Decade’s best WPIAL finals: Softball No. 5

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, May 31, 2020 | 10:56 PM

2689387_web1_PTR-DLGCC3-060112 — Tribune-Review file

Deer Lakes head coach Craig Taliani celebrates at home plate with his team after they defeated Greensburg Central Catholic 3-2 in the WPIAL Class AA championship game at California University of Pennsylvania’s Lilly Field on May 31, 2012.

2689387_web1_PTR-DLGCC2-060112 — Tribune-Review file

Deer Lakes’ Becca Babincak celebrates in front of Greensburg Central Catholic catcher Carolyn Appleby after scoring the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning of their WPIAL Class AA championship game at California University of Pennsylvania’s Lilly Field on May 31, 2012. Deer Lakes defeated Greensburg Central Catholic 3-2 to become the WPIAL Class AA champions.

From classification expansion to field renovations forcing a change in the venue for the district championships, there was a lot going on with the WPIAL softball championships this past decade.

From Lilly Field at Cal (Pa.) to Seton Hill to a mishmash of title games played here and there or anywhere there was turf in a battle against Mother Nature, there have been plenty of memorable moments at the WPIAL softball finals.

Wash, rinse and repeat was the theme in district softball these past 10 years as nine schools were able to successfully defend their WPIAL championships, including a three-peat by West Allegheny, a four-peat by West Greene and one for the thumb with five straight championships for Hempfield.

So, while the third decade of the 21st century got off to a slow start with the 2020 season wiped away, here is a look back at the last 10 years with a countdown of the Top 10 WPIAL softball championship games.

No. 5 — Year of the Deer

Greensburg Central Catholic chuckled early, but it was Deer Lakes that enjoyed the last laugh in the 2012 WPIAL Class AA softball championship game.

GCC jumped out to an early lead with a pair of first inning runs without hitting a ball beyond the infield.

It looked like the Centurions’ early offense would hold up, however the Lancers’ offense finally came to life with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 2-2.

Deer Lakes scored the golden run in the bottom of the eighth for the walk-off championship.

It was the second of back-to-back title game losses for GCC and the first of four straight championship games for Deer Lakes. The Lancers won more gold in 2015.

Click the final score below for Bill Beckner’s recap of the Lancers’ victory over the Centurions.

Deer Lakes 3, Greensburg Central Catholic 2 in 8 innings

Decade’s best WPIAL softball finals:

No. 6 – 2018 Class 2A: Laurel over Frazier

No. 7 – 2018 Class A: West Greene over Monessen

No. 8 – 2018 Class 4A: Belle Vernon over Elizabeth Forward

No. 9 – 2012 Class A: Chartiers-Houston over Carmichaels

No. 10 – 2015 Class A: Jefferson-Morgan over Chartiers-Houston