Lady Pioneers open PIAA playoffs with 12-2
West Greene's Linzee Stover connects with the ball in the second inning for a single? in Monday's PIAA Class A first-round playoff game against Glendale at Peterswood Park.
Edward K.Thompson
West Greene鈥檚 Mackenzie Carpenter makes contact for a hit in the second inning of Monday鈥檚 PIAA Class A first-round playoff game against Glendale at Peterswood Park. The Lady Pioneers advanced to the quarterfinals with a 12-2 win.
West Greene鈥檚 Jade Renner fires a pitch in the first inning of last year鈥檚 PIAA Class A first-round playoff game against Glendale at Peterswood Park. (Photo by Edward K. Thompson)
VENETIA 鈥� For the third straight season, the West Greene softball squad reached the 20-win mark and advanced to the PIAA Class A quarterfinals after a dominating, six-inning, 12-2 rout of Glendale Monday afternoon in the opening round of the state playoffs at Peterswood Park.
鈥淚 thought our lineup was really good today,鈥� West Greene coach Billy Simms said. 鈥淲e stung the ball a lot and really made their pitcher work. Once again the bottom of our order was active and got on base for us. We just had a good rhythm at the plate today.鈥�
The Lady Pioneers (20-4) played District 5 runner-up McConnellsburg, a 14-6 winner over District 9 runner-up Coudersport, on Thursday in the quarterfinals.
West Greene is 18-2 in the playoffs and 8-1 in the PIAA postseason since 2005.
The Lady Pioneers pounded out 16 hits and that was more than enough for sophomore lefty Jade Renner. In six innings of action on the mound, Renner threw 81 pitches and allowed two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and no walks.
Jade Renner was also a force at the plate, going 4-for-4. Older sister Madison also provided a potent bat to the lineup, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and three RBI.
鈥淲e had to just keep it simple,鈥� Madison Renner said. 鈥淚 thought our bottom of the lineup really produced and rolled the lineup over. We hit in bunches today. You always have to make adjustments and refocus for the state playoffs.鈥�
West Greene also got a boost from the bottom of their lineup, in particular No. 8 hitter Mackenzie Carpenter, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI and a run scored.
The Lady Vikings (15-7) took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning after a RBI single by Alaney Vereshack.
Glendale could have increased its lead, but West Greene limited the damage and escaped the inning with a caught stealing at home and a ground out back to the pitcher.
Madison Renner ripped a RBI double down the first base line to knot things up at 1-1, but West Greene couldn鈥檛 tack on any more runs in the inning after a pair of runners were caught in a rundown at third base.
鈥淭he game started out very sloppy, on both sides,鈥� Simms said. 鈥淲e made a mistake or two on the bases, and missed some signs. We couldn鈥檛 get that big first inning, but our offense stayed with it and we kept our adding to our lead. Their catcher has a great arm and that kind of slowed down our run game.鈥�
The Lady Pioneers made it 3-1 in the bottom of the second after a RBI fielder鈥檚 choice by Carpenter and a RBI single by McKenna Lampe.
After Madison Renner scored on an errant pickoff throw to third base, West Greene extended its lead to 6-1 in the third inning after a two-run single by Carpenter.
鈥淲e have a really strong offense,鈥� Carpenter said. 鈥淢y approach every at-bat is to just get on base and roll the lineup over. Their pitcher was very good, so we just had to jump on her early. We were focused today and just kept on swinging at good pitches.鈥�
Back-to-back RBI doubles by Madison and Jade Renner made it 8-1 in the fourth, and Carpenter picked up her fourth RBI of the day after a bases-loaded walk.
After both teams were held scoreless in the fifth, Glendale trimmed the deficit to 9-2 after a RBI single by Vereshak scored Makenzie Lukehart in the top of the sixth inning.
West Greene invoked the 10-run mercy rule in the bottom of the sixth with three runs on three hits. Madison Lampe got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, followed by a bases-loaded walk to Madison Renner.
A hard-hit, run-producing single passed the second basemen by Jade Renner plated the game-winning run.
鈥淲e knew we could hit,鈥� Madison Renner said. 鈥淪o being down 1-0 early wasn鈥檛 going to rattle us. We had some base-running mistakes, but we just overcame that and kept on tagging the ball. We were looking for the fastball and just driving the ball.鈥�
Alexis Mulhollen only pitched 3.1 innings and was tagged with the loss for the Lady Vikings.
鈥淚t鈥檚 tough every year to come back for the state playoffs after winning a WPIAL title,鈥� Simms said.
鈥淵ou have the euphoria of winning a title, and then a couple of days later you are back at square one. If you lose, you have to pack it up. These girls have played a lot of games over the last three years. They know what it takes to win in the playoffs.鈥