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EVEN MORE HARDWARE FOR CRANBERRY
Girls track on TUESDAY
Softball on WEDNESDAY
KSAC CHAMPS
Wenner 4-event winner as Berries claim KSAC
meet title by 1 point
Sophomore Darien Wenner was a four-event winner, leading the Cranberry girls to the KSAC meet title Tuesday at Redbank Valley. The Berries escaped Brookville, 71-70.
Wenner ran the open 800 for the first time and was clocked in 2:25.6 for one of her wins. She also took the open 400 in a personal best 60.94 and teamed with Bernice Kolesar, Elena Isman and Navy Perry to win the 3200 relay. That was on the track. In the field, she cleared 11 feet to win the pole vault.
Kolesar was a triple winner with victories in the 1600 and 3200.
Brookville ran away with the boys title and then some. The Blue Raiders racked up 187.5 points to win the title easily over Central Clarion, which totaled 91. Karns City was third with 82 followed by Cranberry with 62.
There were nine teams in the meet.
Dalton Wenner won the 800 and Cole Findlay the long jump for the Cranberry boys. Wenner, the wrestler, ran a 2:00.16, a little off his personal best. Findlay matched his best jump at 21-10, but cleared a P.R. 6-2 for second in the high jump.
Break-out honors would have to go to senior Shane Clark who threw 169-7 for second in the javelin. That was, by far, a personal best for him.
Ishman had a solid day for the girls with a second in the 1600 (P.R. 5:41.41) and a third in the 3200. And Perry, the freshman, backed Wenner with a second in the pole vault and a fourth in the 400. ChishaBetty Watson was sixth in the 100 with her fastest time.
The boys' 1600 relay ran a 3:31, but Findlay, Wenner, Blake Marchinke and Landon Baker settled for second behind Central Clarion, which ran 3:27.
The 400 relay of Cole and Clark Findlay, Hunter Montgomery and Logan Heath finished sixth.
Other point-getters: Caleb Sparks, fourth in the shot and sixth in the discus; Clark Findlay, sixth in the long jump; Jayden Jackson, fifth in the 300s and sixth in the 110s and Garrett Dick, fourth in the 110 hurdles.
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4-event winner Darien Wenner (Kelly Malek)
Triple winner Beatrice Kolesar
Emma Morrow: 35 RBI
on the season.
softball repeats;
10-run 5th sends
Karns City to showers
And just like that, it was over...
A 10-run fifth snapped a 3-3 tie against Karns City and sent everyone to the showers. The Berries, with their 13-3 Mercy rule verdict took a second straight KSAC championship with them.
Kennedy Stewart's single scored Emma Morrow and ended things at Kasnevich Field at Slippery Rock University.
Morrow drove in four runs in the uprising, first with a two-run homer. She later added a two-run single.
Ashlynn McWilliams followed the homer with an RBI double to make it 6-3.
It was 9-3 after RBI singles by Raquel Knight, Danica Wenner and Avery Coe. Jadyn Shumaker's RBI ground out made it 10-3.
​The Gremlins took a 2-0 lead in the first, partly on an error by Morrow. But she atoned for that with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the innings.
The Gremlins then made it 3-1, but Shumaker later tied the game with a two-run single.
Morrow finished with five RBI, giving her 35 for the season. She and Shumaker each had three hits. Shumaker drove in three runs.
Gracee Hess, who started the game and yielded the two unearned runs, also had three hits and scored two runs.
Wenner was the winning pitcher. She allowed two hits. The run she gave up was earned.​
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DOUBLE CHAMPIONS
The Oil City boys are region track and field champs again, and this time the girls joined them in the winners' circle. Both teams finished their Region 3 schedules Tuesday with 6-0 records.
The Oilers swamped Meadville, 99-51, as Michael Fink (pictured), Morris Woodhouse and Rilee Matalino each won two open events.
The Lady Oilers were 96-54 winners as Bailey Stevens claimed three individual events. Payton Liederbach and Madi Garland added two apiece.
