Westmoreland County campus clippings: Sophomore makes history in Pitt-Greensburg baseball's home opener

Homer rhymes with Domer.

Pitt-Greensburg sophomore baseball player James Domer launched a game-winning home run, and earned his first pitching win, as the Bobcats outslugged Chatham, 15-13, in their home opener.

In a performance to beat the band, Domer went 6 for 6 with two homers, two doubles, five runs and a school-record seven RBIs in a game where the teams combined for 32 hits and 28 runs.

He was named the AMCC Player of the Week.

Thomas Smith went 3 for 5 with three RBIs for UPG (2-9).

For good measure, Domer came on in relief and recorded the final four outs.

Baseball

Cal (Pa.): Sophomore relief pitcher Jake Kramer (Hempfield) tossed two scoreless innings and did not allow a hit, as the Vulcans defeated Davis & Elkins, 8-1, at Wild Things Park.

Mt. Aloysius: Junior infielder Ryan Bushey (Derry) is carrying a .382 batting average through 16 games for the Mounties. He has a team-leading 26 hits, six doubles, 11 RBIs and 17 runs scored.

Pitt: Sophomore shortstop Jake Kendro (Norwin) is slashing .356/.578/1.051 through 13 games for the Panthers. The Tennessee transfer has three home runs, 12 RBIs and 10 runs scored.

Another transfer, grad student catcher Josh Spiegel (Penn-Trafford), was hitting .314 with a homer and 13 RBIs in 12 games, while redshirt sophomore pitcher Phil Fox (Hempfield) had a 2-1 record with a 1.23 ERA in seven appearances for the Panthers (11-7).

Saint Vincent: Junior Dalton Nicklow’s hard-hit grounder to second scored sophomore Dylan Schmude with the winning run as the Bearcats walked it off against Waynesburg, 6-5, for their first PAC win of the season. Sophomore Vinnie Amatucci (Latrobe) had two hits, including a double, and junior Derek Hald (Kiski Area) went 2 for 3 for SVC (3-11, 1-1). Junior Sean McAleer pitched eight inning and allowed only one run but did not earn a decision.

Seton Hill: The Griffins (12-5) returned to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association rankings, taking the No, 24 spot. Seton Hill took a four-game winning streak into a weekend series against Mercyhurst.

Senior pitcher Brandon Bergert was named the NCBWA Atlantic Regional Pitcher of the Week. Bergert tossed eight scoreless innings in a 6-0 win over Grand Valley State, allowing one hit, with eight strikeouts, on 93 pitches.

Freshman Owen Mandler was named the PSAC West Athlete of the Week. He went 7 for 12 (.5383) with six RBIs in four games against Mercyhurst. He went 3 for 3 with a walk-off single in one game against the Lakers.

Softball

Bloomsburg: Three county players who used to go against each other are leading the Huskies (12-7, 1-1 PSAC).

Freshman Josie Straigis (Latrobe) has a team-leading 18 RBIs, two home runs and four doubles in 14 games. She had a six-RBI game against Shippensburg and was named the PSAC East Athlete of the Week.

Junior Emma Little (Penn-Trafford) has a double and three RBIs, while junior pitcher Callie Sowers (Hempfield) is 9-2 with a 0.97 ERA and 74 strikeouts.

Penn State: Junior outfielder Haylie Brunson (Mt. Pleasant) was leading the Big Ten with 11 doubles heading into the start of conference play. Brunson, a Pitt transfer, launched her fifth home run of the season in an 8-3 win over Indiana. She was hitting .319 with 18 runs and a team-best 28 RBIs for the Nittany Lions (21-6).

Robert Morris: Senior pitcher Jane Garver (Ligonier Valley) came on in relief and earned the win as the Colonials defeated Akron, 8-4. Garver struck out two over the final two innings to improve to 2-5.

Redshirt sophomore Courtney Poulich (Mt. Pleasant) had a hit and an RBI, and Jess Matheny (Southmoreland) scored a run as RMU completed the sweep with a 5-0 win.

Saint Vincent: Senior Jessica LaPorte and freshman Kendall McConnell each had three hits, with LaPorte delivering a home run, a double and five RBIs, in an 11-3 win over Chatham.

In the second game of the doubleheader, senior Olivia Persin (Hempfield) went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs, and McConnell scored three times in a 9-1 win in six innings.

LaPorte was named the PAC Offensive Player of the Week.

Westminster: Junior Sydney Lokay (Norwin) was hitting .387 with 12 hits, two doubles and seven RBIs in 11 games for the Titans. She also had two appearances in the pitching circle and was 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA.

Upike: Grad student pitcher Carolyn Alincic (Mt. Pleasant) was 3-5 with a 1.77 ERA through eight games. She was leading the team with 77 strikeouts and had seven complete games.

Washington & Jefferson: Sophomore Hannah Allen (Penn-Trafford) had a hit and scored two runs in an 8-5 win over Southern Virginia.

Wrestling

Army: Sophomore Ethan Berginc (Hempfield/Jeannette) had an 0-2 record in his second trip to the NCAA Division I Championships. The 125-pounder finished the season 28-9.

