Local Sports

PERFECTION: Hare Tosses Perfect Game, Panthers Claim WPIAL Championship

The Riverside Panthers are WPIAL Champions once again behind historic pitching perfection. Senior Zach Hare tossed a perfect game Thursday evening to lead the Riverside Panthers to a 1-0 victory over Quaker Valley to claim its WPIAL Class 3A Championship. The 15-strikeout, no hit, no walk performance capped a legendary postseason run by the Slippery Rock University commit. Hare’s 2025 WPIAL playoffs stat sheet – four appearances, three wins, 24.1 innings pitched, ZERO hits, 42 strikeouts, and only five walks. His gem Thursday is reported to be the first perfect game in modern WPIAL Championship Game history. I’ve only been…


Lady Panthers Rally To Knock Off Bentworth, Advance to PIAA Playoffs

Addison Drake hit a go-ahead two-run single in the bottom of the fifth to lead #11 Riverside to a 4-3 victory over Bentworth Tuesday in the Class 2A 3rd place game. With the victory the Lady Panthers (10-9 Overall) will enter the PIAA state playoffs on Monday, June 2 against District 10 Champion Seneca High School at site and time TBD. Bentworth got on the board in the second inning after Hailey Tatar drew a walk, scoring one run and added to its lead when Sydney Gonglik homered to center field, scoring two runs in the top of the third for…


Golden Gloves of America Showcases Rising Talent: Ellwood City Youth Shine with Five Champions

The prestigious Golden Gloves of America boxing tournament made its mark once again, this time electrifying the crowd at the Steamfitters Hall in Harmony, Pennsylvania. The event brought together some of the most promising young amateur boxers from across the state, delivering a night full of skill, heart, and raw talent. Among the standout performances, Ellwood City Police Boxing Club athletes emerged as a powerhouse, producing five Golden Gloves champions and showcasing the town’s deep well of boxing potential. One of the Ellwood City Police Boxing Club Coaches Jack Main said he is thrilled with the results. “This is a…


Riverside Ousts South Park In 12 Innings, Advances To WPIAL Championship

In a monumental pitching dual, the Riverside Panthers outlasted South Park in extra innings Friday evening to advance to the WPIAL Class 3A Championship Game for a third consecutive year. The Panthers earned a 1-0 walk-off victory compliments of a Jackson Barber single in the bottom of the 12th inning. In the 12th inning, Hunter Garvin and Zach Hare walked before a ground ball by Drake Fox forced an error and loaded the bases with no outs. South Park was able to settle down and get two outs before Barber singled to right field for the game winning RBI. For…


Riverside Cruises Past Burrell, Ellwood City Knocked Off By Mohawk

There will be no Riv-Ell WPIAL Championship game in 2025 as Ellwood City was knocked off by #11 seed Mohawk in the WPIAL Class 3A Quarterfinals on Tuesday. Top-seeded Riverside cruised to an 11-0 victory over Burrell advancing to the semifinals to face South Park on Wednesday at Plum High School at 4:00 p.m. RIVERSIDE 11 BURRELL 0 Hunter Garvin drove in five runs on two hits to lead Riverside past the Burrell Bucs 11-0 on Tuesday. Hunter Garvin hit a grand slam in the fifth inning, scoring four runs, and doubled in the fourth inning, scoring one. Zack Hare…


#11 Seed Riverside Turns The Table, Stuns Laurel In WPIAL Quarterfinals

Panther Freshman right fielder Ava Cummings collected three hits in four at bats as the #11 seeded Riverside Lady Panthers defeated #3 seed Laurel Varsity Spartans 11-1 on Monday in the WPIAL Class 2A Quarterfinals. The upset victory avenged a pair of lopsided losses to the Spartans during the regular season. Cummings singled in the fifth inning, doubled in the seventh inning, and singled in the fourth inning to power the offense. Older sister, Joci Cummings, earned the win for Riverside. The starting pitcher surrendered seven hits and one run (zero earned) over seven innings, striking out two and walking…


Ellwood City Softball Set To Play McGuffey At Montour HS; Riverside Plays Laurel

The 3-seeded Ellwood City Lady Wolverines will open up their WPIAL Class 3A Playoff run with their quarterfinal contest against #6 seed McGuffey on Monday, May 19th. Ellwood City, who was idle last week and finished the regular season 10-8 Overall, will play at 5:00 p.m. at Montour High School. McGuffey picked up a 5-1 opening round victory over Ligonier Valley on Thursday. [VIEW FULL CLASS 3A SOFTBALL BRACKET] Joci Cummings tossed five innings, striking out three batters to help lead the Lady Panthers to its opening round 14-4 victory last week. Riverside plays #3 Laurel in the quarterfinals on…


BC3 Golf Team Wins Again, To Contend For National Championship

Apollo, PA – Butler County Community College men’s golfer Jacob Marquardt on Tuesday became the lowest-scoring Region 20 medalist in program history, and the undefeated Pioneers qualified for the national championship tournament in western New York with a postseason victory against three teams. BC3 (8-0) captured its seventh National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Region 20 crown with the 36-hole tournament win against the Community College of Allegheny County, Westmoreland County Community College and Pennsylvania Highlands Community College at the Links at Spring Church in Apollo. As the Region 20 champion, the Pioneers earned an automatic berth to the…


Ellwood City Baseball, Riverside Baseball/Softball Teams Each Advance In WPIAL Playoffs

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…


Sturgeon, Emrick With Notable Efforts In WPIAL Track & Field Championships, Qualifying For PIAA

Several local athletes performed at the 2025 WPIAL Track & Field Championships on Wednesday at the William C. Lennox Track at Slippery Rock University, with some qualifying for the PIAA Championships Ellwood City senior Delaney Sturgeon qualified for two events while Kaden Doccio and the boys relay team will each advance to the PIAA. Sturgeon finished 3rd in the 100 hurdles (15.73) and 2nd in the high jump (5-6) on Wednesday.  Sturgeon previously earned four top-10 finishes in the MAC Championships last month. Kaden Doccio finished 6th in the 110m boys hurdles (16.52) The Ellwood City boys relay team (Bradley…