WPIAL Softball Playoff Recaps for Thursday, May 16th

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, May 17, 2013 | 12:02 AM

Class AAAA and Class AA teams had their fun in the sun on Tuesday, now it was time for WPIAL Class AAA and Class A teams to enjoy their postseason lid-lifters. Some of the game might have been closer than expected, but in the end, the top four seeds in both classifications are moving on to the Quarterfinals next week. Here are recaps from ten of the fourteen WPIAL Softball Playoff games that were heard here on the MSA Sports.

A special thanks to Jason Tennant, Dennis Fischer, Adam Hoerner, Mark Schaas, Lee Mohn, Mike Azadian, Josh Rowntree and Bob Gregg for their help on these recaps.

WPIAL CLASS AAA First Round:

Greensburg-Salem Golden Lions 6 – Highlands Golden Rams 5 
Maggie Kallock was determined to not let top-seeded Greensburg Salem fall victim to one of the biggest upsets in WPIAL softball history. With her team trailing 3-2 entering the 7th inning, Kallock, a freshman, hit a gigantic grand slam over the left field wall, lifting the Golden Lions (18-2) to an opening round victory over No. 16 Highlands (8-7) on Thursday at Plum High School. After allowing 2 runs and 7 hits to Greensburg Salem over the first two innings, Highlands pitcher Gabby Miller would lock down and not allow another run until Kallock's slam. Clair Oberdorf singled and scored on an RBI single by Taylor Mehan in the 1st inning, while Caitlyn Stoner would single and score on a RBI double by Oberdorf in the 2nd inning. However, the Golden Rams would score 3 runs in the 3rd inning, all in unconventional fashion. Katie Grasholz would reach third base on a 3-base throwing error by Mehan and then score on an illegal pitch call on Salem starter Jayne Oberdorf. Miller and Voytko would then hit back-to-back singles and both would come across the plate because of errors, giving Highlands a 3-2 lead. Scoring would cease until the 7th, when Salem's Karly Mellinger, Mehan and Jayne Oberdorf would single to load the bases. That's when Kallock took things over, crushing the first pitch from Miller out of the park, giving the Golden Lions a 6-3 lead. Highlands, who battled all game, would plate 2 more runs on a 2-RBI single by Holly Penn in the bottom of the 7th inning and then put runners on 1st and 2nd bases. But Jayne Oberdorf, who struck out 8 batters and allowed 6 hits in the complete game,  would get a groundout to end the game, giving Greensburg Salem the 6-5 victory. Only one of the 5 runs given up by Oberdorf were earned runs. Mehan finished 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for Greensburg Salem, while Kaylee Simpson went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored for Highlands. The Golden Lions, who pounded out 15 hits in the contest, will move into the WPIAL Quarterfinals, where they will meet No. 8 Blackhawk on Tuesday at a site and time to be determined.

Blackhawk Cougars 6 – Hampton Talbots 5 
In a game for the ages, the #8 seeded Blackhawk Cougars defeated the #9 seeded Hampton Talbots in the opening round of the Triple A softball playoffs 6-5 in 10 innings at North Allegheny High School on Thursday afternoon.  The game was marked by great defensive plays, timely hitting and, in the extra frames, terrific pitching.  Hampton took the early lead when the Talbots scored three runs in the top of the second on a Megan Thornton double, a Jocelyn White single, a Morgan Gillespie triple, and a Kat Bitter single. Blackhawk responded with a run in the home half of the third inning when Sofia Papageorge led off with a single, advanced to third on a Megan Davis base hit, and scored on an error.  The Talbots added a pair of runs in the top of the fifth on Bittner's second of three hits, a single, followed by a Samantha Clutter triple.  The Cougars stormed back in their half of the fifth when Jessica Potts led off with a base hit and ended up at third when Heather Barrett reached second on a Hampton error.  Both runners were chased home by a Davis single, her third hit on the day.  Davis then scored on a Hannah Schaly two out single.  Blackhawk tied the game in the sixth when pinch hitter Courtney Vannoy began the inning with a single, moved to second on an infield out, and scored on a double by Barrett.  The teams then went scoreless over the next three and a half innings before Vannoy, placed at second base according to WPIAL runs to start the 10th inning, advanced to third on a bunt single by Potts, and came home on a game winning hit by Barrett to end the ball game.  The winning pitcher for Blackhawk was Bridgette Shaffer, who came on in relief of Danielle LeVato with one out in the fourth.  She surrendered no runs on four hits while striking out four.  The losing pitcher for Hampton was Claire Welka, who went the distance for the Talbots giving up six runs on 14 hits, walking four, and striking out two.  Blackhawk (10-6) advances to the quarterfinal round where the Cougars will take on #1 seed Greensburg-Salem at a site and time to be determined.  Hampton ends its season at 7-11.

