EBENSBURG — SOFTBALL

Central Cambria 7-5, Penn Cambria 1-2

EBENSBURG – Taylor Swatsworth saw her school-record 34-game hitting streak end in the first game of Central Cambria’s doubleheader sweep of Penn Cambria on Thursday, but set another mark in Game 2 by belting her 17th career home run.

Swatsworth didn’t have a hit in the Red Devils’ 7-1 victory in Game 1, which was the completion of a game started April 16th. Central Cambria’s Kirsten Lorditch led off that game with a home run, then added another RBI as the Red Devils scored six times in the top of the seventh inning on Thursday. Winning pitcher Ali Vogatsky had two hits.

Kate Reese struck out 12 in the loss while Emily Steberger tied the game with a two-out single in the fourth.

Swatsworth went 2-for-4 in the Red Devils’ 5-2 victory in Game 2. Her sixth-inning homer broke the school record she had shared with Annette Olenchick, who set it in 1980, and Tricia Hildebrand, who tied it in 1999.

Vogatsky was 2-for-3 in Game 2.

Reese had six more strikeouts in that game.

Blacklick Valley 7, Berlin 6

NANTY GLO – Jenna Skubik was 2-for-4, including a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh to help Blacklick Valley to a win over WestPAC South frontrunner Berlin.

The unbeaten Vikings (17-0) also got a 3-for-4 outing, which included a double and a three-run homer, from Alison Verba while Megan Thomas was

2-for-3 and Hailee Scott was 2-for-4.

Sami Johnson was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and Lauren Short was 2-for-3 for the Mountaineers.

Fannett-Metal 7, Chestnut Ridge 1

WILLOW HILL – Jenna Rhodes and Laurie Ruby each had two hits and Fannett-Metal took advantage of five Chestnut Ridge errors to close in on the Sideling Hill League championship.

Fannett-Metal (15-0) swept the season series against Chestnut Ridge (12-3).

Jessalyn Neatrour went 2-for-3 with a first-inning home run. Brittany Mock also had two hits.

Bedford 12, Johnstown 9

Bedford scored six runs in the top of the seventh in a victory at Johnstown.

Winning pitcher Kacey Blevins was 2-for-2 with a double, three walks and two runs scored.

Chelsea Territo was 4-for-4 and scored twice for the Bisons, who also got a 2-for-4 outing from Macy Replogle.

Amber Mangus was 3-for-5 with a double and scored three runs, Lindsay Rogers was 2-for-4 and scored three while Kiersten Szczur was 3-for-4 for the Trojans.

Forest Hills 14-11, B. Guilfoyle 4-0

SIDMAN – Forest Hills swept a doubleheader from visiting Bishop Guilfoyle in a pair of six-inning games.

In the opener, Gab Mickus, Heather Orris, Erica Wirfel and Emily Smay each had three hits for the Rangers (14-2), who also got two hits apiece from Linzy Hull, Megan Gould and Kayleigh Wolfhope.

Danielle Dodson had a double and a single for the Marauders.

In the second game, Wolfhope had three hits while Mickus and Gould each had two hits. Rachel Potopa had the Marauders only hit.

Portage 10-12, Windber 8-2

WINDBER – Portage scored eight times in the bottom of the sixth inning of Game 1, then scored a combined 11 runs in the fifth and sixth innings of the nightcap for a doubleheader sweep at Windber.

Alyssa Madigan was 3-for-4 with a run scored in Game 1.

Katie Hochrein, Lydia Gorba and Tanea Lehman each doubled for the Mustangs (9-6).

Lehman went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored in Game 2. Ashley McCabe doubled, tripled and scored while Emily McCabe added a double.

Alyssa Ott and Sarah Berkey each had three hits in Game 1 for Windber, with Berkey doubling and scoring. Erin Valinsky went 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored.

Valinsky tripled in Game 2 while Ott doubled.

Shade 16, Turkeyfoot Valley 3

CONFLUENCE – Winning pitcher Erin Spinelli, Shanna Kalenish and Casey Roberts all hit doubles for Shade in a six-inning victory over host Turkeyfoot Valley.

Courtney Ohler added two hits for the Panthers (9-4).

Richland 7, Westmont 4

Nicki Mihalik was 3-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored, helping Richland to a victory over visiting Westmont Hilltop.

Mihalik was the winning pitcher, striking out seven and walking three in the three-hitter for the Rams (13-1).

Gina Rievel had a hit and a run scored for the Hilltoppers.

Somerset 14, Bishop McCort 3

SOMERSET – Nicole Shaffer went 2-for-3 with a triple, five RBIs and two runs scored to lead a five-inning rout of Bishop McCort.

Jaime Emert went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and the Eagles took advantage of 12 Bishop McCort walks. She also earned the win and did not allow an earned run.

Maranda McIntosh and Kayla Wallace each had a hit and drove in a run for the Crimson Crushers.

BASEBALL

Laurel Valley 10, Marion Center 6

MARION CENTER - Laurel Valley knocked Marion Center out of the ranks of the unbeaten with a road victory over the Stingers (10-1).

The Rams’ Brett Marabito went 5-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and five RBIs. Anthony Tutino was 3-for-5 with a run batted in and winning pitcher John Jones, who struck out

10 in the five-hitter, was 3-for-3 for Laurel Valley (8-3).