Bucknell: Senior 133-pounder Kurt Phipps (Norwin) went 3-2 at the NCAA Division I Championships to conclude the season with a 28-7 record. He gave up only seven points in five matches and fell a win shy of the medal stand.

Ohio: Garrett Thompson (Franklin Regional) earned his first win at the NCAA Division I Championships but did not reach the medal stand. He finished his first season as a full-time starter with a 27-8 record.

Pitt: A pair of county wrestlers competed at the NCAA Division I Championships. Redshirt freshmen Finn Solomon (Franklin Regional) and Dayton Pitzer (Mt. Pleasant) both reached the Round of 24, but that is where their tournament ended. Solomon, the 31st seed at 149 pounds, finished with a 19-12 record. Pitzer, who came back from an injury, was seeded 21st 285. He was 12-6.

Men’s basketball

Pitt-Greensburg: Freshman Trent Rozich was named the ECAC Rookie of the Year. He also made the All-ECAC Second Team. Also the AMCC Newcomer of the Year, Rozich averaged 15.5 points and 8.1 rebounds and led the team with 101 assists.

Women’s basketball

Gannon: Freshman Olivia Cernuto (Southmoreland) contributed five points and two assists in 15 minutes as the Knights toppled Fayetteville, 72-47, to win the Atlantic Regional in the NCAA Division II Tournament. Gannon (35-2) earned the No. 1 seed for the Elite Eight.

Men’s volleyball

Saint Vincent: Sophomore Shawn McSwiggen set a program record with 32 kills — topping his own of 31 — as the Bearcats held off Penn State Altoona, 3-2. SVC (15-7, 6-0 AMCC) trailed 2-0 before taking three straight sets. McSwiggen also had a game-high 12 digs and two blocks. Sophomore Zach Wyant registered 50 assists, the second most in program history. Fifth-year Matthew Minkin added 11 kills and 11 digs.

McSwiggen was named the AMCC Offensive Player of the Week.

Men’s lacrosse

Saint Vincent: Sophomore Liam McCall had three goals and an assist, and grad student Jordan Billet added two goals and two helpers as the Bearcats picked up their first win of the season, 11-4, over Marietta. Grad student Caleb Hawkins and Billett each had three goals in an 11-10 win over Lebanon Valley.

Seton Hill: Grad student Peyton Gensler had four goals and sophomore Wade Brunelle added three for the Griffins (6-2, 3-0 GMAC) in a 15-10 win over Lake Erie.

Thiel: Senior John Robbins (Penn-Trafford) had a goal and two assists as the Tomcats defeated La Roche, 25-5.

Washington & Jefferson: Senior Nathan Petrarco (Norwin) had two goals and two assists, but the Presidents fell in overtime to Anderson, 9-8. Sophomore Braden Petrarco (Norwin) had two assists.

Women’s lacrosse

Grove City: Freshman Gwen Shilling (Franklin Regional) was named the PAC Newcomer of the Week. She scored two goals and cause two turnovers against La Roche.

Men’s tennis

Saint Vincent: Freshman Braden Yokopenic was named the PAC Player of the Week, while frshman Brady Johnson (Norwin) was tabbed the PAC Newcomer of the Week.

Men’s track & field

Saint Vincent: Freshman PJ McNeal was recently tabbed the PAC Newcomer of the Week. McNeal took second in the 400-meter dash at the Washington & Lee Carnival in a time of 50.31 seconds, the second-fastest time in program history and the top time in the PAC this season. He also took eighth in the 200.

Women’s track & field

Clarion: Junior Leah Perry (Derry) took 15th in the long jump at the Stan Romanowski Open in Morgantown, W.Va. with a mark of 4.54 meters.

Michigan: Freshman Liz Tapper (Hempfield) threw a career-best 17.06 meters to win the shot put at the Clyde Hart Invitational in Waco, Texas.

Saint Vincent: Sophomore Miranda Cincotta was named the PAC Runner of the Week, while freshman Caroline Kozera earned conference newcomer of the week honors.

Cincotta won the 1,500-meter race at the Washington & Lee Carnival with a time of 4 minutes, 48.49 seconds to break a school record. She added a fourth-place finish in the 800 and anchored the 1,600-meter relay, which set a school record (4:12.22).

Kozera, meantime, set a program record in the 110-meter hurdles (16.91) and logged the second-fastest time in program history in the 200 (27.41). She also ran a leg of the 1,600 relay.

Men’s golf

Washington & Jefferson: Junior Cade Patterson (Penn-Trafford) tied for 25th at the Marlins Invitational in Virginia Beach, posting rounds of 77 and 80.

Women’s lacrosse

Seton Hill: Sophomore Mila Udovicic and freshman Allison Hathaway earned PSAC awards last week. Udovicic was the top offensive player, Hathaway the top for defense. Udovicic had six goals and six assists with 13 draw controls in two wins. She had a five-goal game against New Haven as Seton Hill won 13-12 in overtime. Hathaway had a career-high 15 saves in the win over New Haven.

Redshirt junior Skylar Orlowski had five goals and five assists to pace the Griffins (4-3, 2-0) to a 17-7 win over Slippery Rock. Sophomore Ruby DePalma added three scores in the win.