THREE CHEERS: Wolverines Baseball/Softball Victorious, Riverside Pounds ‘Quips

In a rather successful afternoon for the local baseball and softball teams, Ellwood City baseball and softball teams both earned victories while the Riverside baseball team defeated Aliquippa handily.

Wolverines Grab Lead In Fifth Inning For Victory Over Freedom Area

Ellwood City bounced back from a four run deficit and stole the lead late, defeating Freedom 8-4 on the road Tuesday.

Freedom scored four runs in the second inning, but Ellwood City still managed to pull out the victory. The big inning for Freedom came thanks to singles by Viscuso and Snavely and a double by Wolfe. In the second inning, Freedom got their offense started. Wolfe drove in two when he doubled to power the host Bulldogs to their early lead.

The Wolverines chipped away with runs in the third and fourth innings and trailed 4-3 in the top of the fifth inning when Sammy DiCaprio tripled on a 0-1 count, scoring two go-ahead runs.

Ellwood City (3-5 overall, 3-0 section) collected ten hits on the day. Ashton Wilson, Bucky Biskup, and Gibbons all managed multiple hits for the Wolverines. Ellwood City stole ten bases during the game as two players stole more than one. Wilson led the way with four.

Ryan Hampton led the Wolverines to victory on the pitcher’s mound. The bulldog lasted six innings, allowing eight hits and four runs while striking out six and walking zero. Ryan Gibbons threw one inning in relief out of the bullpen.

Clear took the loss for Freedom Area. The hurler went five innings, allowing eight runs on nine hits and striking out four.

Lady Wolverines Pounce Early, Defeat Quaker Valley 12-1

The Lincoln High School softball team put up a ten spot in the first inning and cruised to a 12-1 section victory over Quaker Valley Tuesday evening at Stiefel Park.

In its busy first inning, Aliya Garroway and Maria Ionilli both earned two trips to the dish and each collected two extra base hits in the inning. Garroway smashed a line drive over the wall in left field for a two run homer and later collected a two-run double. Ioanilli collected two doubles in the first inning, driving in a run with her second double.

The Wolverines put two more runs up in the home half of the fourth with three walks and a clutch two out double by Keira Rozanski.

The mercy rule ended the game in the fifth with three groundouts by Quaker Valley.

Garroway, Ioanilli, and Mollie Street led the Wolverines with two hits apiece. Garroway drove in four with her homer and double. Ioanilli hit a pair of doubles, scored a run, and drove in a run. Street also scored once and drove in 1 with a double and single. Rozanski added a double, drove in a pair and scored once. Angie Nardone drove in a pair and scored once with a single. Barnett walked twice and scored twice while Jenna Vetica and Kalantzis each walked once and scored.

Julia Nardone scattered 4 hits over 5 innings and required just 59 pitches to do so with 42 strikes. Nardone gave up just one earned run with 2 punchouts and no walks. The defense was perfect once again as they did not commit an error in 13 chances.

The Wolverines, now 5-1 on the season and 1-1 in the section, will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon as Avonworth visits Stiefel Park for what looks to be a great section match-up. First pitch is set for 5pm.

Panthers Pound Aliquippa 19-0

Sam Barber led a Riverside Panthers offense that collected 18 hits en route to its mercy rule victory over Aliquippa on Tuesday.

Barber went 3-for-3 at the plate and drove in four runs for the Panthers. Barber drove in runs on a single in the second and a single in the fourth.

Riverside (4-3 overall) scored two runs early when Bo Fornataro doubled to stake an early 2-0 lead on the road.

The Panthers then scored ten runs in the second inning. The offense in the inning came from triples by Mitchell Garvin, Evan Burry, and Fornataro, singles by Aaron Falk and Barber, and a home run by Madden Boehm.

Ron Harper was the winning pitcher for Riverside. Harper went two innings, allowing zero runs on two hits, striking out one and walking one. Greer threw two innings in relief out of the bullpen.

Barber, Burry, Garvin, Fornataro, and Falk each collected multiple hits for Riverside. Garvin, Burry, and Barber each collected three hits to lead the Panthers.

Riverside next travels to Avonworth on Thursday afternoon.