Hometown Softball Recap – West Mifflin Titans – 05/04/2017

By: Bruce Markey
Thursday, May 4, 2017 | 11:30 PM

Although the section slate has been a struggle for West Mifflin in 2017, the Titans triumphed convincingly on senior recognition day, blasting Carrick 17-2 in four innings at West Mifflin High School. In the victory, the Titans (2-9 Class 4A Section 2, 6-11) collected 16 hits, and scored runs in every inning.

Carrick, winless on the season, struck first, as the Raiders scored twice in the top of the first, as Kelly Denk crushed a two-out triple that plated Ashlyn Wilkes. As Denk slide into third, the relay throw went astray, allowing her to score on the error.

The Titans responded in a big way in the bottom half of the frame against Denk, though, as they scored five runs, keyed by three Carrick errors. Jaden Arcuri led off with a double, and after an out was recorded, five straight Titans reached either by walk or error. Later in the stanza, the lone senior, Jordan Harshman, reached on a walk, and Arcuri, in the second at bat of the inning, singled. Despite just two hits, both by Arcuri, the Titans gained a 5-2 advantage.

West Mifflin would never look back from that point, as the Titans scored eight more runs in the second inning, keyed by a three-run homer by Annalise Modrick. That was one of four extra-base hits in the frame, as Harshman, Casey Bornak and Izzabella Farmer all produced doubles.

The Titans added another run in the third, and put the game away via the mercy rule in the fourth, as they plated three more runs. In that stanza, Farmer, Modrick, Kristen Davies and Kira Kieler collected consecutive hits, and a ball hit to third by Lizzy Walsh resulted in a Raiders’ error, ending the contest.

Among the standouts at the plate for the Titans were Arcuri and Farmer, who each had three hits, as well as Modrick, Kieler and Harshman, who each reached base in every plate appearance. Modrick also earned the W on the mound, surrendering just four hits.
West Mifflin concludes its season with a road game against Elizabeth Forward on May 9, while Carrick (0-12 Class 4A Section 2, 0-12) next plays a nonsection contest at McKeesport.