Lancers fend off Lady Raiders, 11-5
IMPERIAL 鈥� Waynesburg Central has made a habit of coming from behind this this softball season. The Lady Raiders even stormed back from a 10-run deficit to beat Carmichaels, 18-17, with a six-run seventh inning.
They were on the verge of making another comeback in their WPIAL Class AA preliminary-round playoff聽game against Neshannock on Monday.
One great play by Lady Lancers left fielder Taylor Norris turned the momentum back her team鈥檚 way, however, as Neshannock fended off Waynesburg for an 11-5 victory at West Allegheny High School.
The Lady Lancers (10-7) had built an 8-1 lead before Waynesburg (9-12) scored three runs in the sixth and had runners on second and third with one out and Brooke Meek at the plate.
Cassidy Burrelli relieved starting and winning pitcher Carley Aven, and聽Meek then聽smashed a drive to left that Norris made a lunging grab of. Taylor Staley tried to tag up and score, but the relay throw was in time to catcher Margret Russo.
Thus a potential two-run hit that would鈥檝e brought the tying run to the plate with one out was turned into an inning-ending double play.
Not only that, but Staley injured her ankle on the play and had to leave the game.
Breathing a big sigh of relief, Neshannock tacked on a trio of insurance runs in the top of the seventh on Crista Nativio鈥檚聽three-run triple that all but sealed it.
鈥淭he ball didn鈥檛 go our way today,鈥� Lady Raiders coach Jim Armstrong said. 鈥淭hey hit the ball well, but we did, too, just only right at them at the wrong time a couple times.鈥�
Armstrong was also referring to the third inning when Neshannock second baseman Mia Greco snagged a smash off the bat of Tiffany Ross that likely saved two runs.
鈥淲e left too many runners (12) on base and we made a few errors (4) that opened the door for them,鈥� Armstrong said.
Neshannock pounded out 16 hits, including three by Nativio, who had five RBIs. The Lady Lancers also got three hits apiece from Morgan Lash, who had two doubles, Bella Burrelli, who had one double, and Cassidy Burrelli.
Rachel Elsenheimer had two of Waynesburg鈥檚 seven hits, including a double, and two RBIs. Tara Staley, who doubled, and Madison Church, who singled, each reached base three times for the Lady Raiders.
Losing pitcher Emma Ricciuti walked one, hit one batter and struck out five.
Neshannock scored twice in the third and three times in the fifth to take a 5-0 lead.
Meek鈥檚 run-scoring single in the bottom of the fifth got Waynesburg on the board, but Neshannock put up three more runs in the sixth to make it 8-1.
In the bottom of the sixth, Ricciuti singled, Church reached on an error and Elsenheimer hit an RBI double. Taylor Staley walked and, one out later, Ross鈥� two-run single聽made it 8-4.
That just set the stage for Norris鈥� crucial catch, though.
鈥淲e seem to like to fight back late in games to win them, but sometimes it鈥檚 too late,鈥� Armstrong said.
The Lady Raiders battled until the end. Elsenheimer, after crushing a drive over the left field fence that went just foul, hit a two-out RBI single. Taylor Staley re-entered the game on her hobbled ankle, but grounded out to end it聽as Burrelli earned the save.
鈥淭hese girls don鈥檛 quit,鈥� Armstrong said. 鈥淚鈥檓 real proud of them. We鈥檝e got three good seniors (Taylor Staley, Brittniy Herrod and Ross) and we鈥檙e going to miss them, but we have a lot of good players coming back and some good freshmen coming in.
鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to this team having another successful season next year.鈥