(Credit and Caption for Photo: Pittsburgh Panther Mason Heintschel (6) leads the band after Pitt defeated Boston College 48-7 in a ACC football game at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (Justin Guido/Post-Gazette)

(PITTSBURGH, PA-AP) Sophomore Mason Heintschel threw seven touchdown passes, tying the school record, and Pittsburgh rolled to a 59-14 win against Miami (Ohio) on Saturday.

Heintschel, a true sophomore, equaled the school record set by Pete Gonzalez against Rutgers on Oct. 25, 1997.

“We came out and executed,” Heintschel said. “I’m just proud of our guys, and I think everybody did a really great job with their preparation.”

Heintschel, who won the job midway through the season last year, completed 31 of 41 passes for 453 yards. His touchdown throws went to seven different receivers during his first season-opening start.

“It’s never by design, but I’m glad we were able to share the wealth,” Heintschel said. “At least eight different guys scored, and you can’t complain about that.”

Pitt scored on its first three possessions and outgained Miami 219-15 in the first quarter, as the RedHawks failed to pick up a first down on three possessions. The Panthers converted all four third-down plays during their first three possessions en route to an early 21-0 lead.

Heintschel threw first-quarter touchdowns to Malik Knight and Ja’Kyrian Turner. Justin Cook scored on a 50-yard run and Elijah Lagg had a second-quarter score. Heintschel threw touchdowns on Pitt’s first three second-half drives, connecting with Blue Hicks, Censere Lee and Bryce Yates, before the record-tying score to Damon Ferguson Jr. in the fourth.

“Overall, Mason played really well,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said. “He didn’t commit any turnovers, and he took care of the ball.”

Last season, Heintschel threw for more than 300 yards in five of his first six starts before struggling in the final month during blowout losses against Notre Dame and Miami.

Heintschel appeared patient and confident while rotating through his reads during Pitt’s season opener. He eluded a sack on third-and-11 and completed a 31-yard pass to Lee, which set up Knight’s touchdown two plays later.

On Pitt’s second drive, Heintschel broke free from two would-be sacks and completed a short pass to Knight for a first down. Two plays later, Cook broke free for a touchdown.

“He’s like a little magician back there,” Narduzzi said. “Not only can he throw, but he has a knack to make people miss and get out of trouble.”

Heintschel found a wide-open Turner on a swing pass from the backfield for a 45-yard score and connected with Hicks, Lee, Yates and Ferguson Jr. for long touchdown throws in the second half.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings for his first win since July 19 and Henry Davis hit a home run to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Los Angeles Angels 1-0 on Sunday.

Skenes (10-11) gave up four hits, struck out two and walked one. The 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner had gone seven consecutive outings without a win since beating Cleveland in his first start after the All-Star break.

Gregory Soto, Carmen Mlodzinski, Camilo Doval and Mason Montgomery finished the five-hitter. Montgomery earned his 10th save.

It marked the first time Skenes faced the Angels, the team he grew up rooting for in Orange County.

Davis pulled a home run down the left-field line in the third inning, his ninth of the season, off Walbert Urena (9-10), who was a tough-luck loser while pitching his first career complete game and the Angels’ first of the season.

Urena, a rookie, allowed only one run and three hits with four strikeouts and one walk in eight innings. Brandon Lowe had two of the hits.

Skenes also got a big play from the Pirates’ defense in the fifth inning when Zach Neto was thrown out trying to score the tying run from first base on Mike Trout’s two-out double. Second baseman Lowe’s relay throw from center fielder Oneil Cruz cut down Neto.

The Pirates took two of three games from the Angels to win four straight series for the first time since 2024. The Halos lost for 11th time in 13 games.

Up next

Angels: RHP Grayson Rodriguez (4-6, 6.03 ERA) starts against the Red Sox on Monday night in the opener of a three-game series in Boston.

Pirates: Off Monday, then open a three-game series against the AL Central-leading White Sox on Tuesday night in Chicago, with RHP Bubba Chandler (6-9, 4.03) facing RHP Sean Burke (8-6, 3.20).

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Los Angeles Angels’ Yusei Kikuchi delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Yusei Kikuchi pitched six scoreless innings and earned his first win of the season as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1 on Saturday night.

Kikuchi (1-5) allowed five hits and three walks while striking out six in his third start since returning Aug. 23 from left shoulder inflammation that kept him out since late April. The 35-year-old two-time All-Star last won in his final start last season, giving up one run in five innings as the Angels topped the Royals 3-2 on Sept. 24, 2025.

Pirates starter Braxton Ashcraft (14-6) struck out nine, but allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings. The 26-year-old right-hander struck out seven while allowing one hit through 3 1/3 innings before Wade Meckler doubled into shallow left field with one out in the fourth. Moisés Ballesteros hit a sharp two-out single under the glove of second baseman Nick Gonzales, scoring Meckler from second.