The region title was the fifth straight for the Oilers who extended their league winning streak to 24. The girls won the region pennant for the first time since 2021.
The boys withstood the presence of Meadville superstar Tymir Phillips, who posted a 23-11/2 long jump and a 10.77 in the 100 meter dash.
For reference, Oil City's Chris Conway long jumped a school record 23-11/4 40 years ago, and he was a state champion. He also ran a school record 10.37 in the 100.
Meadville came to town with another outstanding athlete in distance runner Megan Puleio. She was as advertised, sweeping the 800, 1600 and 3200, but the Lady Oilers had more than enough to counter her -- even though their own distance star, Corabel Shiley, did not compete for them.
Back to the boys. Fink ran a 15.24 -- good time, that -- to win the 110 hurdles. He also won the high jump.
Woodhouse's victories came in the 200 and 400, while the sophomore Matalino took the 1600 and 3200.
Senior Keegan Kirkwood, who just returned from a leg injury Saturday for the Oil Country Invitational, ran the 800 again. He won it Tuesday with about the same time -- 2:06ish.
Other Oiler winners were Spence Singleton (javelin), Skyler Myers (pole vault) and Bart Rosen (triple jump).
The Oil City girls posted sweeps in the 100 hurdles and high jump. Stevens led the sweep in the 100s and also took the 300s and the pole vault. Olive Collins led the sweep in the high jump.
Liederbach won both horizontal jumps and Garland captured the shot and javelin.
Shiley's freshman sister, Lily, won the 400.
Oil City track teams claim Region 3 titles;
5th straight crown, 24 consecutive wins for boys
Photo by Kelly Malek)
Track Honor Roll: The Times They are a-Changin'
BOYS TRACK
3200 relay
Oil City 9:12.04 (Kaleb Guiste, Elliot Hulsizer, Tim Kahle, Rilee Matalino); Franklin (Max Griffin, A.J. Rodriguez, Calan Hollis, Ryder Stevens), 9:42.15
110 hurdles
Michael Fink, Oil City, 15.24
100
Morris Woodhouse, Oil City, 11.38
Aaden Hibbard, Oil City, 11.42
Cole Findlay, Cranberry, 11.63
Jackson Wilson, Franklin, 11.97
1600
Rilee Matalino, Oil City. 4:31.36
Maxx Griffin, Franklin, 4:46.59
Daniel McCain, Cranberry, 4:51.87
400
Morris Woodhouse, Oil City, 51.30
Dylan Van Wormer Oil City, 51.63
Blake Marchinke, Cranberry, 53.34
Eddie Mattocks, Franklin, 54.78
400 relay
Oil City (Landon Riley, Steven Heise, Carter Thompson, Morris Woodhouse) 45.61
Franklin (Eddie Mattocks, Jackson Wilson, Cody Walkowski, Samuel Miller), 46.77
300 hurdles
Carter Thompson, Oil City, 41.96
Garrett Dick, Cranberry, 45.12
Jayden Jackson, Cranberry, 46.10
Sam Miller, Franklin, 46.71
Cam Winger, Franklin, 47.58
800
Dalton Wenner, Cranberry, 1:59.80
Rilee Matalino, Oil City, 2:00.78​
200
Morris Woodhouse, Oil City, 23.24
Dylan VanWormer, 23.90
Eddie Mattocks, Franklin, 24.41
Blake Marchinke, Cranberry, 24.6
3200
Rilee Matalino, Oil City, 10:23.86
Daniel McCain, Cranberry, 10:28.47
Max Griffin, Franklin, 10:32.21
Elliot Hulsizer, Oil City, 10:59.29
1600 relay
Oil City (Dylan VanWormer, Rilee Matalino, Carter Thompson, Morris Woodhouse), 3:31.25
Cranberry (Cole Findlay, Landon Baker, Blake Marchinke, Dalton Wenner), 3:31.74
