Local Sports

Nardone Hurls Perfect Game; EC 12U Headed to Lawrence County Championship Game

After just missing perfection in her previous playoff outing, Angie Nardone tossed a perfect game Monday night as the EC 12u softball team blanked Laurel 12-0. Nardone retired all nine batters she faced in the mercy rule shortened three inning contest. First baseman Jaelynn Timmerman preserved the pitching gem as she made a tremendous over the shoulder catch on a ball headed to right field. Catcher Grace Balin also threw out a runner at first trying to advance on a third strike in the dirt.   The offense sent 22 batters to the plate as they added three hits, seven…


Nardone Tosses No Hitter, EC 12u Dominates Marion in First Playoff Game

Angie Nardone was a hit batter away from a perfect game, and the offense pounded out seven hits, as the 12u ladies defeated Marion 10-0 Tuesday night at Stiefel Park. The game was halted after 4 innings due to the mercy rule. The lanky right hander fanned 8 batters and threw 30 of her 41 pitches for strikes. In 38 innings pitched this year, she has struck out 75 batters and walked just seven. She has an ERA of 1.10. Maria Ioanilli led the offensive attack with an inside the park homer and a single. She drove in two and…


Riverside Advances to Semi-Finals; Ellwood Season Over

Riverside baseball and Ellwood softball played the same school at the same time at the same place: Moniteau High School on Thursday at Slippery Rock University. Unfortunately, the results weren’t the same. Riverside continued its scoreless streak, winning 1-0 over the District IX school. Pitcher Michael Boswell struck out eight, extending his record to 40 scoreless innings. Riverside advances to the semifinals, playing Bishop McCort on Monday. At the same time, Ellwood City’s undefeated season came to an abrupt end. The team that frequently won by more than 10-point margins and claimed the WPIAL title via the mercy rule themselves…


Ellwood, Riverside Both Crush PIAA Opener

The Ellwood City softball team won the first round of the PIAA playoffs in a 10-0 landslide against Bald Eagle. On Friday, the Lady Wolverines claimed the WPIAL title 10-0 in a five-inning mercy rule, and the team repeated that performance three days later. Arianna Garroway, Camille Maine and Reagan Mittler all hit double RBIs. On the plate, Skyla Greco pitched another shutout and now has 162 strikeouts in 125 innings this season. Ellwood City will play Moniteau on Thursday, June 9 at Slippery Rock University at 1 p.m. The last two times Ellwood advanced to the PIAA playoffs in…


Two Home Runs and a Mercy Rule: Ellwood Claims WPIAL Title and Prepares for PIAA Playoffs

Mercy rule. Shut out. Grand slam. These are all terms a great softball team experiences but usually not at the WPIAL championships. The undefeated Lady Wolverines only needed four and a half innings to defeat South Park 10-0 and claim the Class AA WPIAL title. The game on Friday at California University was originally scheduled for Thursday but delayed due to rain. Meanwhile, Ellwood’s three seniors, Allie McKelvey, Kayla Murin and Mallory Swogger, went through Lincoln’s commencement on Thursday anticipating the next day’s game. Ellwood suffered a setback in the first inning when McKelvey sprained her ankle after beating out…


Lady Wolverines are the WPIAL Champs

With a 10-0 mercy rule win, the Ellwood City softball team are the WPIAL champions! The Class AA championship game was played this afternoon at the University of California against South Park. Reagan Mittler’s grand slam in the first inning opened the Lady Wolverine’s offense. Camille Maine’s three-run hit in the second inning brought Ellwood to 8-0. With two more runs in the third, Ellwood shut out South Park until the top of the fifth when the mercy rule went into affect. The full game will be covered in more detail next week. Photo submitted.  


WPIAL Softball Game Postponed

The Ellwood City-South Park WPIAL playoff softball game, originally scheduled for today at 11 a.m., has been postponed to tomorrow at 4:45 p.m. The game will still be held at the California University of Pennsylvania in California, Pa. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students.


WPIAL Preview: Undefeated Lady Wolverines Preparing for South Park

The Ellwood City girl’s softball team is one game away from a WPIAL title, but if they’re nervous, they aren’t showing it. At a practice on Friday, the girls displayed their usual mix of enthusiasm and dedication combined with a devoted sense of fun. For tomorrow’s game against South Park at California University, the Lady Wolverines are using the same approach they have all season: taking it one game at a time and trying to get better every day. From the first game to the semi-finals, Ellwood remains undefeated with a record of 19-0. They defeated Neshannock 11-4 in the…


Riverside Wins WPIAL Title

Senior Braden Bentel hit the WPIAL-winning run in the bottom of the ninth as Riverside clinched the WPIAL title from Neshannock in a 1-0 game. Riverside and Neshannock stood toe-to-toe for an extended nine-inning game as pitchers Michael Boswell and Frank Fraschetti dueled. In the bottom of the ninth, senior Kolby Wolf got on base on a throwing error. Wolf advanced to second on a sacrificial bunt by sophomore Austin Dambach. In the game’s grand finale, Bentel stood up to the plate with two outs in the inning and hit a single that drove Wolf home. Riverside’s win was their…


Ellwood City Men’s Softball League Schedule

Five teams comprise the Ellwood City Men’s Softball League at Stiefel Park this summer. Games commenced Tuesday, May 17 and will continue through August. The five teams represented include Laser Security, Venezie’s Sporting Goods & Apparel, The Color Center, Marshall’s Tree Experts and Duncan’s Auto Service. Game formats are seven-inning contests with double-headers at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. The league uses the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) rules with open rosters. Playoff format is as follows: Round 1: Best of 3 Series, played in one day. Round 2: Best of 5 Series, to be played over two days. Championship: Best…