Lady Pioneers one win away from WPIAL title
Before the 2016 high school softball season got underway in late March, there was a lot of hype and raised expectations for West Greene.
So far the Lady Pioneers have surpass that preseason praise and are now just one win away from claiming the WPIAL Class A Championship.
West Greene faces Section 1-A rival Chartiers-Houston today at California University of Pa.鈥檚 Lilley Field with first pitch around 4 p.m.
The result of the game was too late for Friday鈥檚 edition. But, make sure to catch the complete recap of the game by viewing the website, www.heraldstandard.com/gcm, to view the story and the pictures from the Class A finals.
The Lady Pioneers (22-1) will be looking for their first-ever softball title in program鈥檚 history and the first team championship by West Greene since the wrestling team won a title in 1994.
The squad from Rogersville has already made history this season, winning its first section title since 1983 and posting a school record 22 wins.
鈥淭his has been a fun season for us,鈥� West Greene coach Billy Simms said. 鈥淚 told the girls they need to enjoy every game and every moment. This is a special group and I knew we were capable of playing at this level. All of those hard practices or extra sessions in the off-season have helped.鈥�
Top-seeded West Greene is currently on a 19-game winning streak and its last loss was to Moore Catholic (N.Y.), 4-3, on April 1 at the Ripken Experience Tournament.
The Lady Pioneers coasted through section play with a 10-0 mark, including two wins over Chartiers-Houston. Both games West Greene invoked the 10-run mercy rule in six innings with an 11-1 triumph on April 5 and a 12-2 victory on April 21.
The Lady Buccaneers bring a lot of championship experience and history into today鈥檚 contest, winning eight titles (1987-88, 1999, 2005-07, 2011-12), as well as earning a spot in the championship contest in five of the last seven years.
鈥淭hey have won a lot of titles and I expect that same team to show up for the finals,鈥� Simms said. 鈥淲e definitely can鈥檛 overlook them and we respect them a lot. Tricia (Alderson) has done a great job as a coach and it seems like they have gotten better as the season has went along.鈥�
In 2015, C-H fell to Jefferson-Morgan in the finals 3-2.
After beating Leechburg 9-4 in the first round, the Lady Bucs upset Shenango, 9-1, in the quarterfinals and then got by Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, 3-1, in the semifinals.
West Greene has been dominant in the postseason, outscoring its three playoff opponent by a 33-2 margin. Including the playoffs, the Lady Pioneers has racked up 258 runs.
McKenna Lampe has been the table-setter for West Greene out of the leadoff spot with a .629 batting average to go along with 49 runs scored and 30 stolen bases.
McKenna鈥檚 sister Madison is in the two-hole in the lineup, and has produced some quality numbers for the Lady Pioneers with a .472 batting average, 39 RBI and 16 extra-base hits.
Cousins Madison Renner and Bailey Bennington have provided the power for the West Greene鈥檚 offense. Renner has a .566 batting average with a team-high 58 RBIs, while Bennington has registered a .578 batting average and a team-high 22 extra-base hits.
As a team, West Greene has clubbed a school-record 26 home runs in 2016. Renner and Bennington lead the team in the long ball department with seven each.
Kaitlyn Rizor has also had a strong season at the plate, with 33 hits, a .440 batting average, 16 extra-base hits and 25 RBI.
On the pitching side of things, Renner anchors the Lady Pioneers鈥� defense from the circle with a 15-1 overall record and a flawless 3-0 mark in the postseason.
The sophomore righty has thrown 101.2 innings and allowed 31 runs (24 earned) for a 1.65 ERA with 99 strikeouts and 24 walks. In the three playoff contests, Renner has only allowed two unearned runs in 14 innings with 16 strikeouts and five walks.
Win or lose, West Greene will start the first round of the PIAA playoffs on Monday, June 6. The Lady Pioneers will play the runner-up from District 9 with a victory or face the District 6 champion with a loss.
鈥淭his has been an enjoyable ride and it鈥檚 nice to reap the benefits of all the hard work the girls and the coaching staff has put in,鈥� Simms said. 鈥淥ur community has been great this whole time and I just want to thank our fans for making the trips to see us. To see all of that blue and gold in the stands is very special for us.鈥