BASEBALL
Homer-Center 6, Blairsville 2
Homer-Center all but clinched the Heritage Conference championship by defeating Blairsville Tuesday afternoon.
The Wildcats scored five runs in the fifth inning to overcome Blairsville’s 2-1 lead. Sophomore Nathaniel Davis delivered the big hit of the rally with a two-run double to right-center field.
Davis also shut the door on Blairsville, pitching four scoreless innings in relief of Jayke Saiani for the win.
Davis
Matt Alexander and Corey Cavalier led Homer-Center with two hits each.
Errors opened the door to Homer-Center’s offense. Alexander reached on an error to start the game and scored the game’s first run. An error by Dakota Sunday on a line drive by Canyon Rankin followed a single by Alexander to start the fifth.
Ryan Shirley, the losing pitcher, and Devin Burkhart drove in runs for Blairsville
Homer-Center can clinch its first Heritage Conference title since 2009 by defeating Purchase Line on Thursday.
TRACK AND FIELD
The Heritage Conference Track and Field Championships were won by the Ligonier Valley boys and United girls Tuesday at United High School.
United junior Michaela Bracken continued to dominate girls’ track in the county and the conference with wins in the 100 dash, 200 dash, 400 dash (tie with Saltsburg’s Holly Long), and the high jump.
Bracken usually dominates in the hurdles, but she did not compete in those events, and the 100 and 300 hurdles wins went to her teammate, Emma Arblaster.
Marion Center sophomore MacKenzie Walker won the 1,600 and 3,200 runs. Penns Manor junior Kate Polenik won the discus and shot put.
On the boys’ side, Homer-Center junior Sam Cunkelman won the 800 and the 1,600 runs.
The Ligonier Valley boys were more dominant in dash events than any other team in any other category. The Rams scored 50 of their 142 points in dash events.