Josh Lowe led off the fifth with a 410-foot shot to center field for his 11th homer of the season. Denzer Guzman followed with a single to left, moved to second on Adam Frazier’s sacrifice bunt and extended the lead to 3-0 by scoring on the first of Zach Neto’s three singles.

Esmerlyn Valdez walked and Bryan Reynolds singled to start the sixth for Pittsburgh. Kikuchi then struck out Oneil Cruz, forced Nick Gonzales into a force out and erased the threat by getting Rafael Flores Jr. to fly out to center.

The Angels tacked on three runs in the seventh. Mike Trout hit an RBI single through the left side of the infield and Meckler drove in two more with a double to right-center.

Reynolds hit a two-out home run, his 16th of the season and first since July 28. It was a 421-foot shot over the right-field wall in the eighth for the Pirates’ lone run.

Up next

Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (9-11, 3.97 ERA) starts Sunday’s series finale against Angels RHP Walbert Ureña (9-9, 2.85).

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Los Angeles Angels catcher Moises Ballseteros, eft, tries unsuccessfully to tag out Pittsburgh Pirates’ Konnor Griffin, right, during the second inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Philip G. Pavely)

The MLB-worst Angels (53-88) lost for the 10th time in 11 games. The Pirates have won five of six games.

Jones (3-6) blanked the Angels on three hits to win for the first time in eight starts since beating Cleveland on July 18. He struck out nine, walked one, and threw 63 of 91 pitches for strikes.

Wilber Dotel pitched two innings, and Mason Montgomery worked the ninth to complete the four-hitter and the Pirates’ ninth shutout of the season. Montgomery had his ninth save.

Ryan Johnson (3-8) was the hard-luck loser, giving up one run and four hits over six innings with six strikeouts and two walks. He has a 1.67 ERA in his last six starts and allowed zero or one run in five of those outings.

Prized rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin returned from the injured list for the Pirates and made an immediate impact when he scored the lone run from first base on Mangum’s one-out double to right field in the second inning.

Griffin had been sidelined since July 6 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn tendon in his left ring finger. The Pirates signed the 20-year-old to a nine-year, $140-million contract, the richest in franchise history, in April.

The Angels hit back-to-back singles to open the top of the second, but Jones got Christian Moore to foul out, then struck out Jose Siri and Adam Frazier. The Halos have been shut out 12 times.

Up next

Angels LHP Yusei Kikuchi (0-5, 5.65 ERA) faces RHP Braxton Ashcraft (14-5, 3.59) on Saturday night in the middle game of the series.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (6) in action during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Sunday, July 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Konnor Griffin is ready to get back to work.

The Pittsburgh Pirates rookie shortstop said Thursday that he feels good and is hopeful of being activated off the 60-day injured list on Friday when Pittsburgh opens a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.

The 20-year-old Griffin hasn’t played since early July due to an issue with the knuckle on the ring finger of his left hand. Griffin wore a splint for about six weeks and has played a handful of games while on a rehab assignment.

“It’s been driving me nuts watching the games on my phone,” said Griffin, who signed a massive contract extension in April shortly after making his debut. “It’ll be fun to finally be back in there competing.”

The Pirates have fallen off the pace in the National League playoff race in Griffin’s absence. Pittsburgh entered Thursday’s game against San Francisco 5 1/2 games back of the final wild card spot.

Pittsburgh remains intent on having Griffin return this season. The team says the risk of re-injury is small and it’s important to get him more experience during the nascent stage of his career.

“He’s a huge piece of the offense, defense, base-running, everything that goes on,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said after a 5-2 win over San Francisco on Thursday. “Anytime we can get him back, certainly not expecting him to pick up maybe exactly where he left off, just want Konnor to go out there, have fun, play baseball and do what he does to help us win.”

Griffin has been electric at times. He’s hitting .276 with five homers, 25 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 59 games during a season that’s been disrupted by multiple trips to the injured list.

“It’s just cool to see how my body has been able to overcome these injuries,” he said. “I feel like it’s a good sign for me. I’m pumped to be back here.”

Perhaps most importantly, Griffin is pain-free.

“I did some grip strength testing,” he said. “Those numbers were actually a lot higher than they should have been, which was a good sign for me. That gave me a lot of confidence, squeezing a bat, squeezing a glove wasn’t gonna be an issue.”

(File Photo of the Ellwood City Wolverines Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Wampum, PA) The Ellwood City boys high school golf team broke a school record in a recent match. 

The Wolverines broke the school’s course record at Delmar Golf Course by shooting a team score of 181 in a section match against Laurel on Tuesday. 

That record was lower than the previous record of 183, that was set in 1996.

(File Photo of a Football)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) Some high school football games that were supposed to be played yesterday were cancelled because of the recent inclement weather.

The game at Geneva College’s Reeves Field between Shenango and Beaver Falls was cancelled because of lightning in the area.

The game between Moon and Bethel Park at Bethel Park was also cancelled and the game between North Hills and Seneca Valley at Martorelli Stadium was cancelled because of the heavy rainfall and storms.

None of these games will be rescheduled and the results will be considered a no contest.