Local Sports

Both Ellwood City and Riverside baseball teams picked up opening round victories on Thursday to advance in the WPIAL Class 3A Playoffs. The Lady Panthers softball team also picked up an opening round victory in the WPIAL Class 2A Playoffs on Thursday. CLASS 3A BASEBALL Riverside survived a scare in its comeback 4-3 victory over #16 seed Shady Side Academy at Seneca Valley. Zach Hare relieved starter Christian Lucarelli in the second and offered 5 1/3 scoreless innings in relief and retired 12 of the final 13 batters he faced. After falling behind early, Riverside tied the score at three…

The undefeated Butler County Community College men’s golf team is one victory away from competing for a national championship for a seventh time. The Pioneers (7-0) will battle Monday and Tuesday for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Region 20 title at The Links at Spring Church in Apollo. The winner of the 36-hole competition earns an automatic berth to the 72-hole NJCAA Division III national championship tournament in June in Chautauqua, where the individual golfers on the team that captures the Region 20 crown would also vie for All-American awards. BC3 will face in the Region 20…

Butler, PA – Lincoln High School graduate, Mitchell Covert, shot his lowest score of the spring Friday and won medalist honor for the second time in his past three matches as the Butler County Community College men’s golf team defeated the Community College of Allegheny County and moved to 7-0. Covert birdied four of six consecutive holes on the front nine and finished with a 3-over 75 at Lake Arthur Golf Club. The Pioneers also posted their lowest team score of the spring in their 319-383 victory. The four lowest individual scores are added to determine the team score. BC3’s…

Ellwood City baseball and softball teams each cruised to 10-run victories on Thursday. Ellwood City baseball defeated Shenango on the road 16-6 while the softball team took care of Quaker Valley 13-3 at home. For the Wolverines baseball team, an offensive onslaught produced 20 hits in the victory. Aaron Lake (3-4, 3 runs, 5 RBIs) led the charge with three extra base hits including a grand slam homerun in the fourth inning. Jacob Biskop (3-5, 3 runs) tripled and Jordan Keller (2-5, 3 RBIs) doubled while Will Nardond (3-4, 1 run, 1 RBI) and Gino Biondi (3-5, 1 run, 2…

Ellwood City scratched out a go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning to earn a section victory over Mohawk Monday afternoon. A walk and two Warriors errors help the Wolverines regain the lead after Mohawk had rallied with three runs in the top half of the frame to tie the game. Ellwood City jumped out to the early lead in the second inning with a sacrifice fly by Gino Biondi and RBI groundout by Sam Landis put the Wolverines ahead 2-0. Starter Aaron Lake went five strong innings, striking out nine batters and allowing only one run and…