Defense wins championships
It’s the most clich茅 sports clich茅 that you can say and talk about, but yet it’s painfully true.
Yes … brace yourself … here it comes. I’m going to type it and you are going to read it.
Defense Wins Championships!!
I know, I know, before you roll your eyes or slam your head against the table, hear me out.
Doesn’t matter the sport, football to basketball to even softball/baseball, defense wins championships and gets your team further along in the playoffs.
West Greene softball advanced to its second straight PIAA Class A title game at Penn State after a 9-5 win over Dubois Central Catholic on Monday.
I know a lot of attention goes to the their gaudy numbers on offense or the superb pitching of freshmen lefty Jade Renner, but the defense has been the driving force for the Lady Pioneers’ success these last two seasons.
Before their semifinal showdown with Dubois Central Catholic, West Greene has amassed 50 wins over the past two springs on the softball diamond.
In their quarterfinal contest against Claysburg-Kimmel last week, the Lady Pioneers won 3-1 and delivered a goose egg in the error column in the postseason triumph.
The infielders for West Greene (junior shortstop Madison Renner, sophomore third basemen Madison Lampe and sophomore second basemen Kaitlyn Rizor) are athletic and mobile with strong, accurate arms.
Junior first basemen Lexie Mooney fields her position really well and is excellent at stretching out for catches at first.
Senior catcher Shelby Morris, the Lady Pioneers’ lone four-year starter, is a stable force behind the plate and is very in-tune with her pitching staff and coaches.
Speed is the key component for the outfield for West Greene, headlined by sophomore center fielder McKenna Lampe.
If the ball is hit anywhere towards her, she is probably going to catch it.
Because she has so much speed and is a very instinctive fielder, it allows the other two outfielders to play up and closer to the foul lines.
Junior left fielder Linzee Stover is deceptively athletic and can chase down balls, while sophomore right fielder Mackenzie Carpenter is solid at her position and at times has the knack for throwing out batters at first base when a ball is hit hard enough to her in right.
Being strong defensively and advancing further in the playoffs goes hand-in-hand, it seems. Just take a look at the playoff exits of three Greene County teams this spring.
The Waynesburg Central and Jefferson-Morgan baseball clubs had phenomenal regular seasons, but poor defensive efforts did them in during the postseason.
The Raiders committed three critical errors in the first inning of their Class 3-A first round game against South Side Beaver that led to three early runs in a 4-1 loss.
The Rockets saw their season come to a close in the Class A consolation game against Union, when Jefferson-Morgan committed five errors and gave up a six-run third inning in a 12-0 setback.
The Carmichaels softball squad had a stellar defense the whole season, but when it needed it the most in the PIAA playoffs last week, the Lady Mikes struggled in the field and was tagged with nine errors in an 18-3 defeat to DuBois Central Catholic.
So what I am trying to clearly state is, when it comes to the playoffs and when you face better teams with better hitters, it puts more stress on your defense to make the plays in the field.
Perhaps your ace pitcher isn’t going to strike out 10 batters. He or she might allow more hits and stronger contact on the ball that forces your defense to make the routine or tougher defensive plays.
As Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux once famously said, “Chicks (and most people) dig the long ball (and a lot more offensive numbers).”
But at the end of the day (and trust me I know it’s clich茅 to say), defense allows you a better chance to win games and to yes … win championships.