Perfect Weather Brings Hundreds Out To Day 1 Of 2019 Maple Syrup Festival

After a few years of rain and snow, the sun finally dried up the water and came out to play at Brady’s Run. The sun wasn’t alone; hundreds of patrons from Beaver County and elsewhere descended upon Brady’s Run Lodge for Day 1 of the 42nd Annual Maple Syrup Festival.

As always, Beaver County Radio came out to play–or at least let others play–with the Prize Van and Personality Prize Wheel. Matt Drzik and Gary Miller kept the action going, making sure that everyone got a bag of Herr’s chips while checking in with JD Merkel on Solid Gold Saturday Afternoon.

Tomorrow the fun continues as Pat Septak and Zach Ulrich will be with the van and wheel from 1 until 4 PM, so stop out to the 42nd Annual Maple Syrup Festival!

And if you missed the action from Day 1, check out these pictures!

Bucs walk it off on a Newman doubles in 10th, Pirates beat Reds 6-5

Newman doubles in 10th, Pirates beat Reds 6-5
By ALAN SAUNDERS Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kevin Newman hit a game-ending double in the 10th inning, lifting the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Cincinnati Reds 6-5 Saturday for their third straight win.
With one out in the 10th, Francisco Cervelli singled off Reds reliever Raisel Iglesias (0-2). Newman drove the first pitch he saw to the 410-foot left-center notch at PNC Park, and Cervelli easily beat the relay home. It was the first walkoff hit of Newman’s career.
Francisco Liriano (1-0) struck out two in the top half of the inning.
Joey Votto tied it in the eighth with his first home run of the year, a solo shot off Keone Kela. It was Kela’s second blown save in five appearances.
The Reds snapped a 30-inning scoreless streak, the team’s longest since 2015, when Kyle Farmer hit a two-run home run in the third. The blast was his first homer in his 64th career game.
Pirates starter Trevor Williams allowed four runs, three earned, and seven hits in six innings. Pirates starters had allowed just five earned runs in their first six games.
Starling Marte gave the Pirates the lead with his two-run double in the sixth inning.
Josh Bell had three extra-base hits for the first time in his career: an RBI double in the first, a double in the third and a solo home run in the fourth.
Pirates outfielder Jason Martin made his major league debut and got his first hit, first stolen base and scored his first run when Bell drove him in in the first inning. Martin finished 1 for 2 with a walk out of the leadoff spot.
Cincinnati starter Tanner Roark pitched five innings and allowed three runs and seven hits while striking out four.
SQUEEZED OUT
Newman attempted to score on Williams’ squeeze bunt in the second inning but was called out via replay. Roark barehanded the bunt, spun awkwardly and threw high to catcher Curt Casali. Newman was originally called safe, but video showed his front foot skipped over home plate, leaving Casali time to apply the tag.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: RF Gregory Polanco (left shoulder surgery) and RHP Dovydas Neverauskas (left oblique strain) will both begin rehab assignments with Class A Bradenton on Sunday.
UP NEXT
Reds: RHP Anthony DeSclafini (0-0, 1.80 ERA) will start the series finale Sunday. He allowed one run and struck out eight in five innings in his season debut against Milwaukee on Tuesday.
Pirates: Chris Archer (0-0, 0.00) had eight strikeouts in his first 2019 start against St. Louis on Monday, but it took him 99 pitches to get through five innings.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Musgrove outduels Gray, Pirates hand Reds 3rd shutout in row

