Category: Sports

Longtime Pirates 2B Stennett Dies at 72 After Cancer Fight

Longtime Pirates 2B Stennett dies at 72 after cancer fight
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Former Pittsburgh Pirate second baseman Rennie Stennett has died following a fight with cancer. He was 72. Stennett spent nine of his 11 big league seasons with the Pirates, helping the team win the 1979 World Series. Stennett hit .274 for his career and twice received votes for the National League’s Most Valuable Player award. He started at second base on Sept. 1, 1971, when the Pirates fielded the first all-Black starting lineup in MLB history. Stennett is also the only player in the modern era to go 7 for 7 at the plate in a nine-inning game. He left the Pirates after the 1979 season, signing a five-year contract with San Francisco. The Giants released him in April 1982.

WPIAL Softball Playoff Schedule: May 18, 2021

Today begins the 2021 WPIAL Softball Playoffs. Local teams are marked in bold.

Class 5A
2:00 pm Fox Chapel vs. Plum at Gateway
2:00 pm South Fayette vs. Armstrong at Valley HS
2:00 pm Franklin Regional vs. West Allegheny at North Allegheny HS
4:00 pm Hampton vs. Penn-Trafford at Gateway
4:00 pm Indiana vs. Latrobe at Valley HS
4:00 pm Connellsville vs. Shaler at Norwin
5:00 pm Trinity vs. North Hills at Montour
6:00 pm Thomas Jefferson vs. Chartiers Valley at North Allegheny HS
Class 3A
2:00 pm Derry Area vs. South Park at Norwin
3:00 pm Ellwood City vs. Deer Lakes at Montour
4:00 pm Keystone Oaks vs. Southmoreland at West Mifflin
4:00 pm Valley vs. South Allegheny at Fox Chapel
Class 1A
2:00 pm Ellis School vs. Greensburg Central Catholic at Fox Chapel
2:00 pm St. Joseph vs. Mapletown at West Mifflin
4:00 pm Rochester vs. Springdale at North Allegheny HS
4:00 pm Bishop Canevin vs. Jefferson-Morgan at Waynesburg University

Vazquez’s Trial Starts Today

(Westmoreland County, Pa.) Suspended Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez’s sexual assault trial is set to begin this morning in Westmoreland County after the jury was picked was picked on Friday

The 29-year-old Pirates closer, has been in jail since his arrest in September 2019. He was charged with statutory sexual assault, 10 counts of child pornography and a number of other criminal charges after he was accused of meeting a then-13-year-old girl for sex in 2017.

Vazquez has maintained his innocence, and his defense attorney says he believes the evidence will show his client believed the girl was almost an adult when they had sex.

He also faces charges in Florida and Missouri after police said he had a sexual relationship with the girl related to those states.

Palmieri’s OT winner lifts Isles by Penguins 4-3 in Game 1

Palmieri’s OT winner lifts Isles by Penguins 4-3 in Game 1
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kyle Palmieri’s second goal of the game 16:30 into overtime lifted the New York Islanders to a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 of their first-round series. Palmieri collected a pass from Jean-Gabriel Pageau near the goal line and lifted it over Tristan Jarry and into the net. The victory was the first for New York in five tries at PPG Paints Arena this season. Sidney Crosby scored his 69th career playoff goal, but the Penguins lost for the 10th time in their past 11 postseason games.

Wood improves to 5-0, Yastrzemski HR as Giants beat Pirates

Wood improves to 5-0, Yastrzemski HR as Giants beat Pirates
By JOHN PERROTTO Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Alex Wood pitched six innings while keeping his perfect record intact and Mike Yastrzemski hit a game-sealing home run as the San Francisco Giants beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1. Wood improved to 5-0. He gave up one run while scattering eight hits. He struck out six and walked one as NL West-leading San Francisco gained a split of the four-game series. It has been a resurgent season for Wood, who went a combined 1-4 with a 5.96 ERA in 2019 and 2020 with the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers while hampered by back problems.

DeSclafani, Duggar lead NL-best Giants over Pirates 3-1

DeSclafani, Duggar lead NL-best Giants over Pirates 3-1
By JOHN PERROTTO Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Anthony DeSclafani allowed one hit over five scoreless innings and Steven Duggar hit his first home run in nearly two years to lead the San Francisco Giants past the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1. DeSclafani improved to 3-7 against the Pirates. The lone hit off him was a first-inning single by Jacob Stallings. Duggar’s solo shot in the fifth off Wil Crowe broke a scoreless tie. It was his seventh career homer in four seasons, and first since June 13, 2019. The Giants improved to an NL-best 23-14 with their fifth win in six games. Tyler Rogers earned his third save by pitching a scoreless ninth. Pirates first baseman Will Craig hit his first major league homer in the eighth.

High School Baseball & Softball: May 13, 2021

BASEBALL

Section 3 (1A)
4:45 pm Leechburg at Sewickley Academy
Non-Conference
4:00 pm Ambridge at New Brighton
4:00 pm Central Valley at Avonworth
4:15 pm Chartiers Valley at Hopewell
4:00 pm Mars at Blackhawk
4:30 pm Montour at West Allegheny
4:00 pm Our Lady of Sacred Heart at Northgate
4:30 pm Rochester at South Side Beaver

SOFTBALL

Section 1 (1A)
3:30 pm Cornell at South Side Beaver
5:30 pm Cornell at South Side Beaver
Non-Conference
4:00 pm Carlynton at Hopewell

Stokes’ first career hits help Pirates finally solve Reds

Stokes’ first career hits help Pirates finally solve Reds
By JOHN PERROTTO Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Troy Stokes Jr. drove in runs with each of his first two major league hits, JT Brubaker pitched six strong innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-2. Two days after making his debut, Stokes hit an RBI single in the fourth inning and doubled in a run in the eighth. Brubaker allowed one run on five hits as he won for the first time in four starts. The Pirates had lost eight striaght games to the Reds. Cincinnati’s Jesse Winker had a home run and two doubles.

High School Baseball & Softball Schedule: May 11, 2021

BASEBALL

Section 2 (4A)
4:00 pm Ambridge at Quaker Valley
4:00 pm Beaver Area at Central Valley
4:00 pm Blackhawk at New Castle
Section 1 (3A)
4:15 pm Ellwood City at Mohawk
4:00 pm Freedom at Hopewell
Section 2 (2A)
4:30 pm Aliquippa at South Side Beaver
6:30 pm Aliquippa at South Side Beaver
4:00 pm Riverside at Shenango
Section 1 (1A)
4:00 pm Western Beaver at Union
Section 3 (1A)
3:45 pm Sewickley Academy at Leechburg
Non-Conference
4:30 pm West Allegheny at Avonworth

SOFTBALL

Section 4 (5A)
4:00 pm Trinity at West Allegheny
3:30 pm Western Beaver at Moon
Section 3 (4A)
4:15 pm Hopewell at Beaver Area
Section 2 (3A)
4:15 pm Ellwood City at Beaver Falls
3:45 pm Quaker Valley at Keystone Oaks
Section 1 (2A)
5:15 pm Chartiers-Houston at Our Lady of Sacred Heart
Section 4 (2A)
2:00 pm Freedom at New Brighton
4:00 pm Laurel at Riverside
Section 1 (1A)
3:30 pm Rochester at Cornell