Lady Pioneers avenge 2017 loss to Waynesburg
WAYNESBURG — The West Greene softball squad avenged its only loss from last year’s PIAA championship season with a 15-3 victory over Waynesburg Central Monday afternoon in non-section action.
“We were definitely motivated today and we all knew how much of a rivalry it was,” winning pitcher Jade Renner said. “But at the end of the day, we just treated it like a regular season game and went about our business. Waynesburg is a very good team and we really wanted this win.”
Waynesburg rallied with four runs in the top of the seventh inning last spring to upend West Greene, 7-6. West Greene ended the season on a 14-game winning streak, capped off by a state final victory at Penn State University.
“Everyone wanted to jump off a bridge a couple of days ago when we lost to Monessen (2-1),” West Greene coach Billy Simms said. “We only scored one run against a very good pitcher. It was just one of those games. We strung a couple of good innings together and we have been squaring the ball up. We came out with a lot of passion and pride today.”
McKenna Lampe tripled to lead off the first inning for the Lady Pioneers (11-3), followed by a RBI single by Madison Lampe.
Madison Renner, who went 1 for 1 and was intentionally walked twice, continued the hot start with an RBI single and then Kaitlyn Rizor later scored in the inning on an outfield throwing error to make it 3-0.
The Lady Raiders (6-6) responded in the bottom half of the inning with a RBI single by Sydney Hare that scored Rachel Elsenheimer.
West Greene gained more separation in the top of the second with five runs that chased Waynesburg starting pitcher Jordan Sibert.
Madison Renner drew a bases-loaded walk and Jade Renner blasted a grand slam, her second career home run, to extend the lead to 8-1.
“I was hoping it had a chance to get out here,” Jade Renner said. “It felt good when it hit the bat and I was able to glide my swing through it. At first, I thought I got too much underneath it and it was going foul, but it sneaked over the fence.”
A two-run single by Rizor, who had three hits, increased the Lady Pioneers’ lead to 10-1 in the third.
“They are just a hard team to come back on,” Waynesburg coach Jim Armstrong said. “We had to stay within striking distance against them, and we just couldn’t keep up. They caught a couple of our line drives and we couldn’t get that one big inning against them.”
Hare belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to trim the deficit to 10-3.
West Greene tacked on five more runs in the fifth on four hits.
With the bases loaded and after Waynesburg caught a foul ball for an out down the first base line, McKenna Lampe tagged up from third and initiated a rundown. The junior center fielder used her speed to escape and slide into home safely for a run.
“It was kind of just an instinctive play,” McKenna Lampe said. “Whenever she caught it, she looked at my direction and I was able to draw the throw over to third. I have a lot of confidence in my speed and I really don’t get too nervous in rundowns.”
Later in the frame, Lexie Mooney had an RBI ground out, followed by a two-run double by Linzee Stover and a run-producing double by Mackenzie Carpenter.
Jade Renner picked up the win, going five innings and allowing three runs on three hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
“There’s a lot of good players in both dugouts,” Simms said. “This is a rivalry because everyone knows everyone. I coached some of the Waynesburg kids during the summer, and vice versa with their coaches and our players. I think we had the revenge factor going for us and it was a good win for us. To play Waynesburg is always nice for us.”
The Lampe sisters were the catalysts for the Lady Pioneers at the top of the lineup. The juniors combined to go 7-for-8 and scored seven runs.
“As a lead-off hitter, I want to set the tone for the offense,” McKenna Lampe said. “When I get on, I think it gets our team excited and we just start to hit in bunches. This group is really focused and we just have to play with confidence on the field.”
“West Greene is a quality team with a tough lineup to pitch against,” Armstrong said. “There are no holes in their lineup. This is a fun game between the two schools and I think we are going to take a lot out of this game. West Greene is talented and I think they have a good chance to repeat as state champs.”