WPIAL Softball Playoff Recaps for Thursday, May 17th

By: Bruce Markey
Thursday, May 17, 2012 | 8:14 PM

Thursday was a unique passing of the guard in the WPIAL softball playoffs as the First Round came to an end with one Class A game while the Second Round began with four AAAA and one AA Quarterfinals contest. All six games can be heard archived on MSA Sports, with the recaps from Shaler, Hempfield, Peters Township, Canon-McMillan, Neshannock and Chartiers-Houston wins can be read right here.

A special thanks to Mark Schaas, Mike Azadian, Lee Mohn and Bob Gregg for their help on these recaps.

WPIAL CLASS AAAA QUARTERFINALS:

Shaler Titans 9 – Latrobe Wildcats 1
The Titans got revenge over the Wildcats for last year's playoff loss, Shaler pounded out 15 hits on the way to the semifinals with the win at North Allegheny. Lauren Hackett went 3 for 3 with 2 doubles and drove in 3 runs in the win. Maddie Mulig was 2 for 4 with a double and triple, Morgan Russo was 2 -4, Nicole Daley and Sarah Giebel each had two hits. Sidney Smyers pitched out of jams in both the first and fourth innings to get the win, she fanned six.
The Wildcats got off to a good start, getting runners at second and third with one out, but could not score. Shaler took a 1-0 lead when Hackett doubled home Mulig in the bottom of the first. The key play of the game came in the bottom of the second, Nicole Daley doubled with one out. With two outs, Giebel laid down a bunt in front of home plate. Giebel was safe at first, the throw from catcher Kelsie Zoppetti went all the way to the right field corner, allowing both Daley and Giebel to score. The Titans added a run in the third, Hackett's second double brought home Russo. Latrobe scored in the top of the fourth, Shelby Noel singled home a run, but the Wildcats could score no more. Kelly Daley brought home a run in the fifth for Shaler with a double, the Titans scored 4 runs in the sixth for the final margin. Shaler is now 19-2, the Titans will meet Canon-McMillan in the semifinals next week. Emily Yokopenic was 2 for 3 for Latrobe, the Wildcats end their season at 14-8.

Hempfield Spartans 3 – North Allegheny Tigers 0
At Woodland Hills High school in WPIAL girls AAAA softball quarterfinal round playoffs the Hempfield Spartans defeated the North Allegheny Tigers by a score of 3-0 to move on to the semi finals next Wednesday May 23rd at a site and time to be determined. The Spartans scored in the bottom of the 1st inning as Alaina Montgomery led off with a single, was sacrificed to second by Nina Italiano, then with two outs Alyssa Bates singled to make the score 1-0. Hempfield would score again in the 3rd. Montgomery led off with a double was sacrificed to 3rd by Italiano then with two outs Bates crushed a line drive 2 run HR to give the Spartans a 3-0 lead. North Allegheny had single runners on in each of the first 5 innings but could never get anyone past 2nd base, but  in the 7th inning they loaded the bases with no out. Bonny Pierson reached on an error, Mattie Huckenstein singled, as did Stephanie Hnat. Just when it looked like the Raiders were on the comeback pinch hitter Erin Funderlich hit a ball to 2nd base and Callie Madden threw home to force out Pierson. With one out Miranda Micre bounced into a double play, pitcher to home, to first, the old 1 to 2 to 3 doublble play to end the game. Karilynn Null went the distance and gets the shutout win for the Spartans. She gave up 5 hits, 1 walk and struck out 2 as Hempfield improves to 16-4. North Allegheny's Sami Beining takes the loss going 7 innings giving up 3 runs, 7 hits, walking 3, and striking out 3. The Tigers end the season at 14-5.

