Westmoreland Campus Clippings: Franklin Regional golfers make noise at next level

The Franklin Regional boys golf program reached a crescendo a few years ago when it produced a PIAA individual champion and then won a WPIAL team title.

Big-time recruit Palmer Jackson went from states to Notre Dame, and a number of other Panthers alums moved on to play collegiate golf.

Not many schools can say they have this many graduates finding success at the next level.

Jackson, a grad student who is aiming for a professional career after his final go-round with the Fighting Irish, has been sensational this spring, carding a third-place finish at the Johnnie-O, a fifth at the Schenkel Invitational, and a tie for fourth at the Hoosier Invitational. His 5-under-par 66 in the second round helped the Irish to their fourth straight top-three finish.

Jackson, who already has a couple of PGA Tour events under his belt on exemptions, had 10 top-20 finishes in 13 events last year including a runner-up in the Irish Match.

Other Franklin Regional grads making noise include Gannon junior Michael Wareham and Grove City junior Luke Kimmich.

Wareham recently was named the PSAC Golfer of the Week. He helped the Division II Golden Knights win the Bill Blazer Memorial as he finished second individually at 1-under 143 (73-70), one stroke out of the top spot.

He made five birdies in his final round.

Kimmich is one of the better players for the Division III Wolverines. He tied for first at the Geneva Spring Invitational with a round of 77.

Kimmich also plays soccer for Grove City.

Additional alums are Chuck Tragesser, who transferred from Long Island and is looking for a new program, and Nolan Schilling, who is a freshman at Youngstown State.

Fairmont State: Junior Alex Turowski (Penn-Trafford) was named to the All-Mountain East Conference First Team.

Turowski finished third at the conference championship at Avalon Lakes Golf Course in Warren, Ohio. He posted the low second round with a 70 and made eight birdies in the 54-hole tournament.

He finished a 5-over 221 (76-70-75).

Baseball

Bryant: Grad student Tyler Horvat (Penn-Trafford) pitched a nine-inning complete game, his second of the season, as the Bulldogs defeated Binghamton, 7-2.

Horvat, a fifth-year transfer from Washington & Jefferson, scattered seven hits, struck out seven and did not issue a walk.

Cal (Pa.): Sophomore Luke Treloar (Franklin Regional) picked up a win after 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief as the Vulcans (21-8, 13-4) cruised past Wheeling, 11-1.

When Cal earned a home split against Slippery Rock, sophomore Jake Kramer (Hempfield) picked up his eighth save of the season in a 3-2 win on Game 1.

Clarion: Senior Lenny Piccini (Norwin) hit his first home run of the season in a 9-8 win over Pitt-Johnstown.

Gaston College: Sophomore Andrew Muraco (Franklin Regional) is hitting .385 with five home runs, nine doubles, 41 runs and 40 RBIs through 41 games.

Pitt: Catcher grad student Josh Spiegel (Penn-Trafford) hit his second home run of the season in a 14-4 loss to Duke.

Sophomore Jake Kendro (Norwin) blasted his sixth homer of the season as th Panthers rallied to defeat No. 7 Duke, 11-10.

Pitt-Johnstown: Junior Josh Ulery (Derry) had a .313 batting average and was leading the Mountain Cats in hits (35), doubles (11), runs (27) and RBIs (27) through 33 games.

Redshirt Justin Turcovski (Norwin) was tied with Ulery for the most home runs on the team with two.

St. Bonaventure: Sophomore Noah Czajkowski (Norwin) has made 10 appearances on the mound, including five starts, and has a 2-3 record and a 7.67 ERA. He has struck out 23 and walked 14 in 31 2/3 innings.

Saint Vincent: Sophomore Vinnie Amatucci (Latrobe) went 3 for 3 with a triple and two runs, junior Derek Hald (Kiski Area) was 3 for 4 with two doubles and two RBIs and three runs and senior Alex Hess had two hits as the Bearcats (7-19, 5-7) topped Westminster, 8-6.

Junior Alex Polito earned the win in relief, working the final three innings.

Seton Hill: The Griffins (23-12, 9-7 PSAC) bounced back from three straight losses to IUP with a 10-6 victory in the fourth game of the series.

Junior Max Mandler went 3 for 4 with a double, grad student Jack Oberdorf had two hits including a triple and two RBIs and grad student Owen Sabol cracked a solo homer.

Sophomore Evan Rossi pitched an inning of relief and earned his fourth win (4-0), allowing two hits and three runs.

Sophomore Elijah Dunn (Norwin) tripled for IUP.

Washington & Jefferson: Senior relief pitcher Ethan Boring (Ligonier Valley) worked the final inning and allowed one hit in a 10-3 victory against Franciscan.