Bishop McCort 8, Somerset 7

Bishop McCort scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to eke out a close win over Somerset at Roxbury.

The Crushers’ Matt Kastelic was 3-for-4 with a triple, a run batted in and two runs scored while Jim Stenger went 2-for-3.

Braxton Ferre added a pinch-hit triple, Joe Hrbal had two RBIs and winning pitcher Jesse Cooper drove in a run and scored twice for Bishop McCort (8-7).

Gunnar Smith was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored for the Golden Eagles (9-8), whose Max Marker was 3-for-5 while Austin Sleek and Dylan Brant each drove in a run.

Central Cambria 15, Penn Cambria 0

CRESSON – Billy Kyper threw an abbreviated one-hit shutout as Central Cambria blanked host Penn Cambria in a four-inning game.

 Heath Wirfel had three hits, two runs scored and an RBI while Ben Monito had two hits, two runs and two RBIs. Mario DeYulis added a hit, a run and two RBIs. Logan Bodenschatz had hit, a run and three RBIs.

Richland 12, Westmont 0

Austin Urban beat host Westmont with his arm and his bat in a five-inning victory.

The Richland senior threw a two-hit shutout, striking out 10.

He also went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, including a two-run homer in the first. Tyler Crawford added a two-run single.

Casey Eckenrod and Bryson Eplett had the lone hits for the Hilltoppers, who committed six errors.

Northern Cambria 13, Purchase Line 3

NORTHERN CAMBRIA - Adam Polites, Joe Yuhas and Brian Laurito each had three hits with Laurito belting a three-run homer in the second for Northern Cambria in a six-inning win over visiting Purchase Line.

Portage 15-14, Windber 0-9

PORTAGE – Portage swept a doubleheader from Windber.

In the first game, which went just four innings, A.J. Maul, Taylor Swires and Tyler Nesbella each had two hits for the Mustangs. They also got two doubles and a single from Mike Sinosky and a double, a home run and four RBIs from Ryan Scoran.

In the second game, A.D. Maul, Swires, Scoran, Michael Pcola and Nesbella each had two hits for Portage (11-5).

Dan Berkey had three hits and Cameron Ursino had two for the Ramblers, who also got a solo home run from Jake Wissinger in the fifth which tied the game at 9.

Forest Hills 13, Bishop Guilfoyle 7

ALTOONA – Pat Gully was 4-for-5 as Forest Hills downed host Bishop Guilfoyle.

Luke Gallaher and Justin Gdula were both 3-for-5 with Gdula driving in three runs for the Rangers, who also got a

2-for-4 game from Colin Gdula.

Bill Beard was 2-for-3 for the Marauders while Jextin Pugh in a grand slam in the third.

TENNIS

Bedford captures District 5 team title

SAXTON – Bedford won its 11th straight District 5 Class AA team championship on Thursday, surprising host Tussey Mountain 3-2.

The Titans won the first two singles matches, but the Bisons’ Joey Twigg began to turn the tide in the No. 3 singles, downing Thomas Keifman 6-3, 6-3.

Bedford then won both doubles matches to claim the title.

Jacob Twigg and Caleb Goodin beat Ryan Hays and Ryan Turner 6-2, 6-4 while the Bisons’ Ajay Patel and Kenny Ward topped Oskar Schloesinger and Jordan Keifman 6-0, 6-3.

Bedford will move on to the state tournament, taking on the District 7 champion on May 18.

Johnstown duo earns spot in finals

ALTOONA – Greater Johns-town High School’s Ben Mayer and Nelson Gosnell defeated Elliott Perow and Sean Cummins of Huntingdon on Thursday in the Class AA District 6 doubles semifinal at Altoona High School’s Leopold Rec Center.

Third-seeded Mayer and Gosnell, who won 6-0, 7-5 over the second seed, earned a slot in Saturday’s championship opposite Lewistown’s Lauren Valdivia and David Boozel. Valdivia and Boozel, the fourth seed, outlasted top-seeded Westmont Hilltop’s Parag Dharbhamulla and Aaron Miller 3-6, 6-2, 7-6.

Saturday’s championship is set for 11 a.m.

FOOTBALL

McKolosky honored

NEW WILMINGTON – Westminster senior running back Nick McKolosky, a Westmont Hilltop graduate, has been selected to the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame’s 2010 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which is comprised of players from all divisions of play who each maintained a 3.2 GPA or better. A total of 620 players from 246 schools qualified for membership in the society's fourth year.

McKolosky, a first-team all-conference selection in 2009, was the Presidents’ Athletic Conference’s (PAC) third-leading rusher with

82.7 yards per game. He rushed for 744 yards on 199 carries including nine touchdowns, while also catching 19 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. McKolosky, who started and played in all but one game during his four-year career, ranks fifth in school history for career rushing yards (2,891) and sixth for total touchdowns (30).

A biology major with a 3.44 cumulative GPA, McKolosky was also one of 154 semifinalists (34 in NCAA Division III) for the Campbell Trophy and the NFF National Scholar Athlete in 2009. McKolosky also earned recognition on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Football Team for a third consecutive year in 2009.