Local Sports

Fluharty, Sturgeon Earn 1st Place Finishes At MAC Track & Field Championships

Riverside’s Lexi Fluharty and Ellwood City’s Delaney Sturgeon each took home a 1st place finish in their respective event at the MAC Championships on Wednesday at Shenango High School. Fluharty, a junior, turned in a personal record time of 11:38.39 in the Girls 3200m Run to capture 1st place, shattering a 25-year-old school record in the process. Fluharty also finished 4th place in the 1600m Run with a time of 5:23.46. Fluharty swept the two distance running events at the Beaver County Track & Field Championships earlier this month. Fellow junior runner Brooke Wissinger took 4th place in the 3200m…


Four-nataro! Four More Hits By Fornataro Helps Riverside Sweep Quaker Valley

After collecting four hits on Tuesday, Riverside Panther Bo Fornataro put together another four hit performance Wednesday to help pave the way to victory for the Panthers in their 12-4 victory over Quaker Valley wrapping up the sweep of a home-and-home series. Fornataro singled in the first, doubled in the second, singled in the sixth, and doubled in the seventh. The 6’2″ junior outfielder knocked in three runs and scored three times. In the first inning, Riverside Baseball Varsity got their offense started when Fornataro singled on a 2-0 count, scoring one run. The Panthers moved ahead 5-0 before Quaker…


PHOTOS: Nardone, EC Baseball Shutout Central Valley; Softball Defeats Tigers

Ellwood City sophomore Will Nardone pitched six scoreless innings Wednesday afternoon as the Wolverines easily dismantled the visiting Central Valley Warriors 10-0 at Sanders Field. Nardone allowed only three singles on the afternoon. He stuck out five batters while issuing only three walks. Offensively, senior Chase Wilson reached base four times (3-3, 2 RBIs, 1 BB) and scored three runs for the Wolverines. Joining Wilson with multiple hits were Jordan Keller (2-4, 2 runs) and Ryan Widmaier (2-2, 2 runs, 1 BB). Ellwood CIty scored four runs in the second inning to chase Central Valley starting pitcher D Nalli. The…


Riverside Baseball Routs Quaker Valley; RHS Softball Defeats Shenango; EC Softball Falls To Mohawk

Bo Fornataro shined at the plate Tuesday, collected four hits and five RBIs in the Panthers 11-1 rout of Quaker Valley. Fornataro singled in the first, doubled in the second, singled in the fourth, and singled in the fifth. After Quaker Valley got on the board in the first inning with a solo homer it was all Riverside as the host Panthers put up five runs in the second inning on their way to the mercy rule victory. Evan Burry smacked a homer in the fourth inning as Riverside poured on four more runs. Riverside tallied 14 hits on the…


74th Little League Season Opens Tuesday

The Ellwood City Amateur Baseball Federation will open its 74th season on Tuesday. The Moose hosts Shenango at Freidhoff Field at 6:00 p.m. in the Lawrence County Little League opener. The Ellwood City Little League, which started in 1950, was the first Little League program in Lawrence, Beaver, Butler and Mercer Counties. Ellwood City has three teams competing in the 2023 campaign: The Moose, the Lions and the Wolves in the 16-team league. Ellwood City, Neshannock and Laurel each have three entries apiece. Shenango and Union have two teams and Mohawk, New Castle and Wilmington have one entry apiece. The…


EC Baseball, Softball Each Rebound With Victories

Both Ellwood City baseball and softball teams each rebounded from recent losses last week with victories over the weekend. The Lady Wolverines lost a heartbreaking 2-1 extra innings affair to its rival Riverside on Thursday, but rebounded to hand section foe Hopewell its first section loss on Friday. Ellwood City avenged an earlier section loss Friday as they beat Hopewell 6-0 at Stiefel Park.  With just four games left, the title is very much up for grabs as Hopewell leads with a record of 5-1 followed by Ellwood City and Central Valley tied for second with 4-2 section slates.  Mohawk…


Sturgeon Captures 1st Place In High Jump At ‘Rock Relays’ On Saturday

Sophomore Delaney Sturgeon captured a 1st place finish in the Girls High Jump at the Slippery Rock University “Rock Relays” on Saturday. The high school invitational took place at the William Lennox Track at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium with teams from more than 40 high schools across the region participating. Sturgeon earned the top podium spot with a final jump of 5’0″ that bested six other athletes who all finished tied at 4’10”. Sturgeon also finished 3rd in the Pole Vault (8’0″) and 5th in the Long Jump (15’10”). Just last week, Sturgeon finished 1st overall in the high jump, 2nd overall…


Ellwood City Amateur Baseball Federation Opening Day POSTPONED

UPDATED April 21st 11:32 a.m. — The opening day parade and ceremony has been postponed untiled next Saturday, April 29th due to weather forecasts. The schedule of events will remain the same Ellwood City Amateur Baseball Federation (ECABF) will hold its opening day ceremony on Saturday April 22nd. A parade will start at approximately 9:00 a.m. at the Old Ewing Park School field and head to Freidhoff Field where games will follow the ceremony and introduce all the teams. Tee Ball will proceed to the grass area, where they will play during the season. Games will start at roughly at…


NO-NO: Lucarelli, Harper Combine For No-Hitter Over Hopewell

Just two days after two Panther pitches twirled a two-hit shutout on Senior Day again Union, Christian Lucarelli and Ronnie Harper combined to toss a complete game no-hitter on Thursday. The unbeaten Panthers easily dismissed the visiting Hopewell Vikings 8-0 behind the stellar pitching performances. Lucarelli started the contest for Riverside, tossing five innings of no hit baseball. Lucarelli struck out 10 batters while only issuing three walks. Harper came on in relief, and so much as he did on Tuesday, did not allow a run in his two innings of relief work. Harper struck out four Vikings without issuing…


PHOTOS: Lady Panthers Knock Off Wolverines In Extra Innings

For two rival teams that haven’t met in five years, Thursday’s 2-1 extra innings affair at Riverside proved to be well worth the wait. The Lady Panthers rallied late to tie things up in the seventh and won it in the eighth on a clutch two out, two strike single by Aliya Ottaviani. It was a classic pitcher’s duel as Samantha Rosenberger whiffed 14 for the winners while Amber Mcquistion and Sara Schwarz combined for 13 punch outs for the Lady Wolverines. The teams played the first five innings in less than 45 minutes until Ellwood City got on the…