Patrick Monteverde is movin’ on up.

The 2016 Fox Chapel graduate continued his rise through the Miami Marlins farm system when he was promoted from the Class A Beloit (Wisc.) SkyCarp to the Double-A Pensacola (Fla.) Blue Wahoos.

Monteverde is now two steps away from the Major Leagues in only his second year of pro ball.

Pensacola is a member of the Southern League under the new Major League Baseball setup for the Minor League affiliates.

It hasn’t taken Monteverde long to justify the Marlins advancing him. He pitched six innings Aug. 26, yielding just two hits, one earned run and he struck out six.

During his next start Sept. 1, he gave up two runs in seven innings of work.

The left-hander has 111 strikeouts in 99 2/3 innings combined with Beloit and Pensacola. He will turn 25 on Sept. 25. There is a chance Monteverde will get two more starts in the regular season.

It appears Monteverde will get a taste of postseason play as the Blue Wahoos are poised to make the Southern League playoffs starting Sept. 20 against the Montgomery (Ala.) Biscuits.

Pensacola is managed by Kevin Randle. Monteverde’s pitching coach is Dave Eiland, who has two World Series rings. He was a coach with the Yankees in 2009 and the Royals in 2015.

An interesting note on Eiland: He was the body double for Kevin Costner in the 1999 movie “For the Love of the Game.”

Shady Side Academy boys soccer

It’s pretty certain the Shady Side Academy boys soccer team and its fans have Sept. 29 circled on their calendars.

That’s the night the Bulldogs travel to Deer Lakes and try to avenge a 1-0 loss in double overtime at Michael J. Farrell Stadium.

Nate Litrun scored a goal of a corner kick with seven seconds left in the second overtime session.

At the time, Shady Side was No. 2 in the Trib HSSN Class 2A rankings; Deer Lakes was fifth.

Something always seems to be on the line when the two schools meet. They have split the regular season series each of the past three years.

In 2020, Deer Lakes defeated Shady Side for the WPIAL title, 2-1.

In 2018, Shady Side won in the WPIAL semifinal round, 1-0, but lost to the Lancers in the PIAA semis, 20-1.

Fox Chapel girls golf

The two-time defending WPIAL Class 3A champion Fox Chapel girls golf team lost four key golfers from last season to graduation.

But the cupboard is rarely bare for the program, as a new set of stars is emerging.

Sophomore Baustin Bitar, a member of last year’s team who made the Class 3A individual finals, is back at it again, shooting a 48 to medal, though the team lost to Butler, 196-200. Freshman Laila Golla also shot a 48.

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