Elizabeth Forward Warriors 6 – New Castle Red Hurricane 2 
The 2012 WPIAL runner-up began the quest to get back to Cal U. with the first round at Lind Field. The Warriors jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first and got another good pitching performance from Portia McBride to claim the win.  Sophomore Caitlyn Arico doubled with two outs, senior Virginia Roche singled her home, McKenna Kern followed with another run scoring single and the early advantage. Elizabeth Forward used the extra base hit to score again in the fourth, Kern led off with a double and was brought home on a two out single by McBride. New Castle got on the board in the bottom of the fourth on junior Aleigha Withrow’s single, scoring Christina Evans. Leading 3-1, Elizabeth Forward blew the game open in the top of the sixth with three runs, including rbi singles by junior Courtney Hrabosky and Arico. New Castle scored in the bottom of the seventh, junior Shannon Dudich singled to lead off the inning, freshman Abba Frengel singled with two outs to keep the Red Hurricanes alive but Taylor Passerello grounded out to third to end the game and send Elizabeth Forward to the quarterfinals. Arico led the Warriors with three hits, Kern had two. McBride scattered just six hits and finished with eight strikeouts, giving her 155 k’s for the season. The senior pitcher struck out five consecutive batters in the second and third innings. Coach Harry Rutherford said he was nervous going in, as New Castle is a good hitting team. The Warriors, now 17-4, will meet West Allegheny sometime next week. Rutherford said he doesn’t know much about West A, but did have an assistant coach scout the Indians game with Mars. New Castle finishes the season at 8-7, things are bright for the Red Hurricanes as they graduate only one player, Dana Perrotta and started three freshman. Evans led New Castle with two hits and was on base all three times at the plate. Carly Aven  started and took the loss, she allowed all six runs in six innings of work.  

West Allegheny Indians 5 – Mars Fighting Planets 3 
At Shaler high school in WPIAL Girls  AAA first Round playoff action the West Allegheny Indians score five first inning runs and hold on to beat the Mars Planets 5-3. West A sent 9 runners to the plate in the bottom of the first after retiring the Planets one,two,three in the top of the first. Brooke Bagnell led off the bottom of the first with a double, she was singled in by Brianna Lach to make it 1-0. Brittany Ziegler then singled followed by a walk to Emily Garvin. A Rachel McLaughlin double plated 2 more runs and it was 3-0 West A. After two pop ups to the SS Taylor James hit a grounder to second base that was booted for an error. This scored two more runs and it was 5-0 Indians headed to the second. From this point the game changed. Mars pitcher Taylor Rotz settled down and would allow only 4 base runners the rest of the game, a walk, 2 singles and a fielders choice and no runs. West A pitcher Lach would have runners on in each inning after the first. In the Mars 2nd a leadoff single by Rotz, a walk, fielders choice and a sac fly and it was 5-1. In the Planets 3rd, they would get two more runs. After one out a Blake Kitt single, followed by a Suzzane Papik single put two on. Rotz then singled them both in to make it 5-3. Mars would waste an opportunity in the 4th having a runner thrown out at third after a successful sacrifice when the runner at second never stopped and was thrown out easily at third to end the inning. The Planets wound strand a single runner in the 5th, and two in the 6th before going in order in the 7th.  Kitt went 2/4 with 2 singles, Rotz went 2/3 with 2 singles and 2RBI. Jeanna Sybert also went 2/3 with 2 singles to lead Mars which ends their season at 9-10. West A improves to 11-6 and will face Elizabeth Forward on Monday, May 20th at a site and time to be determined. Lach went the distance, giving up 6 hits, 2 walks, while striking out 2. McKaughlin went 3/3 with 2 singles, a double and 2 RBI and one run scored.

