Bentworth’s Gonglik tosses perfect game
Pitcher helps Spartans get closer to OLSH
Freshman pitcher Sydney Gonglik continues to make an impression in her first season,
On Wednesday the Bentworth hurler tossed her first seven-inning perfect game to help the Class 2A No. 2 Spartans (6-2, 4-0) to an 8-0 victory against Washington (1-7, 1-6) to remain half-game behind Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (7-2, 5-0) in the Section 3 race.
Gonglik became the fourth pitcher this season to record at least 20 strikeouts in a game, joining Seneca Valley junior Lexie Hames, Belle Vernon senior Talia Ross and Chartiers Houston junior Meadow Ferri, who fanned 21 in a one-hitter against Jefferson-Morgan on Monday.
Other softball
• Even without Ross, who was lost for the season with an injury, Belle Vernon continues to show well in defense of its WPIAL Class 4A title. The Leopards (9-2, 4-2) pounded out 17 hits, including home runs by Mia Zubovic and Taylor Beech, as they romped in a 16-5, sixinning win against Ringgold (16, 1-4) in a Section 2 clash.
• Kelly Morrissey went 4 for 4 with six RBI and Keyara Watkins had two hits and drove in three more to lead Class 2A No. 4 Serra Catholic (5-1, 4-0) to a 14-1, five-inning blowout of Greensburg Central Catholic in Section 1. The Eagles have scored 50 runs in their four section games.
• Newly minted Class 3A No. 1 Southmoreland (9-0, 4-0) did quite a bit of yard work in its Section 2 matchup against South Allegheny. Amarah McCutcheon went 3 for 3 with three homers and six RBIs as part of the Scotties’ schoolrecord seven-homer day as they ran away with a 15-0 four-inning victory. Southmoreland has outscored its opponents 90-4 this season.
• Hempfield continues to rebound following its first-place showdown loss last week against Seneca Valley. The Spartans have won two in a row. Riley Miller tossed four no-hit innings and Emily Griffith went 2 for 3 with a home run and four RBIs to lead the Class 6A No. 2 Spartans (6-1, 5-1) to a 13-0, five-inning win against North Allegheny (3-2, 3-2).
• Armstrong got all it could handle against Section 2 rival Franklin Regional, despite home runs from Jessica Pugh and Abigail Bauer. The Class 5A No. 2 River Hawks (8-1, 4-1) instead needed a walk-off single from Natalie Ziegler in the bottom of the eighth to pull out a 4-3 victory.
• Uniontown won’t see Class 4A No. 1 Elizabeth Forward for a couple of weeks, but it is certainly doing its best to prepare for what could be a first-place showdown in Section 2. Nellie Budinsky was the latest player to pull out a big game for the Class 4A No. 5 Raiders (5-1, 50) as she drove in five runs in a 12-1 victory against Albert Gallatin (1-5, 1-4).
• Defending WPIAL Class 5A champion Trinity (7-2, 3-1) is once again looking like a team that can repeat. The Hillers (72, 3-1) got a pair of homers and five RBI from junior Remmie Seltz and one round-tripper each by senior Emily Hasson and junior Hanna Suhoski as they blew out Thomas Jefferson (5-4, 3-2), 14-6, to move into tie with Connellsville for first place in Section 4.
• Shelby Telegdy continues to do it all for Class 4A No. 1 Elizabeth Forward. The senior pitcher tossed a five-inning perfect game with eight strikeouts while also hitting two homers to lead the undefeated Warriors (8-0, 6-0) to a 15-0 victory against Laurel Highlands (1-6, 1-5).