JOHNSTOWN — Baseball

AAABA League

Renegades 8, Martella’s 3

Ben Weimer pitched a complete game, allowing four hits while striking out five and walking two in the Berkley Hills Renegades season-opening victory over defending playoff champion Martella’s Pharmacy in the early AAABA League game at Point Stadium.

“Ben had a low pitch count. We were going into the sixth inning and he was at 45 pitches,” Renegades GM Roland Black said. “He threw a real nice game. We looked strong. It was a really good start.”

Weimer, named to the All-AAABA League team as a starting pitcher last season, benefitted from the Renegades’ 10-hit attack.

Nate Campbell had two hits and scored three runs. Matt Kastelic had two hits, including a double, and scored twice. Ryan Uhl and Jake Pribanic each hit two-run doubles.

Martella’s Tony Strasiser had a hit and scored two runs. Travis Antolik doubled.

Softball

High School Girls

District 5 Class A

Berlin 6, Shade 4

SHANKSVILLE – Second-seeded Berlin beat third-seeded Shade as Keirsten Coughenour had a triple, a double and four RBIs.

“It was a solid team effort,” said Berlin coach Ashley Shaffer, whose Mountaineers improved to 17-5. “Everyone worked really well together.

“I told them we might not have had a lot of hits but we had clutch hits at key points of the game. I credit Shade, they were solid on the field and hit well.”

Shade outhit Berlin 9-8.

The Mountaineers got a solid outing from veteran starter Megan DeMartino, who recorded her 60th career pitching victory. Shade pitcher Kelli Shaw also was effective.

Berlin scored four runs in the first inning and added two in the second. Shade held the Mountaineers without a run the rest of the way.

Shade struck early as Shaw singled and scored on Aubrey Polochak’s hit and an errant throw. Berlin’s Lauren Short reached on an error and scored on DeMartino’s double to left field.

Sami Johnson moved DeMartino to third with a single. Coughenour’s blast to center field plated both runners. She also extended her triple another base by scoring on a throwing error.

Shade’s Tasha Corradini tripled to open the second inning and scored after a passed ball on a strikeout. Berlin answered with a Coughenour double that drove in Johnson and DeMartino, who each walked.

Shade’s Emily Gibbons scored in the fifth and seventh innings after two hits, a single and a double.

Berlin and top-seeded Fannett-Metal will play for the 5-A title at 2 p.m. on Thursday at Everett.

Fannett-Metal 10, Conemaugh Township 1

EVERETT – Top-seeded, two-time defending district champion Fannett-Metal defeated Conemaugh Township to earn another trip to the 5-A finals.

Jenna Rhodes tossed a three-hitter with eight strikeouts and no earned runs for Fannett-Metal (19-4).

The Indians took an early 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the top of the first. But Fannett-Metal answered with Blaire Lauthers’ two-run homer. The top-seeded squad added four runs in the third and three in the fourth to pull away.

Township’s Katie Reckner had a double.

Fannett-Metal and second-seeded Berlin will play for the 5-A title  at 2 p.m. on Thursday at Everett.

Volleyball

High School Boys

Colts eliminated in Class AA tournament

JUNIATA – The two-time District 6 champion Northern Cambria boys volleyball team fell to District 3 Northeastern in the PIAA Class AA Tournament at Juniata College on Tuesday night.

The Colts lost 3-1 as the District 3 third-place team won 25-15, 25-13, 19-25, 25-17.

Northeastern took the first two games, but Northern Cambria stormed back to win the third game 25-19. The Colts rebounded in similar fashion after falling behind two games to Forest Hills in last week’s District 6-AA championship. That time, coach Mike Hogan’s team won three straight to claim the championship.

The Colts (13-8) have won the District 6 title and advanced to state competition in both years of the program’s existence.

 

NFL

Steelers sign third-round pick

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed third-round pick Sean Spence to a four-year contract. Financial details were not disclosed.

The Steelers chose Spence with the 86th overall pick. The former Miami star gives the Steelers needed depth at linebacker after the team released 15-year veteran James Farrior this year.

Linebackers coach Keith Butler said it’s “impossible” to replace Farrior, but he is impressed by Spence’s speed and instincts. Spence led the Hurricanes with

106 tackles last season. He likely will only play on special teams as a rookie.

Spence says he’s eager to learn behind veterans Lawrence Timmons and Larry Foote.

The Steelers have yet to sign first-round pick David DeCastro and second-round pick Mike Adams.



TENNIS

Hilltop’s Kush wins two events

Westmont’s Adam Kush, 12, won two tennis events at the Mount Lebanon USTA Memorial Day Junior Open in Pittsburgh last weekend.

Kush teamed with Christian Bietmeieer of Pittsburgh to capture the boys 14 doubles title with a win over Siddhanth Iyer of Gibsonia, and Natoli Farber of Monroeville, by an 8-6 score.

Kush also partnered with Maria Santilla of Irwin, to win the mixed doubles title with an 8-2 score over Iyer and Anna Li of Wexford.

This year’s open featured four age categories (12, 14, 16, 18). More than 160 junior participants participated in the event.



HOCKEY

Team names new investors

As reported last week in The Tribune-Democrat, the Johnstown Tomahawks NAHL Tier II Junior A team has added high-profile investors Jack Ham and Shane Conlan to the ownership group.

A Johnnstown native and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Ham played linebacker on four Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl-championship teams. Conlan was a star with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. Both men were All-Americans at Penn State University.

Additional new investors announced by the Tomahawks include Patrick A. Gallagher, founder and chief executive officer of PGT Trucking, Monaca; Jonathan Metcalf, owner and CEO of Randall Metals Corporation, Chicago; Joseph Peduzzi, founder and president of TF Asset Management, Pittsburgh; and Alexander J. Simakas, founder and CEO of Tool Craft Manufacturing, Pittsburgh.

The new ownership group members will join Johnstown Sports Partners Chairman and majority owner James P. Bouchard; Mark Lee, minority owner; and James Vasilko, president of Johnstown Construction Company and minority owner of the Tomahawks.