Musgrove outduels Gray, Pirates hand Reds 3rd shutout in row
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Joe Musgrove allowed three hits in seven efficient innings to outduel Sonny Gray and the Pittsburgh Pirates handed the Cincinnati Reds their third straight shutout, 2-0 on Friday night.
Musgrove (1-0) struck out eight and walked one in his first start as Pittsburgh sent Cincinnati its sixth los in a row.
Cincinnati’s scoreless streak reached 28 innings when Felipe Vazquez retired Yaisel Puig to end it, the longest drought by the Reds since they went 30 innings without crossing the plate from Aug. 5-8, 2015. The Reds are hitting just .157 as a team.
Jung Ho Kang broke a scoreless tie in the seventh when he lined a double into the left-field corner, allowing Josh Bell to score from first. Adam Frazier added an RBI double in the eighth off Reds reliever Zach Duke.
Vazquez worked a perfect ninth for his second save.
Gray (0-2) dazzled in his second start for Cincinnati, retiring 16 straight at one point. Two of the three hits he allowed came in the seventh. Gray struck out seven without a walk in 6 2/3 innings.
Cincinnati is off to a 1-6 start, but pitching is not the issue. Gray’s performance dropped the Reds’ starters ERA to 2.16.
Gray arrived in January as part of Cincinnati’s offseason overhaul, an effort by the club to climb back into contention in the NL Central after four straight last-place finishes. His initial start for the Reds was forgettable. He lasted just 2 2/3 innings in a loss to the Pirates, needing 71 pitches to record eight outs.
Things were far different five days later at chilly PNC Park. Mixing speed and location effectively, Gray allowed a single to Francisco Cervelli with two outs in the first but Pittsburgh didn’t get another runner on base until Starling Marte led off the seventh with a single.
Marte advanced to third on a wild pitch and a groundout but was nailed at the plate when he hesitated running home on Bell’s sharp grounder to draw-in second baseman Jose Peraza.
Gray couldn’t take advantage of the reprieve. Kang laced a double to the left-field corner and Bell chugged all the way around to score from first without a throw.
Considering the state of Cincinnati’s offense and Pittsburgh’s starting pitching, it was enough.
Musgrove continued a string of dominant efforts by Pirates starters. The Reds never reached third base, their best chance coming in the first when Joey Votto doubled with one out. Puig followed with a liner to second baseman Adam Frazier. Votto, who ran at the crack of the bat, was easily doubled off to end the inning.
Musgrove cruised from there as the ERA by Pittsburgh’s starters dropped to 1.25.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: RHP Kyle Crick was placed on the 10-day injured list with tightness in his right triceps. Pittsburgh called up OF Jason Martin to take Crick’s roster spot.
UP NEXT
Reds: Tanner Roark (0-1, 6.23 ERA) makes his second start for the Reds on Saturday. Roark, acquired in an offseason trade with Washington, allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings in a loss to Milwaukee last Monday.
Pirates: Trevor Williams (1-0, 0.00) will look to back up the six shutout innings he tossed last Sunday against Cincinnati when he makes his second start of the season.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Attorney General Shapiro Charges 25 Individuals In Western PA Insurance Fraud Sweep

Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced criminal charges against 25 individuals in Western Pennsylvania following investigations by the Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Section. The charges are the result of a sweep conducted by the Insurance Fraud Section’s Western Regional Office during the months of February and March 2019. Since Attorney General Shapiro took office in January 2017, the Office of Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud section has charged 452 persons with insurance fraud cases. Two of the suspects have been identified as 51-year-old Alan Talarico of Moon Township and 34-year-old Tonya Prowell of New Castle. The charges announced today involve some of the most common types of insurance fraud.

New Vote-By-Mail Bill Introduced by State Rep. Rob Matzie

Voting that is easier, more efficient and more secure is the aim of a new vote-by-mail bill introduced by Pa. state Rep. Rob Matzie. House Bill 1059 would permit Pennsylvania voters to cast their ballots by mail. Voters would request a ballot once and then continue receiving ballots for every election until they opted out.

Federal Judge Rules In Favor Of Pennsylvania Turnpike In Lawsuit Over Toll Increases

A federal judge is dismissing a lawsuit over Pennsylvania Turnpike toll increases that are financing payments the commission makes to help fund transit agencies. U.S. District Judge Yvette Kane ruled Thursday that a truckers’ organization didn’t adequately argue that the scheme violates constitutional protections over commerce and travel between states. The lawsuit had also asked the court to bar the turnpike commission from using tolls to pay off debt stemming from the payments.

Pennsylvania House to Again Consider Child Sex Abuse Bills

Two bills that could make it easier for victims of child sexual abuse to file lawsuits years later are expected to be voted in the Pennsylvania House next week. One bill would eliminate the criminal statute of limitations for child sexual abuse crimes entirely and give victims of future abuse until age 55 to file lawsuits. The other proposal would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to allow a two-year retroactive window for lawsuits over past abuse.

Students From Pittsburgh Area Joining Force With Parkland Shooting Victims

Students from Taylor Allderdice High School will be among hundreds of others to take a stand against violence this week. They’ll be joined by students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida where 17 people were killed last year during a mass shooting. Students will attend an assembly at Taylor Allderdice today and then visit the Tree of Life Synagogue. This is part of a “three days of healing, resilience and community building” being held by the Center For Loving Kindness and Civic Engagement of the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh.

Man Found Dead In Stream Behind Moon Township Home

A 77-year-old man died after police say he fell into a stream behind a Moon Township home. Police were called Thursday afternoon to the home on Downing Drive. When officers arrived they found the victim, William Kriger, face down in a stream. The officers pulled Kriger from the stream and administered CPR, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said Kriger was riding a garden tractor above a concrete wall on the side of the stream. The officers found the tractor wasn’t running, but the key was still in the ignition. Police said it appeared Kriger either had a medical episode and fell off the tractor or he slipped off the seat and fell into the stream striking his head.

Rain Showers Today But A Big Warm-Up Over The Weekend

WEATHER FORECAST FOR FRIDAY, APRIL 5TH, 2019

 

TODAY – RAIN SHOWERS CONTINUING THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON TODAY. HIGH – 54.

TONIGHT – REMAINING CLOUDY OVERNIGHT. SLIGHT
CHANCE OF A RAIN SHOWER. LOW – 43.

SATURDAY – OVERCAST. HIGH – 65.

SUNDAY – CLOUDY SKIES. A STRAY SHOWER OR
THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE. HIGH – 73.