Hometown Softball Broadcast Recap for West Mifflin on 4/16/14

By: Bruce Markey
Thursday, April 17, 2014 | 12:06 PM

West Mifflin senior Paige Flore pitched a complete game four-hitter allowing just one run on four hits while striking out seven and walking just two as West Mifflin defeated Belle Vernon 7-1 in AAA Section three action Wednesday afternoon on the MSA Sports Network. Flore was untouchable at times, changing speeds and hitting her spots and keeping the Leopards off balance all afternoon.

The Titans gave her all the runs she would need with a two-out rally in the home half of the first inning. With two outs and the bases empty junior West Mifflin catcher Alyssa Cairns got things started with a bullet of a double to the gap in left center field. Amber Cook chased her home with a run scoring single and took second on the play at the plate, Amber’s sister Crystal followed that with a line-drive run scoring single of her own and the Titans had a 2-0 lead at the end of one.

Belle Vernon got their only run of the game in the third, Alexis Ellin lead off the inning with a double and would eventually score on a sacrifice fly by Erica Amoroso to cut the lead to 2-1 but Flore shut the Leopards rally down with a pair of big strikeouts in the inning and West Mifflin clung to a 2-1 lead until the fifth inning when the Titans busted things wide open.

Amber Cook started the inning with her second hit of the game and the Titans rattled off six straight hits in the bottom of the fifth chasing Belle Vernon starter Lacey Washowich. Lauren Ackerman, Brooke Lowe and Flore all collected rbis in the inning with the big blow being a two-out, two-run single from Cairns. All told the Titans plated five runs on seven hits in the inning and Flore took over from there allowing just a 6th inning single to Emily Frederick that was erased by a double play for Belle Vernon the rest of the way. The Titans improved to 10-2 overall and 5-2 in section play. Belle Vernon falls to 3-7 on the year including a 2-5 mark in the section.

After the game Titan head coach Casey Phillips was pleased with the performance of his team. “We feel great about our defense and all good games are going to come down to pitching and defense and we certainly did a good job today on both fronts.” He told the MSA Sports Network, “I have been coaching softball for 15 years and I have never felt more confident with a player coming to bat in a big spot, when we need a hit than I do when Alyssa (Cairns) comes to the plate.

Tags: West Mifflin