Franklin (A.J. Rodriguez, Eddie Mattocks, Samuel Miller, Jackson Wilson), 3:44.28
Boys Field
Shot
Logan Knight, Franklin, 59-4
Aaron Moore Junior, Franklin, 48-4
Caleb Sparks, Cranberry, 46-3
Bradley Graham, Oil city, 44-11/2
Jayce Becoate, Oil City, 42-51/2
Discus
Logan Knight, Franklin, 162-4
Javelin
Spence Singleton, Oil City, 183-1
Shane Clark, Cranberry, 169-7
High jump
Cole Findlay, Cranberry, 6-2
Michael Fink, Oil City, 5-9
Heath Warner, Oil City, 5-9
Long jump
Cole Findlay, Cranberry, 21-10
Nevin Stinson, Oil City, 20-10
Bart Rosen, Oil City, 20-4
Jackson Wilson, Franklin, 20-3
Clark Findlay, Cranberry, 20-2
Triple jump
Nevin Stinson, Oil City, 41-1
Bart Rosen , Oil City, 40-6
Pole vault
Skyler Myers, Oil City, 10-0
Tahelon Tarr, Oil City, 9-6
Dalton Wenner, Cranberry, 9-0
Girls track
3200 relay
Cranberry (Beatrice Kolesar, Darien Wenner, Elena Ishman, Ava Earp), 9:52.45
Oil City (Corabel Shiley, Lilly Shiley, Addison Wyant, Bailey Stevens) 10:07.53
100 hurdles
Olive Collins, Oil City, 16.19
Anna Rodgers, Franklin, 16.54; Bailey Stevens, Oil City, 16.6
100
Lilyan MIller, Franklin, 12.77
Sophia Garmong, Oil City, 13.15
1600
Beatrice Kolesar, Cranberry, 5:13.72
Isabel Griffin, Franklkin, 5:15.65
Addison Wyant, Oil City, 5:16.87
Corabel Shiley, Oil City, 5:18.43
Kaelyn Klapec, Oil City, 5:38.87
Elena Ishman, Cranberry, 5:41.41
Lilly Shiley, Oil City, 5:47.41
400
Darien Wenner, Cranberry, 60.94
Lena Laderer, Franklin, 61.93
Sophia Garmong, Oil City, 63.17
Lilly Shiley, Oil City, 63.42
Navy Perry, Cranberry, 63.59
Miah Shingledecker, Franklin, 64.55
400 relay
Franklin (Anna Rodgers, Lilyan Miller, Lily Griffin, Lena Laderer), 52.82
300 hurdles
Bailey Stevens Oil City, 48.67
Anna Rodgers, Franklin, 49.41
Olive Collins, Oil City, 51.13
Abby Copley, Oil City, 51.66
800
Beatrice Kolesar, Cranberry, 2:23.69
Isabel Griffin, Franklin, 2:24.24
Darien Wenner, Cranberry, 2:25.6
Corabel Shiley, Oil City, 2:26.76
Addison Wyant, Oil City, 2:27.18
200
Lilyan Miller, Franklin, 26.72
Sophia Garmong, Oil City, 27.51
Darien Wenner, Cranberry, 28.49
3200
Beatrice Kolesar, Cranberry, 10:58.44
Corabel Shiley, Oil City, 11:12.90
Isabel Griffin, Franklin, 11:45.61
Addison Wyant, Oil City, 12:10.33
Elena Ishman, Cranberry, 12:16.45
​1600 relay
Oil City (Lilly Shiley, Bailey Stevens, Addison Wyant, Corabel Shiley), 4:20.99
Franklin (Anna Rodgers, Lena Laderer, Miah Shingledecker, Sophie Wehrle, 4:23.73
Girls Field
Shot
Madi Garland, Oil City, 36-9
Halle Curry, Franklin, 30-53/4
Rhetta Boocks, Cranberry, 30-0
Discus
Madi Garland, Oil City, 101-101/2
Javelin
Madi Garland, Oil City, 112-6
Madison Shaffer, Cranberry, 106-3
High jump
Olive Collins, Oil City, 5-3
ChishaBetty Watson, Cranberry, 5-0
Payton Liederbach, Oil City, 4-9
Lindsay Caralla, Oil City, 4-9
Long jump
Lilyan Miller, Franklin, 16-61/2
Isabella Vorse, Oil City, 15-113/4
Triple jump
Lena Laderer, Franklin, 34-5
Pole vault
Darien Wenner, Cranberry, 11-6
Navy Perry, Cranberry, 8-6
Bailey Stevens, Oil City, 8-0
Franklin rallies for 11-6 road win at Hickory
Franklin erased an early 5-0 deficit and rallied for a 13-6 road win at Hickory on Wednesday.
