Westmoreland campus clippings: Hempfield grads earn 1st-team honors for Seton Hill

Coming back to Seton Hill for a fifth season has brought Jenna Osikowicz riches: an NCAA Division II Atlantic Region title, a second straight PSAC West title and now, a second consecutive PSAC West Athlete of the Year award.

An outfielder from Hempfield, Osikowicz also made the all-conference first team. She leads the team with a .456 batting average, 67 hits, 43 runs, 20 steals and nine triples. Her statistics also include nine doubles, three home runs and 29 RBIs. Joining Osikowicz on the first team is grad pitcher Morgan Ryan (Hempfield), who took a 15-2 record into the NCAA postseason, with a 1.03 ERA and 129 strikeouts and 24 walks.

Ryan, a Notre Dame graduate who transferred home for her final season, surrendered just 23 runs in 110.1 innings.

Five Griffins made the All-PSAC West Second Team: senior first baseman Morgan Toal, freshman second baseman Brooklyn Fukushima, grad outfielder Nichole McClendon, and freshman designated player Brooke Cleland (Penn-Trafford).

The honors did not stop three for Osikowicz and Ryan.

Both were named to the Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-Atlantic Regional First Team, while Ryan was tabbed the Atlantic Region Pitcher of the Year.

Seton Hill (39-10), the Atlantic Region champion who moves on to the Super Regional, blanked Claflin, 3-0, in the first game of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional as Ryan (16-2) struck out seven across five innings to earn the win, and sophomore Mackenizie Zang drove in two runs.

A 3-2 victory over Shippensburg followed, as Fukushima ripped a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th. Osikowicz had three hits and scored the winning run, while Ryan had two hits.

The region-clinching win came against Claflin in no-doubt fashion as the Griffins won, 11-0, scoring seven times in the seventh. Freshman pitcher Chloe Elliott earned her 13th win, while grad student Nichole McClendon, Osikowicz, Toal, and freshman Grace Paredes all had two hits, and Ryan had three RBIs.

Softball

Bloomsburg: Freshman pitcher Callie Sowers (Hempfield) was named to the All-PSAC East First Team and the All-Atlantic Region Second Team. The right-hander led the PSAC with 177 strikeouts and had 18 wins, second most in the conference.

Gannon: Junior shortstop Madison Forsythe (Penn-Trafford) was named to the All-PAC Second Team.

Mercyhurst: Sophomore pitcher Morgan Hilty (Penn-Trafford) was named to the All-PSAC West First Team. She helped lead the Lakers to a berth into the NCAA Division II Tournament, where they finished 0-2 to end the season with a 32-16 record.

Penn State: Senior pitcher Bailey Parshall (Belle Vernon) has dominated in the circle this season for the Nittany Lions, putting together a career season. Her efforts earned her All-Big Ten Conference First Team accolades. She earned her program-record-tying 22nd win of the season as Penn State defeated Indiana, 2-1, in the first round of the conference tournament. Parshall also reached 600 career strikeouts, just the third player in school history to do that. She struck out seven and allowed six hits over eight innings as PSU advanced.

Pitt-Greensburg: Freshman pitcher Melanie Mienke, junior first baseman Ashley Noel (Latrobe) and senior pitcher Krista Bayus were named to the All-AMCC Third Team.

Pitt-Johnstown: Redshirt senior shortstop Olivia Porter (Southmoreland) was named to the All-PSAC West First Team. A four-year starter, Porter led the Mountain Cats in at-bats (138), hits (45) and runs scored (24), while hitting .326.

Robert Morris: Senior Dana Vatakis (Monessen) pitched a complete game, her fourth of the season, and gave up three hits while striking out six in a 7-1 win over Green Bay in the Horizon League Tournament. The Colonials reached the championship game but lost to Oakland, 5-4, to finish the season with a 31-21 record.

Saint Vincent: After a 24-win season and a deep run in the PAC Tournament, several Bearcats players received postseason recognition. Senior first baseman Abbey Ginter and sophomore designated player Jessica LaPorte were chosen for the first team in the conference, while freshman pitcher Olivia Bushore, sophomore outfielder Alex Dillner (Norwin) and sophomore shortstop Olivia Persin (Hempfield) made the second team. Ginter hit .375 with a conference-best 10 home runs, 50 RBIs and a .769 slugging percentage. LaPorte hit .432 with five homers, eight doubles and 29 RBIs.

More postseason honors followed Ginter and Dillner. Ginter was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region Second Team, while Dillner was a third-team pick.

Baseball

Bucknell: Sophomore shortstop Anthony Sherwin (Penn-Trafford) had a hit, a walk and an RBI to help the Bison (21-23) defeat Lehigh, 7-4, and reach the Patriot League championship. Sherwin was hitting .275 with nine doubles, a team-best 44 runs and 18 RBIs through 44 games.

Gannon: Redshirt senior pitcher Deven Judy (Belle Vernon) was named to the All-PSAC West Second Team. Judy posted a 6-1 record with a 3.76 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 55 innings. He broke numerous career records along the way.

Penn State: Redshirt junior Josh Spiegel (Penn-Trafford) went 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs in a 10-4 victory over Michigan State. Through 45 games, Spiegel was slashing .309/.928/.545 with seven homers, 25 runs and 35 RBIs, which ranked second on the team.

Saint Vincent: The Bearcats’ season ended with an 8-2 loss to Westminster in the PAC Tournament. The team’s 24 wins are the third-most in a season in program history. Junior center fielder Jason Sabol (Penn-Trafford) was named to the all-tournament team.

Seton Hill: Senior relief pitcher Nash Bryan, who led the conference with 11 saves, was named the to All-PSAC West First Team. Junior third baseman Jack Oberdorf (Greensburg Salem), who hit 10 home runs and drove in 38, and grad student outfielder Neal McDermott (Greensburg Central Catholic) made the second team. McDermott had 21 RBIs and 14 steals. Seton Hill (31-17-1) earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Atlantic Region playoffs. The Griffins will open against Slippery Rock (33-16) on Thursday at West Chester.

Washington & Jefferson: Junior Tyler Horvat (Penn-Trafford) served up a walk-off single down the right-field line as the Presidents clipped Westminster, 10-9, in 11 innings in the opening round of the PAC Tournament. He finished with three hits and three RBIs in the victory. For good measure, he also pitched seven innings and allowed two earned runs on the way to a no-decision. The Presidents kept winning in the tournament with a 5-4 victory over Grove City as Horvat produced two hits. W&J went on to win the conference title, and Horvat was named to the all-tournament team.

Youngstown State: Senior pitcher Chad Coles (Norwin) pitched 6.1 strong innings to earn his fourth win of the season as the Penguins downed Northern Kentucky, 5-3. Coles allowed eight hits, struck out six and walked two.