Trinity Hillers 13 – Brownsville Falcons 3 
Delaney Elling pounded out five hits, three doubles and drove in four runs as Trinity beat Brownsville, 13-3, in six innings.  The #2 Hillers will take on #7 West Mifflin in the quarterfinals early next week. Brownsville (9-11) opened the scoring in the top of the first, Miranda Nichols' single plating Miranda Arison who doubled to right after two out.  Trinity tied the game at the bottom of the first with a walk to Olivia Gray, Elling's cue shot single up the first-base line, a walk to Brooke Beck and a wild pitch.  A bunt single loaded the bases and you probably haven't seen what happened next–three consecutive Trinity batters hit into force plays with the lead runner retired at the plate.  Grounders to short, the pitcher and third ended the major threat with the game tied.  The Hillers took the lead for good when Elling bashed a double scoring Gray.  In the third, Ashley Winklevoss singled and scored on  Brianna Thomas' double.  Madison Hornack singled to score Thomas making it 4-1.  Both of these run-producing innings for Trinity started with two out and nobody on base.  Small ball brought in a run for the Hillers in the fourth.  Elling and Beck singled to open the frame and moved up on a sacrifice bunt.  Makayla Watson grounded out to third to score Elling.  Brownsville rallied in the fifth, going station to station to score twice, but left the bases loaded.  Brandi Fisher and Payton Ferguson singled, putting runners on the corners.  Christina Davison's grounder to third ended with Fisher being tricked into trying to score and getting tagged out.  One out later, with runners on second and third, Tiffany Markovitch singled to score Ferguson.  Arison's single drove in Davison.  Nichols singled to load the bases but a foul out ended the inning with Trinity leading 5-3.  Eight runs over the final two innings ended the game.  In the fifth, Trinity used a hit-batter, two Falcons' errors and back-to-back rbi doubles by Gray and Elling to push the lead to 9-3.  Then, in the sixth, four straight two-out hits accounted for four more runs and moved the Hillers to the quarterfinals.  Winkelvoss singled with one out, moved up on two errors and scored on Hornack's second rbi single. Gray singled and Elling drove in two with her third double.  Jasmine Fuqua, a defensive replacement in the top of the sixth, singled in her first at-bat, scoring courtesy runner Kim Dunst and ending the game.  Gray had three hits and an rbi for Trinity.  Hornack had two hits and two rbi.  Winklevoss singled twice as the Hillers had at least two hits and scored at least one run in every inning.  Tiffany Clark got the win for Trinity, allowing three runs and eight hits, five in the Brownsville fifth inning, and struck out five, all in the first three innings.  Arison took the loss, but kept the Falcons in the game until the fifth when the Hillers banged out seven of their 17 hits and Brownsville committed all four of their errors.

