The YDL Sports Network is counting down the Top 25 moments, events, performances, games, etc from the 2022-23 school year.
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The Punxsutawney and Sharpsville baseball teams, as well as the Jamestown softball teams had seasons to remember in 2023, with each reaching the PIAA semifinals in their respective classifications – Punxsutawney in 3A, Sharpsville in 2A and Jamestown in 3A.
For Punxsutawney, it was their second consecutive trip to the semifinals, while Jamestown won its first PIAA game in program history as well.
Punxsutawney’s run began with a 13-5 win over Brookville in the D9 3A title game, a game in which they led just 6-5, but scored seven unanswered runs to pull away. Cooper Hallman was 2-for-2 with four RBIs for the Chucks, while Nevin Day tossed 3 ⅓ scoreless innings of relief.
The Chucks took care of Chesnut Ridge, 15-0 in their subregional game and beat Neshannock 9-1 in their PIAA opener. In the win over Neshannock, the Chucks pulled away with a 9-run third inning, while Jake Sikora got the win, allowing just one run in 5 ⅓ innings.
Punxsy followed up the win over Neshannock with a 6-1 quarterfinal win over Philipsburg-Osceola. Freshman Nevin Day allowed just one run in 6 ⅔ innings to get the win, while offensively, Justin Miller had a pair of RBIs.
The Chucks actually led WPIAL champion and undefeated Riverside 3-0 going into the fifth inning, but Riverside scored three runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth to get the win.
Turning to Jamestown softball, the Muskies potent lineup helped lead them to unprecedented success. The Muskies stunned unbeaten Fort LeBoeuf in the D10 title game, scoring four runs in the seventh inning to rally for a 5-2 win. Clare Jones drew a leadoff walk in the seventh, while Reese Schaller walked with one out, followed by an RBI single from Kiley Matters to tie the game. With the game tied 2-2, Savannah Thurber’s 2-run single gave the Muskies the lead, which was followed by an error that allowed another run to cross the plate.
2023 Jamestown softball.
In their historic PIAA playoff opener, the Muskies got two RBIs each from Savannah Thurber and Kiley Matters in a 6-4 win over Waynesburg Central. Miranda Biles got the complete game win, striking out six.
Biles was superb in a 3-0 quarterfinal win over Chestnut Ridge, tossing another complete game and allowing just four hits while striking out nine. Matters had two doubles and an RBI in the win, while Thurber drove in a pair of runs.
The Muskies ran into a buzzsaw with a 6-0 loss to Juniata in the semifinals, but nevertheless finished their season for the ages with a 21-3 record.
Sharpsville baseball, meanwhile, finished tied for third in the regular season in the ultra-competitive Region 1, but played its best baseball when it mattered the most.
The Blue Devils knocked off Lakeview, 4-1 for the D10 title, with Stephen Tarnoci driving in a pair of runs and also tossing three scoreless innings.
2023 D10 Class 2A baseball champion Sharpsville Blue Devils. Photo by Corey Corbin.
Sharpsville began its PIAA run with a 7-4 win over Serra Catholic, scoring three runs in the first inning en route to the win. Tarnoci and Luke Distler had two hits and an RBI each. Jack Leipheimer tossed four innings, allowing two runs in earning the win.
In the quarterfinals, it was a late innings offensive explosion that lifted the Blue Devils to a 10-3 win over Burgettstown, as they scored five runs in the fifth inning after trailing 3-1 and four more in the sixth. Caullin Summers had three hits and scored three runs, while Leipheimer drove in three runs and Distler had three hits and two RBIs. Leipheimer also fired three scoreless innings of relief to get the win.
The Blue Devils nearly made it to the state title game, dropping a 1-0 heartbreaker in 10 innings to Bald Eagle Area. Tarnoci had three scoreless innings, while Leipheimer gave up just one run in 6 ⅓ frames.