Peters Township Indians 2 – Seneca Valley Raiders 1
At Woodland Hills High School in WPIAL Quarterfinal AAAA softball Action the Peters Township Indians defeated the Seneca Valley Raiders by a score of 2-1 to move on to the  semi finals next Wednesday May 23rd versus the Hempfield Spartans at a site and time to be determined. Pitching and defense ruled the game thru the first few innings as both teams infield was sharp, and both pitchers hit their marks. The Indians scored first in the second inning, Abbey Cunningham led off with a single and was sacrificed to second base by Tory Weida. Courtney Golembiewski followed with an RBI single and the Indians led 1-0. They would score again in the 4th inning to take a 2-0 lead as Cunningham led of again with a single, Kelly Lewis sacrificed her to second and Golembiewski drove her in with a fielders choice. The Raiders could not get anything going against Peters pitcher Tara Konopka, she was perfect thru 4 and 2/3 innings before walking a batter. The no hitter was broken up in the 6th inning, and the shut out in the 7th. The Raiders threatened in the 7th. Kelsey Mislan led off the innning with a single, after one out Alexa Sisko walked. Emily Watson the singled to bring Mislan in to make it 2-1. Konopka then balked sending runners to 2nd and 3rd. With the tying and winning runs in scoring position and one out Konopka reached back and struck out the next two batters to end the game. Konopka gets the win giving up the one run, two hits, walking one, and striking out six. The Indians improve their record to 14-4. Seneca Valley falls to 14-5.  Watson took the loss for he Raiders gong all seven innings, giving up 2 runs, five hits,3 walks, and 3 strikeouts.

Canon-McMillan Big Macs 8 – Norwin Knights 1
Canon-McMillan had five runs and nine hits before Norwin got a baserunner as the Big Macs ousted the Knights, 8-1.  Georgiana Zeremenko led the way with two homeruns, a double and five runs driven in.  The Big Macs' catcher hit a two-run blast in the first and put the game away with a three-run roundtripper in the seventh.  In between, Canon-McMillan (14-5) used five consecutive singles to score once in the second and two doubles around a single to add two more in the third.  Alayna Astuto started for the Big Macs, taking a perfect game into the fourth before Kayleigh Dodd walked on five pitches and Maddy Wensel broke up the no-hitter two batters later.  Trailing 5-1 in the sixth, Norwin (15-4) threatened to tie the game, loading the bases with one out, chasing Astuto from the circle.  Kayla Kiger came on in relief.  Rachel Logas hit a hot smash on one hop to third, gloved by Olivia Lorusso who stepped on third and threw to Zeremenko who blocked the plate and tagged out Wensel to end the inning.  Lorusso had a single and a double for Canon-McMillan, Maddie Engel added a double as every player in the CM lineup had at least one hit.  Wensel had two singles and Lauren Long added a double for Norwin.

WPIAL CLASS AA QUARTERFINALS:

Neshannock Lancers 4 – Freeport Yellowjackets 0
Neshannock kept there undefeated season alive Thursday afternoon defeating Freeport 4-0 in quarterfinal action.  Freeport came into the game averaging 15 runs a game but was shut out by Amanda Furst.  Furst scattered 6 hits and stranded 9 runners on for the victory.  Neshannock would score all the runs they would need in the first.  Marrissa Dimateo would lead off with a double, Rayanna Furst would single her in then Amanda Furst would double for the 2-0 lead.  Madison Altmeyer would single in DiMateo in the 3rd for a 3-0 lead and also hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth for the 4th run.  DiMateo and Rayanna Furst both had 3 hits on the day.  For Freeport Ashley Sample  had 2 hits.  Freeport finished there season 15-4 while Neshannock will await the winner between Deer Lakes and Mohawk on Monday.

WPIAL CLASS A FIRST ROUND:

Chartiers-Houston Buccaneers 11 – Riverview Raiders 1
Kayla Briggs struck out 12 Riverview batters and the Bucs put up 12 hits and nearly that many runs in an 11-1, six-inning victory over the Raiders.  Briggs held Riverview (13-8) to three hits and one unearned run, retiring 11 straight batters at one point. The junior also scored twice and drove in one run as the defending champions improved to 20-1.  Leading 3-0 in the fourth, the Bucs put together three straight bunt singles to load the bases.  Piper McLaughlin drove one run in with a groundout.  Colby Miller singled to plate two more.  In the Riverview sixth, Rachel Condron doubled, moved to third on a fielder's choice and scored on a throwing error, the Raiders' only run of the game.  Chartiers-Houston ended the game with five runs in the sixth, getting back-to-back doubles from Megan Kraushaar and Briggs, a run-scoring single from Rachel Tucker, two wild pitches and two Raider errors.  Briggs and Kraushaar each had a double and a single, Kassie Kesneck and Tucker had two singles apiece.