Ambridge Bridgers 10 – Laurel Highlands Mustangs 0 
Ambridge (14-3, 9-1) got a masterful pitching performance from Kelly Haslett and methodically racked up 10 runs in six innings to knock off Laurel Highlands (7-10, 7-5) in a WPIAL Class AAA first-round playoff game Thursday afternoon at Fairhaven Park in Kennedy Township. Haslett also drove home the only run the Bridgers would need in the first inning, sending Heather Mueller home on a sacrifice fly. Hannah Smith gets the “most impressive hit of the day” award for her two-run shot to deep center immediately afterwards. Ambridge scored twice in the third and fourth, getting an RBI single from Ellice Plutz and a bases loaded walk to score pinch-runner Jill Loftus in the former. Then it was Jaymee Humbert singling in Haslett and Smith stealing home in the fourth on a wild pitch. Humbert would drive Haslett home again in the sixth, part of a three-run effort to close out the game. The Bridgers also got a sacrifice fly from Lauren Sivewright which scored Smith and a fielder’s choice which scored Loftus to end things. Haslett was brilliant, taking a no-hitter into the sixth which was spoiled by Kelly Hudock. She struck out six, walked two and only saw one other base-runner reach on an error. Ambridge will face South Park in the Quarterfinals on Monday.

WPIAL CLASS A First Round:

Shenango Wildcats 7 - Sto-Rox Vikings 6 in 8 Innings  
At Shaler High School in WPIAL Girls A first round playoff action the  
12th seeded Shenango Wildcats upset the 5th seeded Sto Rox Vikings 7-6 
in 8 innings. In the top of this first inning Shenango used three walks 
and a single to take a 1-0 lead. Sto Rox would use a walk , a single 
and 2 ground outs to go up 2-1 after the 1st inning. This would start 
a back and forth between  these teams that would not end until the 8th 
inning. Shenango after having 3 times in the first ad once in the 
second saw Sto Rox take out starting pitcher Aimee Miller. She moved to 
first and the catcher Mary Cerosismo would come on. She would be on the 
mound the rest of the way and take the loss. In the Wildcat 3rd a lead 
off walk then two outs later a Jenna Petrucci 2 Run HR made it 3-2 
Shenango. In the Vikings 3rd they would send 8 batters to the plate 
and score 4 runs to take what looked like an insurmountable lead of 
6-2. They used a hit batter, 2 singles, and after 2 outs 2 errors to 
plate their runs. The Wildcats would score a single run in the 4th on 
a Alyssa White one out single, and a two out run scoring single by 
Alexa Owrey to cut the lead to 6-3. The Wildcats would keep missing 
opportunities leaving runners on every inning. They had a game total 
of 14. No one scored in the 5th or 6th innings. Shenango pitcher Marcy 
Rubin would retire  16 of the final 18 Sto Rox batters and at one point 
7 in a row, and 8 of the last 9. She gave up 6 runs, 6 hits,walked 2, 
hit two baters, and struck out 4. At 6-4 in the 7th inning and one out 
Petrucci singled, after a walk to Taylor Biddle and a wild pitch a 
Carolyn Peterson Ground ball scored a run and it was 6-5 with two outs 
and a runner at 2nd. Up to the plate strode the number 9 batter Jenna 
Delucca who was 0-3 with three strikeouts. She promptly hit a one 
hopper to  the shortstop that was misplayed for an error and the tying 
run came across and it was 6-6. Sto Rox would get a runner on in the 
bottom of the 7th with two outs but could not score. In the Wildcat 
8th a leadoff single by Owrey and two fly outs sent Petrucci to the 
plate. She walked followed by a Biddle RBI single. The Vikings would 
get a leadoff walk in the 8th but a double play erased the threat and 
Shenango would retire the final batter on a strikeout to record the 7-6 
upset win. Sto-Rox ends their season and possible head coach Bill 
Palermo's illustrious 35 year career with a 13-5 record. Palermo is the 
all-time leader in wins in the state of Pennsylvania and has hinted at 
retirement. Shenango improves to 15-6 on the year and will face the 
Frazier Commodores on Monday May 20th at a site and time to be 
determined. 

South Side Beaver Rams 1 – Leechburg Blue Devils 0 
South Side Beaver's Connor McGaffic led off the 4th inning with a home run and that is all the Rams needed and they went on to defeat the Leechburg Blue Devils 1-0.  Leechburg was making their 27th straight playoff appearance but this one was a short one. Sarah Androlia gave up only 3 hits and walked 4 for the Rams going the distance.  Leechburg's Kenzie Young  Gave up 5 hits, 1 run and 15 of the 21 outs were ground ball outs.  Leechburg had three chances getting runners thrown out at home to end the 1st and at 3rd to end the 4th and leaving the bases loaded in the 6th.  South Side will now move on to face Burgettstown in the quarterfinals.

