Quite a week for local teams
Headline writing on the sports desk was pretty simple this week, simply needing the combination of win, celebrate and championship.
The Pittsburgh Penguins opened the week by 鈥渨inning鈥� the Stanley Cup 鈥渃hampionship鈥� for the second season in a row.
The afternoon before the Pens鈥� Cup-clinching game the Mount Pleasant softball team advanced to its first state 鈥渃hampionship鈥� with a 7-2 鈥渨in鈥� against defending Class AAA 鈥渃hampion鈥� Yough.
Then a couple hours later the West Greene softball team 鈥渨on鈥� a berth into a second-straight PIAA Class A 鈥渃hampionship鈥� with a 9-5 鈥渨in鈥� over DuBois Central Catholic.
Thursday鈥檚 paper brought the Penguins鈥� citywide (actually, regionwide) 鈥渃elebration鈥� with another fun-loving parade in the 鈥楤urgh and a preview detailing Mount Pleasant鈥檚 first trip to the state 鈥渃hampionship.鈥�
鈥淟ady Vikings win PIAA Class AAAA softball title鈥� greeted readers of Friday鈥檚 sports page.
I crafted that explanatory headline, although I should鈥檝e found a way to include escape artist because the Lady Vikings wiggled out of two bases-loaded, no-outs situations with only one run allowed.
Mount Pleasant starting pitcher Caroline Alincic had only one strikeout in the title game, but it completely turned the fifth inning around.
Jena Simmons sailed an Alincic inside pitch over the left field wall for a grand slam, but in foul territory. Simmons must鈥檝e still been thinking about her wayward blast when she struck out looking.
Alincic then closed the threat with a short fly ball to left and a comebacker to the mound.
Mount Pleasant committed unlikely back-to-back mental errors in the sixth inning to create another bases-loaded situation with no outs.
Alincic wriggled out of another jam with a solid play by third baseman Chloe Poulich, a sliding grab of a sinking line drive by Ava Gnibus that brought home the only run, and a heart-stopping routine pop fly to shortstop Christiana Czegan that was lost in the sun but found in time to close out the threat.
Lauren Shaheen not only coached the Lady Vikings to their first state title, but did so in front of her high school coach, Hempfield鈥檚 Bob Kalp. The Lady Spartans then went out and defeated Hazleton Area, 5-3, for the Class AAAAAA championship.
(On a personal aside, what a miserable trip home. Two waves of rain between Nittany Lion Softball Park and New Alexandria. Then, hindsight being what it is, I should鈥檝e opted to come home via Route 119 because when I made it to Toll 66, a rain fell like, wow. Fortunately, few others were on the road and I managed to slosh my way home, unscathed.)
The department now caps the week with two champions on Friday, the West Greene softball team after a stirring come-from-behind 9-8 鈥渨in鈥� over Williams Valley in the PIAA Class A 鈥渃hampionship鈥� and Connellsville鈥檚 Madison Wiltrout鈥檚 鈥渢itle鈥� in the girls javelin at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals.
Yep, quite a week for wins, celebrations and championships.