Never satisfied: Lady Pioneers pitcher Jade Renner not resting on her laurels
If you were coming off back-to-back seasons where you won both the WPIAL and PIAA titles, why would you change anything?
If you were coming off your first two varsity seasons where you had compiled 37 career wins and 193 strikeouts to just 20 walks and you were a perfect 14-0 in the playoffs, why would you change anything?
Well, most softball pitchers aren鈥檛 like West Greene蘑菇视频 junior ace Jade Renner.
Two weeks before the season, Jade felt the need to alter some things with her delivery and overall motions on her pitches.
鈥淚 just felt like I needed to change some things,鈥� Renner said. 鈥淣ow half of my pitches and the way I deliver them are changed. I鈥檓 getting a little bit more spin on my pitches and it seemed to be working. I always feel like if you want to be good you can鈥檛 just rest of what you have done in previous years.鈥�
Renner stressed one key area in those weeks prior to the 2019 campaign.
鈥淚t was all about my form,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 wanted to start more down and more back when I started my throw. In the past, I didn鈥檛 use my legs, my lower half. Now I鈥檓 really focusing on using that for extra power and extra spin on my pitches.鈥�
Renner蘑菇视频 statistics from the circle in her first two years were like video-game numbers. Her record was 37-5 with a 2.07 ERA over 240.1 innings and the opposition was batting just .226. In two years, she has never lost in the postseason.
鈥淛ade is just a versatile pitcher,鈥� coach Billy Simms said. 鈥淪he can throw some off-speed stuff and pitch to contact. Or she could just fire the ball in there and pile up some strikeouts. Jade is a smart kid and I think she has a good relationship with her catcher. They are on the same page. We always want to put out a solid defense behind her, so she knows she can rely on their gloves in any given game.鈥�
After the Lady Pioneers started the season at 1-3, Renner knew the team dynamic was a little bit different after the graduation of three starters: Lexie Mooney, Linzee Stover and sister Madison Renner.
鈥淲e lost those three seniors from last year and those three were our vocal leaders,鈥� Jade said. 鈥淲hen we had those early-season games down south (in Myrtle Beach) they were definitely different without those seniors. Those games woke us up and we all just grew up as leaders. Every game and every person on that bench needs to lead and needs to be able to pick each other up.鈥�
Since coming up from Myrtle Beach, West Greene has won six straight heading into a section contest against California on Wednesday. In those six games, the Lady Pioneers have held a 75-5 scoring edge.
In a 15-0 win over Monessen, Renner broke the school-record for wins with 40. The record was previously held by 2011 graduate Rachel Burns.
鈥淚t means a lot to get that win,鈥� Renner said. 鈥淚 really didn鈥檛 realize I was that close to the record before the game. There has been a lot of great pitchers at West Greene, and it feels good to be on that list.鈥�
In two section wins last week against Jefferson-Morgan (10-0 in six innings) and Mapletown (12-0 in five innings), Renner compiled 22 strikeouts and just one walk in 11 innings.
For the season and not including her numbers in games this week, she has pitched 54.2 innings and allowed 16 runs (13 earned) for a 1.66 ERA with 59 strikeouts and just six free passes. The opposition is batting .204 against her.
Renner has also put some strong numbers at the plate from her clean-up spot in the lineup this season. At the beginning of the week, the junior lefty had a .375 batting average with 11 RBIs.
鈥淛ade is just a complete player,鈥� Simms said. 鈥淪ometimes her offensive numbers get overlooked because her pitching numbers are so good. She蘑菇视频 a contact hitter and knows how to work the strike zone as a hitter. I think last season, she only had two strikeouts in 83 at-bats. Just a disciplined hitter.鈥�
Whether in the batter蘑菇视频 box or in the circle, Renner has definitely left her mark in not only West Greene softball lure, but in Greene County softball history as well.