West Greene holds off Clarion to keep 3-peat alive
West Greene鈥檚 Jade Renner delivers a pitch during Friday afternoon鈥檚 PIAA Class A quarterfinal game against Clarion at Slippery Rock University. (Photo by Luke Campbell)
West Greene鈥檚 Katie Lampe looks up to the umpire for a call after trying to score on a wild pitch in a PIAA Class A quarterfinal game against Clarion Friday at Slippery Rock University. (Photo by Luke Campbell)
Luke Campbell
West Greene shortstop Kaitlyn Rizor throws to first base for an out in Friday鈥檚 PIAA Class A quarterfinal game at Slippery Rock University.
SLIPPERY ROCK 鈥� Jade Renner jokes that the nervousness she plays with is passed down by her mother.
But the West Greene High School softball pitcher and cleanup hitter doesn鈥檛 know where her gene for being clutch was derived.
鈥淚 really have no clue,鈥� Renner said. 鈥淢y mom played and wasn鈥檛 that good. My dad played and all he did was pick daisies in the field. My sister (Madison) and I always ask that question and we don鈥檛 know.鈥�
One time after another last Friday afternoon, Renner turned all the nerves of the Lady Pioneers鈥� faithful into sighs of relief.
After breaking the game open in the fifth inning with a three-run double, Renner fielded a hard-hit grounder for the final out to end a nerve-racking seventh-inning rally as West Greene held on for a 5-4 win over Clarion in a PIAA Class A quarterfinal game at Slippery Rock University.
Clarion (18-5), the District 9 runner-up, scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning but left the game-tying run at first base.
鈥淚 told the team huddle, 鈥�(Clarion) has to do something extremely phenomenal. Well, they did. We didn鈥檛 expect any quit. But it鈥檚 about girls鈥� moms and dads taking them all over the country and having them in games like that. We made sure to get easy out.鈥�
Renner鈥檚 flip on to first base for the final out sent the Lady Pioneers to the semifinals against DuBois Central Catholic Tuesday back at Slippery Rock. A win would have West Greene (21-4) playing in its fourth consecutive state title game this Friday at Penn State.
All of the scoring by the Lady Pioneers came much later than normal.
Entering the fifth inning scoreless, West Greene loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a single by Madison Lampe. Kaitlyn Rizor then hit a hard grounder to third base that was bobbled, scoring Kylie Meek with the game鈥檚 first run. Renner ripped her double into the gap to score the Lampe twins, McKenna and Madison, and Rizor for a 4-0 lead.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 look like I鈥檓 nervous. I look calm but don鈥檛 let me kid you,鈥� Renner said. 鈥淕oing into the fifth inning without a score made me nervous. We were struggling, and I was thinking, 鈥極h, this doesn鈥檛 look good.'鈥�
Katie Lampe, who was a courtesy runner for Renner after the double, stole third base, then beat a tag while colliding with Clarion catcher Jordan Best on a wild pitch for the final run of the five-run fifth inning.
鈥淲est Greene took advantage of our mistakes,鈥� Clarion coach Dan Shofestall said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what good teams do. That one bad inning really hurt.鈥�
West Greene right fielder Mackenzie Carpenter was a big reason the game was scoreless. On a single by Clarion鈥檚 Tori Vega, Carpenter threw out Breanna Campbell trying to score from second base in the fourth inning.
鈥淲hen the ball was hit, I saw her rounding third and knew I had to gun it to the plate,鈥� Carpenter said. 鈥淭hat would have changed the whole momentum of the game. I know I have to make those plays. I was worried but as I let go of the ball I knew it was going to be good.鈥�
An inning later, after the Lady Pioneers scored their five runs, Carpenter started a relay to second baseman Brianna Amos to throw out a runner at third base.
鈥淪he has been our Player of the Game a couple of times this year,鈥� Simms said of Carpenter. 鈥淪he might not light the scoreboard up and put up fantasy-league stats, but what a player. I like to pride ourselves on believing that defense wins games. Our defense was incredible today.鈥�
Clarion standout pitcher Kaitlyn Constantino was the other reason the game remained scoreless so long. Constantino held the Lady Pioneers without a run for longer than any other pitcher in their 27 postseason games over the four years.
Constantino had six strikeouts and limited West Greene to six hits.
Renner was equally as dominant but in a different fashion. She gave up 11 hits and didn鈥檛 walk or strike out a batter all game.
鈥淕ive her credit, she pitches to contact,鈥� Shofestall said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where she is so effective. That鈥檚 what makes her good. They have the defense behind her to do that.鈥