Wolverine Softball/Baseball Teams Both Advance In WPIAL Playoffs

The defending WPIAL champion Ellwood City Wolverines softball team received an opening round scare Wednesday afternoon, but twice were able to erase multiple-run deficits to finally oust the pesky 8-seeded Burrell Bucs 6-5 in the WPIAL Class 3A softball quarterfinals Wednesday at North Allegheny.

Burrell (8-8 overall) took a 2-0 lead in the fifth, backed by pitcher Brittany Dunn, who took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but the Lady Wolverines used a walk and a couple errors in their half of the inning to knot the game at two.

Burrell then pounced for three more runs and led 5-2 in the sixth only to have Ellwood City (16-0 overall) respond again.

Anna Ferruci collected an RBI double in the sixth inning and later scored on an RBI single by Reagan Mittler. Natalia Greco alertly scored on a wild pitch that rolled up the third-base line to tie the game.

Zoe Kalantzis hit a walk-off single, scoring Ariana Garroway with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to finish off a 6-5 victory.

Ellwood City advanced to play Southmoreland in the semifinals Tuesday at a time and site to be announced.

WPIAL BASEBALL: Ellwood City Wolverines 6 – Charleroi Cougars 2
A highly-touted pitching matchup was the headliner at the Burkett Complex in Robinson on Wednesday, as Josiah Fisher for Charleroi took on Tyler Good of Ellwood City.

After setting the first six batters he faced down, Fisher ran into a bit of trouble, giving up two runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings, making up for Ellwood City’s six runs. Ellwood City stole a few handfuls of bases and took advantage offensively of three Charleroi errors in the field en route to a 6-2 first-round win.

On the mound, Good had seven assists and surrendered just three hits and two runs in 6.2 innings, while taking advantage of several base running errors by the Cougars and some solid defense behind him.

Shane Sedgwick went 2-for-2 at the plate to lead the Ellwood City Wolverines offense.

The victory next matches the Wolverines with the #2-seeded Steel Valley Ironmen in the quarterfinals, while Charleroi’s season comes to an end.

(source: msasports.net)