2014 WPIAL Softball Championship Game Previews

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, May 28, 2014 | 11:07 AM

The scene shifts to California University, the long-time home of the WPIAL Softball Championships on Thursday. Four championships will be decided, three of the four number 1 seeds in the tournament advanced to play for the gold medal.

Here are previews of all the title bouts, all four games can be heard right here on the NETWORK:

Class A Championship Game
Neshannock Lancers (16-2) vs. South Side Rams (15-3)  11:30am on WBVP 1230-AM and the MSA Sports Network.

The Lancers and Rams are no strangers to each other, both playing in Section 4. The Lancers claimed the section title with a 13-1 record, the Rams finished two games back. Neshannock swept the regular season series, winning 14-8 at home on April 8^th and 10-3 at South Side on May 7^th.

Neshannock:  Head Coach/Tracy Kimmel
WPIAL Championship:  2013
Playoff Road:  First round bye, Vincentian Academy 7-0, Burgettstown 11-0.

The Lancers entered the season with a target on their backs as the defending champion and PIAA runner up, after winning the PIAA AA title in 2012. Neshannock suffered two losses in three days to county rivals Shenango and Laurel, since then the Lancers have won six straight games on the field, outscoring the opposition 77-6 and have not allowed a run in the post-season. Neshannock has just two seniors, but has 6 of 9 starters back from last year’s championship team. Junior pitcher Madison Shaffer struggled early in the season but has been almost unhittable down the stretch. She has fanned 15 batters in the playoffs. 

South Side: Head Coach/Theresa Waxler
The Rams have never won the WPIAL softball title.
Playoff Road:   Leechburg 9-1, Carmichaels 10-3, Jefferson-Morgan 5-3.

The Rams are also a young bunch, with just three seniors. All of the South Side losses came in section play, two to Neshannock and one to Shenango. Sophomore Connor McGaffic has a huge future ahead of her, she has belted 27 homers in her career and is being recruited by Pitt. McGaffic hit .659 during the regular season. It’s the first trip to the finals for the Rams, South Side did win the 2012 consolation game and advanced to the state tournament. The Rams enter the championship game on a three game winning streak and have won 12 of the last 13 games.
 

Class AA Championship Game
Beaver Bobcats (15-0) vs. Deer Lakes Lancers (17-0)  2pm on WBVP 1230-AM and the MSA Sports Network.

It’s a battle of the top two seeds and unbeaten teams as the Bobcats and Lakers meet. The game is also a rematch of last year’s semifinals, Deer Lakes defeated Beaver 11-7 at North Allegheny, a game that was delayed over 90 minutes and saw the Lancers come back from a 7-0 deficit. Defense might be the key in this one, Beaver allowed only 19 runs, Deer Lakes just 31.

Beaver:  Head Coach/Butch Rousseau
The Bobcats have never won a WPIAL softball title.
Playoff Road:  First round bye, Burrell 2-0, Keystone Oaks 2-1 in 9 innings

Beaver has qualified for the PIAA tournament, the Bobcats missed out on a state run last season, falling in the consolation game to Char-Houston 2-0. Sophomore pitcher Casey Farkasovsky has developed into one of the top strikeout pitchers in the WPIAL, she is 15-0 with 120 strikeouts for the season. She has also done it with the bat, hitting 16 homers for her career. 11 of the 14 players on the roster are either freshman or sophomores, making the Bobcats a tough team the next couple of seasons. One of those freshman, Tayven Rousseau, put the Bobcats in the title game when she tripled in the ninth inning of the semifinals and then stole home with the pitcher not in the circle. Rousseau is the grand-daughter of the head coach.

Deer Lakes:  Head Coach/Craig Taliani
WPIAL Champions:  2012.
Playoff Road:  OLSH 2-1, McGuffey 2-0, Seton LaSalle 10-1.