With the season winding down, the Knights are 10-7 and seemingly safely out of the Region 2 basement. They put together a 13-hit attack to beat the Hornets.
Ian Higley, Nolan Parry and Nate Fezell were the hitting stars for Franklin.
Higley had three hits, and Parry and Fezell added two apiece. Parry and Fezell each had three RBI. One of Parry's hits was a triple.
Fezell also starred on the mound in relief of freshman Jake Saragian. Fezell hurled four innings of one-hit ball as he lowered his ERA to 1.91.
In action earlier this week:
Tuesday
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​Connor Ritchey had 17 points, 13 kills and 12 digs and Jacob Lauer added 18 points and 16 kills in the 3-2 victory.
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Cochranon's Jaiden Frayer hurled a two-hitter with 18 strikeouts in a 2-0 decision over Rocky Grove softball. Claudia Lippert's two-run homer off Abigail Mawhinney in the sixth broke up a scoreless game.
Monday
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Hope Harriet used four hits to drive in three runs as Oil City beat Franklin, 12-6, in softball. Jaymee Wice pitched well through the first 6.1 innings, giving up five hits and one earned run. She walked two and struck out seven. Wice had a shutout going through five.​​
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Emma Morrow and Kennedy Stewart homered as Cranberry thumped Redbank, 10-2, in softball. Morrow had three of the Berries' 10 hits, drove in three runs and scored two. Gracee Hess and Stewart teamed on a four-hitter with 0 earned runs given up.
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An eight-run sixth by the Forest Fires did the Orioles in, 11-6. The Grove lost despite three hits and two RBI by Mawhinney and a pair of doubles by Payton Phillips. ​
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Michael Ristvey homered in Hickory's 9-2 win over Oil City in baseball. The Oilers were limited to five hits, two by Carter Bialo.
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Cranberry baseball managed only two hits in a 9-0 loss to Redbank. Peyton Sloan broke up a no-hit bid with a sixth inning single.​​
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Nolan Parry (4) is hitting .368 with 15 RBI
File photo: Christy Fackler
Keeping up with Luke Guth
Luke Guth gave a solo homer Saturday in Vanderbilt's 8-5 loss to No. 24 Alabama. He pitched the last two innings, striking out two.
Bama swept the three-game series. The Commodores (28-22) beat Louisville 12-6 Tuesday, but Guth didn't pitch. They will visit Missouri Friday through Sunday for their next three-game series. Game times are 6, 4 and 1 p.m.
Guth got the win in Vanderbilt's 6-0 shutout of No. 4 Texas on April 25. He pitched 2.1 innings of one-hit ball, fanning four of the eight batters he faced. It was his first action in a week.
Then on April 26, he pitched another two-thirds of an inning (scoreless), in a 4-3 loss in 10 innings.
He's 2-1 and tied for the team lead in appearances with 20. He's given up four homers. Opponents are hitting .226 against him.
This space is dedicated to keeping up with Guth, a 6-1, 188-pound junior right-hander from Franklin.
Luke Guth is one of 19 pitchers on the Vanderbilt staff.
Conner Fennell leads with 67.1 innings pitched. He's made 12 starts. and his ERA is 5.48. Fennell has given up 15 homers and opponents are batting .265 against him.
Wyatt Nadeau is next with 47.1 innings
Guth is one of nine hurlers who have pitched between 19-33 innings.
It looks as if the coach knows how to space out his pitchers, not running their young arms into the ground.
