Three-peat: Lady Pioneers rally to win third straight WPIAL title
West Greene seniors Madison Renner (center), Linzee Stover and Lexie Mooney are swarmed over by their teammates as they hold up the WPIAL Class A championship trophy last Thursday. The Lady Pioneers scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat Monessen, 5-4, at Seton Hill University.
West Greene's Brianna Goodwin (23) is all smiles as she is greeted by teammate Lexie Mooney after scoring the winning run in the Lady Pioneers' 5-4 victory over Monessen in the WPIAL Class A championship game at Seton Hill University on May 31.
Edward K.Thompson
West Greene蘑菇视频 Kaitlyn Rizor is lifted up by her teammates after Brianna Goodwin (hand raised at left) scored the winning run on her ground ball in the Lady Pioneers鈥� 5-4 win over Monessen in the WPIAL Class A Championship Game at Seton Hill University on May 31. A frustrated Destiny Habeck, who gave the Lady Greyhounds a 4-2 lead with a two-run double in the top of the seventh, walks off the field in the background. West Greene won its third straight WPIAL title.
West Greene's Madison Renner scores in Thursday's WPIAL Class A Championship game against Monessen at Seton Hill University.
West Greene's Jade Renner is about to deliver a pitch during Thursday's WPIAL Class A championship game against Monessen at Seton Hill University.
Monessen's Natalie Holmes gets West Greene's Linzee Stover out at second but can't turn the double play in the Lady Greyhounds' 5-4 setback to the Lady Pioneers on Thursday in the WPIAL Class A Championship Final at Seton Hill University.
GREENSBURG 鈥� Three was the magic number for the West Greene softball team last Thursday afternoon at the Class A championship game at Seton Hill University.
Trailing 4-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Lady Pioneers tallied three runs and claimed their third straight WPIAL title with a thrilling 5-4 victory over Monessen.
鈥淭heir pitcher was unbelievable again today and she always gives them a chance to win,鈥� West Greene coach Billy Simms said. 鈥淥ur girls just found some plays late and we were able to scratch out a couple of runs in the seventh. We are battlers. We never get rattled.鈥�
West Greene becomes the seventh team ever to win three consecutive District 7 championships, and the first since Vincentian Academy (2008-10).
The Lady Pioneers are 17-2 in the postseason since 2015.
鈥淲e are a team, we never quit out there,鈥� senior Lexie Mooney said. 鈥淭hey are a good team with a good pitcher. We battled every at-bat. We had to be disciplined at the plate and get an understanding of the umpire蘑菇视频 zone.鈥�
Winning pitcher Jade Renner launched a two-run double in the bottom of the seventh to knot things up and her courtesy runner, Brianna Goodwin, went to third on a wild pitch and crossed home plate with the winning run when Kaitlyn Rizor蘑菇视频 grounder resulted in an infield error.
鈥淚鈥檝e been in a little bit of a slump, so it feels great to help out the offense today,鈥� Renner said. 鈥淚 got a little bit mad when they intentional walked Madison (Renner), but I just used that as motivation. I waited for my pitch and was able to hit a couple of line drives.鈥�
Jade Renner had a team-high three hits and three RBIs for the Lady Pioneers (19-4), while older sister Madison was intentionally walked twice and scored three runs.
鈥淚t means so much to us to win three straight,鈥� Madison said. 鈥淚 was a little bit upset that I got a couple of intentional walks, but I knew the guys behind me in the lineup could hit.
鈥淛ade had an awesome game at the plate. When I was on base, I just focus on advancing to the next base and being smart on the bases. We all had roles today.鈥�
The Lady Greyhounds (15-4) took an early lead in the top of the first on Hannah Yorty蘑菇视频 two-run double.
鈥淭his was a tough one to lose,鈥� Monessen coach Bo Teets said. 鈥淚t was obviously important to get that early lead and get that early momentum.
鈥淲e just made a couple of mistakes on the bases, and that蘑菇视频 on me. We should have had a bigger lead going into the bottom of the seventh. They are a good lineup and no lead is safe with them.鈥�
After both teams were held scoreless over the next two innings, West Greene trimmed the deficit to 2-1 when Madison Renner scored on Rizor蘑菇视频 bloop single.
鈥淥ur dugout was up the whole game,鈥� Rizor said. 鈥淲e were down in last year蘑菇视频 state final (down by seven runs, won 9-8) and I think that helped us out today.
鈥淭heir pitcher is very good, and you just have to wait for your pitch. You got to put the ball in play and avoid the strikeout. I can鈥檛 really describe what it means winning three in a row.鈥�
The Lady Pioneers deadlocked things at 2-2 in the fifth after an RBI single by Jade Renner.
Both squads were held off the scoreboard in the sixth before Monessen蘑菇视频 Destiny Habeck cracked a two-out, two-run double that gave the Lady Greyhounds a 4-2 lead.
Jade Renner picked up the win in the circle for West Greene, going seven innings and allowing four runs (two earned) on nine hits with three strikeouts and two walks on 88 pitches.
Monessen蘑菇视频 Dana Vatakis took the loss, going 6.1 innings and giving up five runs (four earned) on eight hits with six strikeouts and four walks on 100 pitches.
鈥淚t was a game of adjustments,鈥� senior Linzee Stover said. 鈥淲e never got down on each other and we were not afraid to be down 4-2 in the seventh. With this offense, we are never out of a game.鈥�
This is the third straight season that West Greene defeated Monessen in the playoffs. Since 2013, the Lady Pioneers are 9-3 against the Lady Greyhounds and have won seven of the last eight meetings.
Both teams were back in action on Monday with victories in the first round of the state playoffs. West Greene defeated District-6 runner-up Glendale at Peterswood Park (see B2), while Monessen nipped District-10 champion Cambridge Springs, 3-2.
鈥淲e were playing pretty good heading into this final,鈥� Simms said. 鈥淥bviously, we respect Monessen. We added some drama at the end, and made things interested late. So many kids stepped up today.
鈥淛ade蘑菇视频 been stinging the ball all year. We were able to comeback because our bottom of the lineup got on base and gave us a chance to get those big innings. Six through nine in our lineup, we can hit too. It was a total team effort in an intense game.鈥