This is the third straight trip to the title game for the Lancers, winning in 2012 and falling to Riverside in the title tilt last season 5-1. The Lancers count heavily on Tiffany Edwards in the circle, she is 16-0 on the year and 43-2 for her career. Edwards does not rack up the strikeouts but she can reach back for one when needed, she does have 115 for the year. The Lancers will take a 33 game regular season winning streak into 2015. Edwards, Sierra Sarver and shortstop Katie Gozzard are the leaders of the team. Gozzard has driven in 21 runs and bats .475.
 

Class AAA Championship Game
Thomas Jefferson Jaguars (14-5) vs. Mars Planets (12-4)  4:30pm on WJPA 1450-AM and the MSA Sports Network.

It’s a 13 seed taking on an 11 seed for WPIAL gold, two teams that did not win their section and had to go to the final week of the regular season to see if they would be in the field. But both teams got hot at the right time and find themselves on a magical ride that will lead to gold for one and a berth in the PIAA tournament for all. 

Thomas Jefferson:  Head Coach/Heidi Karcher
The Jaguars have never won a WPIAL softball title.
Playoff Road:  Knoch 3-2, Trinity 3-1, Greensburg Salem 4-3.

A last to first story in the making, the Jaguars were 3-12 last season. Thomas Jefferson started the season 6-0, including four wins on a South Carolina trip. But the Jaguars went 2-4 in the next six games, they needed wins over Southmoreland and Elizabeth Forward to ensure a playoff berth. TJ has won three straight games coming into the championship game. Lacie Lautner is 12-4 for TJ as the starting pitcher, she has fanned 14 in the last two playoff games.

Mars:  Head Coach/Michelle Goodworth
WPIAL Champion:    2006.
Playoff Road:  Blackhawk 5-4, West Mifflin 1-0, Elizabeth Forward 7-6.

The Planets will square off against their third straight Section 4 team, having knocked off West Mifflin and Elizabeth Forward along the path to Lilley Field. Mars swept a doubleheader with Kittanning on May 5^th to clinch a playoff spot. Sophomore pitcher Niki Schlegel is 11-3. Catcher Erin Hershman leads the team with nine homers this season, she has 19 for her career. Shortstop Suzanna Papick led the team with a .560 average, sophomore Blake Kitt hit .400 and drove in the winning run against Blackhawk to start the playoff run.
 

Quad-A Championship Game
Canon-McMillan Big Macs (17-3) vs. Shaler Titans (15-2)  7pm on WJPA 1450-AM and the MSA Sports Network.

Number 1 against Number 2, the two time champion Big Macs square off against the Titans. Will it be the offense of the Big Macs or the sound play of the Titans that will claim gold medals. These teams have not met on the diamond since the 2012 semifinals.

Canon McMillan:  Head Coach/Michelle Moeller
WPIAL Championships:  2012, 2013.
Playoff Road:  First round bye, North Allegheny 3-1, Latrobe 7-6.

Trying to win a third straight title hasn’t been easy for the Big Macs this season. Runs have come in large numbers but Canon Mac has been in some shootouts along the way. The Big Macs are on a four game winning streak and have won 13 of their last 14 games. Canon Mac has lived by the home run this season, the Big Macs have crushed 50. According to several sources, that is three times more than any other team in the state. Olivia LaRussa has 15 to lead the team and the state. Abby McCartney has 11 round trippers, both she and LaRussa are headed to Robert Morris. Catcher Georginana Zeremenko is headed to Pitt. The Big Macs average 11 runs per game. Taylor Fowler is 15-3 as the starting pitcher.

Shaler:  Head Coach/Skip Palmer
WPIAL Championships:  1982(AAA), 2005
Playoff Road:  First round bye, Bethel Park 10-0, Penn Trafford 4-1.

The Titans started off 2-2 but ripped off a stretch of ten straight wins before falling at McKeesport on May 8^th.  Shaler has not made the title game since 2010, a loss to Mount Lebanon, but the Titans have made seven trips to the finals. Brianna Dobson has done well in the circle for Shaler this season, she is not a dominant pitcher but can get the strikeout when needed. Dobson stranded nine baserunners in the semifinals. Shortstop Lauren Miller has been the offensive star for the Titans, with six postseason runs batted in, by the way, she is only a freshman.

Tags: Beaver, Canon-McMillan, Deer Lakes