Waynesburg: Three local pitchers are logging big innings for the Yellow Jackets (15-10, 6-4 PAC). Sophomore Ethan Erhard (Hempfield) is part of the starting rotation. He is 2-1 with a 3.93 ERA in six starts and is second on the team with 23 strikeouts.

Senior Mike Bell (Yough) is 1-0 in two appearances, and freshman Mike McCready (Greensburg Central Catholic) is 2-0 with a 2.04 ERA in 17 2/3 innings as a reliever.

Westmoreland County Community College: Sophomore Logan Short (Latrobe) went 4 for 5 with a homer and three RBIs in an 11-8 loss to No. 12 Frederick Community College.

In the second game of the doubleheader, an 8-4 setback, freshman Bobby Etze (Yough) and Short both doubled.

Softball

Penn State: Through 38 games, junior Haylie Brunson (Mt. Pleasant) was batting .282 with five home runs, five doubles, four triples and a team-best 31 RBIs.

Pitt-Greensburg: The Bobcats improved to 4-0 in the AMCC with a pair of wins against Alfred State.

Freshman Jessica Dunn went 3 for 4 with a double, and senior Kacey Weller added two hits to help junior Melanie Mienke to the pitching win in a 4-3 victory in Game 1.

Mienke posted a complete game, allowing five hits and striking out four.

In Game 2, winning pitcher Autumn Powell had three RBIs, and senior Megan Toth (Greensburg Salem) went 3 for 3.

Powell, a sophomore, tossed a two-hitter with five strikeouts and one walk for UPG (10-8, 4-0).

Saint Francis (Pa.): Senior Ashley Orischak (Hempfield) belted a solo homer, one of five long balls for the Red Flash in a 10-6 win over Sacred Heart.

Saint Vincent: Freshman Mackenzie Favero (Kiski Area) was named the PAC Newcomer of the Week. Favero helped the Bearcats to a 3-1 week, hitting, 583 (7 for 12) with three runs and three steals.

Seton Hill: The Griffins’ winning streak reached five with a run-ruled sweep of Clarion in a PSAC West doubleheader.

The Griffins (29-9, 17-3) won 10-2 and 8-0 with both games lasting only five innings.

Grad student Morgan Toal homered and drove in three runs, and sophomore Camryn Murphy went 2 for 2 with a double and three RBIs for Seton Hill in the first game.

Senior Lauren Dellett (13-6) picked up the win in the circle, striking out six and allowing one hit.

In Game 2, Murphy and junior Grace Paredes homered, Toal drove in a pair, and senior Logan Hartman struck out seven and gave up three hits to move to 16-3.

Parades was named the PSAC West Athlete of the Week.

Washington & Jefferson: Sophomore Hannah Allen (Penn-Trafford) has been on a tear for the Presidents.

Through 18 games, she was leading the team with a .426 batting average, a 1.183 OPS and a .705 slugging percentage. She also had the top spot in hits (26), home runs (3), and runs (16) and was was tied for first in RBIs (12).

Westminster: Junior center fielder Sydney Lokay (Norwin) delivered a two-out base hit to knock in a run during a three-run sixth inning as the Titans downed Grove City, 6-2.

Men’s volleyball

Penn State: Grad student John Kerr (Derry) hit to the tune of a .524 percentage and collected 23 kills, seven digs and four blocks to power No. 8 Penn State to the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association regular-season title with a 3-2 win over No. 16 George Mason.

The Nittany Lions moved to 20-6 overall and 9-0 in conference.

Women’s track & field

Clarion: Junior Leah Perry (Derry) finished ninth in the heptathlon at the Susquehanna Multi & Invitational with a score of 3,081.

Saint Vincent: Sophomore Kristen Prince ran to a third-place finish in the 5,000-meter run at the Westminster Invitational, crossing the finish line in 19 minutes, 26.43 seconds.

Westminster: Sophomore Abigail Painter (Ligonier Valley) ran the second leg of the 1,600 relay team that took sixth (4:16.75) at the Westminster Invitational.

Men’s track & field

Saint Vincent: Junior Aiden Jackson finished second in the 1,500 in a time of 4 minutes, 10.33 seconds at the Westminster Invitational.

Westminster: Grad student Ryan Beard (Franklin Regional) ran the anchor leg of the 400 relay that finished second at the Westminster Invitational (43.43).

Men’s lacrosse

Washington & Jefferson: Junior Austin Hopkins (Hempfield) was named to the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Division III Team of the Week.

He had 10 ground balls and four caused turnovers across a pair of wins for the Presidents.

Women’s bowling

Saint Vincent: The Bearcats finished the season with a record of 64-14 for the highest winning percentage among all NCAA classifications.

The team is 115-23 over the last two years.

Football

Illinois: Transfer Anthony Johnson (Jeannette) is leaving the Fighting Illini before ever playing a snap. Johnson (6-foot-3, 295 pounds) is back in the transfer portal after transferring from Youngstown State.

He began his college career at Bowling Green.