Lampe breaks out of ‘slump’ in Lady Pioneers’ 5-1 win over Lady Mikes
West Greene蘑菇视频 Madison Lampe slides safely into second base as Carmichaels鈥� Emma Holaren awaits the late throw in their non-section game at Rice Energy Park on April 5. The WPIAL softball playoff pairings were released last week and the Lady Pioneers were the top seed in Class A. The Lady Mikes were slotted at No. 11, according to the brackets, in Class AA. (Photo by Ed Thompson)
West Greene蘑菇视频 Jade Renner is about to deliver a pitch during Friday蘑菇视频 non-section game against Carmichaels. Renner allowed a solo home run to the Lady Mikes鈥� Kylie Sinn, but settled down and held the visitors off the scoreboard the rest of the way in the Lady Pioneers鈥� 5-1 victory at Rice Energy Park. (Photo by Ed Thompson)
Carmichaels鈥� Emma Holaren dives to make a stop and limits West Greene from scoring during Friday蘑菇视频 non-section game at Rice Energy Park. (Photo by Ed Thompson)
ROGERSVILLE 鈥� Madison Lampe was in a self-admitted slump.
Despite coming off three consecutive multi-hit games, the West Greene High School softball third baseman was still unhappy.
Lampe turned that frown upside down last Friday afternoon.
Her final hit to complete a 4-for-4 day banged against the section championship banner hanging on the fence in left field for a double, a little reminder of recent dominance to former section rival Carmichaels. Lampe and her sister, McKenna, scored all five runs as West Greene downed the Lady Mikes, 5-1, in a non-section game at Rice Energy Park.
鈥淭here are a lot of people that would like to slump like she is,鈥� West Greene coach Bill Simms said, diffusing the severity of her so-called struggles.
The four-hit day for Madison Lampe was part of six hits for the twins. McKenna Lampe had two hits in her three at-bats. She also walked.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 been hitting good,鈥� Madison Lampe said. 鈥淚鈥檝e just been getting back to fundamentals and trying to get my stuff together. Today was one of my better days, so I鈥檓 pretty happy about that.鈥�
The twins turned around a short-lived deficit West Greene (5-3) faced after Kylie Sinn hit a leadoff home run for the Lady Mikes.
McKenna Lampe raced around the bases after a leadoff singled to tie the game and Madison, who hit a line-drive single to center field, scored on an RBI base hit by Jade Renner to give the Lady Pioneers a lead they wouldn鈥檛 relinquish for the remaining five innings.
That was the only start of what the twins were able to do against Carmichaels (4-2). They both scored again in the second inning to take a 4-1 lead when Kaitlyn Rizor singled to right field.
West Greene scored its final run when Madison hit an RBI double that rocketed past the shortstop and rolled to the left-center field fence, scoring McKenna from first base.
In five career games against Carmichaels, all wins for the Lady Pioneers, the Lampe sisters have combined for 19 hits, 19 runs and 12 RBIs.
鈥淚t蘑菇视频 so difficult,鈥� said Carmichaels coach Dave Briggs of stopping the two atop the Lady Pioneers鈥� lineup.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 pitch around them. They can hit for power, bunt and run. They are just so difficult to deal with. If you want any chance of beating them, you have to get them out somehow. We didn鈥檛 get them out.鈥�
Carmichaels had several opportunities to trim its deficit but failed to capitalize on leadoff doubles to start the third and fourth innings. The Lady Mikes stranded two runners after Sinn蘑菇视频 homer and went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
鈥淲e just couldn鈥檛 put it together,鈥� Briggs said. 鈥淭he last two games we鈥檝e struggled at the plate, but we played with some energy today. We competed. There were a couple of things here or there that if they would have went a different way, it could have made it a little different.鈥�
Renner recovered nicely in the circle after giving up the home run to Sinn and having the Lady Pioneers made two uncharacteristic errors in the first inning. She surrendered only five hits through seven innings and struck out six.
Carmichaels made solid contact against Renner, but the Lady Pioneers鈥� new-look infield 鈥� Rizor made her first start of the season at shortstop and Katie Lampe played second base 鈥� stiffened with 13 putouts.
Since returning to Pennsylvania after losing three one-run games in its spring trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, West Greene has won four straight and outscored its opponents, 53-5.
鈥淚t蘑菇视频 just about talking one another up,鈥� Madison Lampe said. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 let one another get down. We have to move on from things. We have to pick each other up.鈥