Carmichaels Mighty Mikes 10 – Riverview Raiders 0 
The Carmichaels Mighty Mikes advanced to the WPIAL Quarterfinals breezing past Riverview by a score of 10-0 at California University of Pennsylvania's Lilley Field.  Starting pitcher Erica Burns was able to keep the Raiders off the board and allowed only 5 hits in the six-inning game.  At one point, Burns retired 7 in a row and 14 of 16 batters faced.  Riverview had only 3 runners reach scoring position and their best chance to score came in the fifth when Leah Sero led off with a single and would up at third with only one out.  However, back-to-back popouts to shortstop Morgan Berardi ended the threat.  Carmichaels on the other hand, would score runs in all but one inning.  Lindsey Osborne drove in the Mikes' first two runs in the first inning with a 2-run double.  The Mikes scored two more in the second, one on a throwing error, and the other on an RBI single from Mia Virgili.  They scored three in the third with a 2-run double by Amanda Brown, who would also score on an RBI single from Danielle McClellan.  Regina Menhart doubled in Caroline Cree in the fourth.  After being held scoreless in the fifth, Brown collected her third RBI with a single, and the game ended when Osborne scored the Mikes' tenth run on a wild pitch.  Burns got the win, striking out 7 without walking a batter, and the loss went to Hannah Larkin who pitched all six innings for the Raiders.  She did not record a strikeout and walked 3.  The Mikes move on to face Jeannette in the Quarterfinals.

Jeannette Jayhawks 11 – Sewickley Academy Panthers 5 
In a sloppy contest that featured 11 errors and 10 passed balls, No. 6 Jeannette (15-3) prevailed with a 11-5 victory over No. 11 Sewickley Academy (9-8) in 8 innings on Thursday at Plum High School. The Jayhawks scored 3 runs in the 6th inning to tie the game before exploding for 6 more runs in the 8th inning. Sewickley Academy was charged with 8 errors in the game and their catcher, Sarah Manzinger, allowed 6 runners to advance on passed balls, leading to multiple allowed runs. The Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the 3rd inning, as Savannah Henry, Manzinger and Katie Maloney would all single and score. Jeannette would cut the lead to 3-2 in the 5th inning, as Sarah Pitzer would reach on an error by Sewickley's Olivia Henry and Monica Carl would would make it to first on a fielder's choice. They would both advance 60 feet on a passed ball and then score on another Olivia Henry error from the bat of Delaney Cortazzo. Sewickley would expand their lead to 5-2 in the 5th inning, as Hannah McGinley would single and score on a Sarah Manzinger double. Manzinger would score on a fielder's choice and error off the bat of Camdin Bartholomew. But Jeannette would answer in the 6th inning, as Brianna Crawford and Monique Redman would both single, while Mary Katherine Paulone would double, cutting Sewickley's lead to 5-4. Paulone would then score on a RBI groundout by Liz Langford to tie the game at 5-5. The score would remain until the top of the 8th inning, when Jeannette would score 6 runs on 7 hits, while the Panthers would help them with 2 errors in the frame. Carl and Nicole Hall would both have 2 RBI singles in the inning. Hall picked up the win for Jeannette, going all 8 innings and giving up 4 earned runs on 6 hits, while striking out 2 batters. Savannah Henry picked up the loss for Sewichkey, allowing 11 runs, with just five earned, on 12 hits, while striking out 7 batters and walking just one. Crawford went 4-for-4 with a double and two runs scored for the Jayhawks. Mazinger, despite having a tough day behind the plate, had a good day at it, going 2-for-3 with a double, 2 runs scored and 2 RBI.  Jeannette will now play #3 Carmichaels (19-2) on Tuesday at a site and time to be determined.