighth and final qualifier. Laci Lanzendorfer has two hits for Northern Cambria.
River Valley suffered a 10-0 setback against Forest Hills as the Rangers’ Avery Smiach threw a perfect game, striking out 13 of the 18 batters she faced in the six-inning contest.
United blasted North Star, 13-1. Madisyn Burkett had two hits and drove in five runs for the Lions. Cleo Long had a hit and drove in three.
Lyndsey Castel had three hits to lead Portage to a 19-1 win over Purchase Line.
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