Local Sports

Central Valley Wins 74th Ellwood City Little League Tournament; EC Finishes 3rd

Central Valley downed Laurel, 11-4, to win the 74th Ellwood City Little League Tournament on Monday night at Freidhoff Field. WKBN-TV in Youngstown, Ohio televised the game-their first broadcast ever of a Little League game in Pennsylvania. Before the game, Richie Allen, who will be inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, was acknowleged by the Ellwood City Amateur Baseball Federation. Allen hit the game-winning home run in the 3rd Ellwood City Little League Tournament in 1952. Central Valley scored two runs in the first inning and added three in the second inning to take a…


Dick Allen Hall Of Fame Celebration And Induction Watch Party Scheduled This Weekend

Dick Allen will finally be inducted in to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. The wait will come to end on Sunday, July 27th when Allen is posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame with a well-deserved plaque in Cooperstown, N.Y. Wampum Borough will play host to celebrations this coming weekend ahead of Richard “Dick” Allen’s induction. Organizers are calling it the Dick Allen Festival with a testimonial dinner kicking things off Thursday at Le Resto Restaurant in New Castle where friends, former teammates and residents can share memories of Allen. On Friday, a celebration will take…


Neshannock downs Ellwood City 11-5 In 74th Little League Tournament

Neshannock downed Ellwood City 11-5 in the 74th Ellwood City Little League Tournament on Thursday night. Dante Medure led Neshannock with a double, two singles and four RBI. Joey Vitale smacked a three-run home run, a single with four RBI. Nathan Martin led Ellwood City with two singles and  a walk. Jace Vandevort rapped two singles and Giovanni Lamenza added a double. Asher Fabich and Benson Sobona added singles. Medure was the winning pitcher for Neshannock. Friday’s Schedule: New Castle vs Neshannock…5:30 Ellwood City vs Laurel…7:00 Central Valley vs Laurel…8:30 Schedule, game photos and results available on Ellwoodcitybaseball.com.


Zach Hare Named MaxPreps.com Small Town National Player Of The Year

Riverside senior Zach Hare has collected some additional hardware in addition to his WPIAL and PIAA State Championship rings. Hare was named the MaxPreps Pennsylvania Player of the Year and named to its PA All-America honors. Small Town All-America Team includes only players who attend schools with an enrollment under 1,000 students in a town with a population under 10,000. P — Zach Hare, Sr., Riverside (Ellwood City, Pa.) Hare earned MaxPreps Pennsylvania Player of the Year and All-America honors after an astounding playoff performance. He threw 34 consecutive no-hit innings in the postseason (36.1 including regular season) with three no-hitters (one…


74th Ellwood City Little League Tournament Begins Monday Night

The 74th Ellwood City Little League Tournament will begin Monday evening, July 14th with a double-header on tonight at Freidhoff Field. Central Valley will meet Neshannock at 5:45 PM and Ellwood City will meet New Castle at 8:00 PM. The tournament, the second oldest Little League tournament in the country next to the Little League World Series, began in 1952. Before each teams’ first game, the 24th Annual Home Run Derby will be held. The tournament continues all week through the weekend with the championship game set for next Monday, July 21. The Championship Game on Monday, July 21 will…


PHOTOS: Ellwood City Little League Celebrates 75th Anniversary

The Ellwood City Little League celebrated its 75th Anniversary on Tuesday night. In 1950, Ellwood City became the fifth league to be chartered in Western Pennsylvania and the first in Lawrence, Beaver, Butler and Mercer Counties. Several speakers made remarks before the Lions and Moose, two teams from the inaugural Little League season, the 75th Anniversary Game. Ellwood City Amateur Baseball Federation President Joe Nardone welcomed the crowd and commented that tonight was not just about baseball-but about memories made, lifelong friendships formed in dugouts, and a community that has rallied around a common passion for baseball the past 75…


75th Anniversary Game Now Scheduled For Tuesday, July 8th

Initially rescheduled due to a scheduling conflicts with the Lawrence County Baseball League Tournament of Champions Playoffs, the 75th Anniversary Game has now been rescheduled a second time due to pending inclement weather. The 75th Anniversary Game and ceremonies will now take place Tuesday, July 8th at 7:15 p.m. The Moose and Lions are still scheduled for Game One for the Ellwood City Little League Championship Series tonight at 7:15 PM at Freidhoff Field, weather permitting. The 75th Anniversary ceremonies will be held before Game Two of the Championship Series on Tuesday night at 7:15 PM. Cookie Freidhoff and Dan…


Freidhoff, Oliastro To Be Among Honored Guests At 75th Anniversary Of Little League Celebration Monday

Cookie Freidhoff and Dan Oliastro will be among the honored guests at the 75th Anniversary of the Ellwood City Little League Celebration on Monday night at Freidhoff Field. Ellwood City organized the first Little League program in Lawrence, Beaver, Butler and Mercer Counties-becoming one of the first five programs in western Pennsylvania in 1950. Freidhoff is the daughter of Dick Freidhoff, one of the Little League organizers and one of the original managers in 1950. Freidhoff led his Moose team to six straight Little League titles before becoming the Commissioner in 1957. Oliastro, the Riverside High School Head Coach for…


Court of Common Pleas of Lawrence County Judge Denies Ellwood City Area School District’s Appeal Regarding Softball Field

The Ellwood City Area School District’s appeal of the Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Adjudication of the Zoning Hearing Board of the Borough of Ellwood City relating to a proposed softball field in Ewing Park was denied in the Court of Common Pleas of Lawrence County. Judge John Hodge decided that the district is precluded from constructing the proposed project at that location “as it failed to comply with the Ellwood City Borough Zoning Ordinance” affirming the January 17, 2025, decision of the Ellwood City governing body. Read the findings here. The Zoning Hearing Board of the Borough of…


CHAMPS AGAIN: Panthers Claim 6th PIAA State Championship

The Riverside Panthers defeated Mount Carmel 4-2 Thursday afternoon to earn its 6th PIAA State Championship. Zach Hare allowed only two hits across 6.1 innings, striking out 11 batters to earn the victory. Hare tossed two innings of no-hit ball before allowing a 2-out single in the top of the third inning to break his hitless inning streak at 34 consecutive hitless innings in the postseason – an amazing streak believed to be a national record. Riverside got on the board first in the third inning after John Bowser swatted a RBI-double to left field and the Panthers added another…