Feb 9, 2024 By Rob Burchianti 7 min read

When Lorie Wise Hildreth was inserted in West Greene’s softball lineup as the cleanup hitter back on May 22, 1979, she took that role literally.

Hildreth cleaned off the base paths in all four of her at bats thanks to four home runs that produced 10 RBIs.

While that’s a feat in itself, Hildreth made it even more spectacular and unique by hitting for what has been dubbed the “home run cycle.”

Hildreth smacked a solo home run, a two-run shot, a three-run blast and a grand slam in a slugfest the Lady Pioneers eventually lost to visiting Carmichaels.

Hildreth’s rare accomplishment, which finally got notoriety with area media coverage last spring, was chosen as the Hall of Fame Moment by the Washington-Greene Co. Chapter of the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame. She will be honored at the Washington-Greene Hall of Fame banquet on Sunday, June 9 at the Hilton Garden Inn at Southpointe.

“I was shocked, surprised,” Hildreth said when she got the news. “I am very honored and very excited.”

Hildreth never forgot her four-homer game but it took on a new life when current West Greene softball coach and athletic director Bill Simms examined the boxscore from the game last year. He excitedly pointed out that she had not only hit four home runs but hit for the home run cycle.

“Billy told me that and then it was like, wow, it’s an even bigger accomplishment than I ever thought,” Hildreth said. “Billy then sort of put it out there and Mr. John Sacco wrote a very nice story on it (which ran in the Observer-Reporter, Herald-Standard and Greene County Messenger). I think that definitely gave me some great publicity and helped me get noticed by the Hall of Fame.”

In addition to Hildreth’s moment, the Washington-Greene Hall of Fame chose three area athletes – Waynesburg Central graduate Josh Koscheck, Ringgold graduate Ramont Small and Butler and Waynesburg University graduate Paul Stanley – as 2024 inductees, and will also honor Beth-Center graduate George Malanosky with the James C. “Jimmy” Montecalvo and Luke Blanock Memorial Courage Award.

Following is a capsule on each inductee/honoree:

Josh Koscheck

Koshceck wrestled for Waynesburg where he earned a PIAA silver medal and also played football for the Raiders, rushing for over 1,600 yards. He graduated from high school in 1997 and went on to have an outstanding wrestling career at Edinboro University with an overall record of 128-17 that included a 42-0 record his junior year when he won the NCAA national championship. Koscheck also placed fourth as a freshman, second as a sophomore and third as a senior when he was hampered by a bulging disk injury in his neck.

Koscheck went on to a successful career in Mixed Martial Arts with Ultimate Fighting Championships. He won 17 of his first 22 professional fights, including twice winning Knockout of the Night and Fight of the Night, and once winning Submission of the Night. He lost a close decision for the 2020 UFC Welterweight Championship.

Ramont Small

Small excelled in football for the Rams where he set a then-school record of 82 solo and 112 total tackles as a senior in 1989. Small was named third-team All-State the same year. He went on to play football and NCAA Division-I Akron where he was a three-year letterman. Small was third on the team in scoring and was named to the All-MAC team as a freshman. He finished his collegiate career at Washington & Jefferson in 1994 and was named to the All-Conference second team while rushing for 865 yards and eight touchdowns as the Presidents reached the NCAA Division-III national championship game.

Small made the final cut with the Hamilton Cats of the CFL before suffering a knee injury. He has since coached various football positions, including head coach at Brownsville for one year. Small started the track & field program at Monessen in 2007 and helped produce three WPIAL champions, a PIAA champion, two state finalists and two Mon Valley team co-championships. He coached Ringgold’s Midget League football team to four championships.

Stanley was a four-year starter for the Yellow Jackets and a two-time NAIA District 18 All-Star. He graduated in 1985 as Waynesburg’s all-time leading scorer with 1,916 points and helped the Yellow Jackets win two district titles.

Paul Stanley

Stanley went on to have outstanding careers in the Australia National Basketball League and the National Basketball League. In the latter won a scoring championship and became the fastest NBL player to reach both 1,000 and 2,000 career points. Stanley also was a longtime softball star in both ASA and USSSA competition and was chosen for induction into the 2023 Amateur Softball Association of Pennsylvania Hall of Fame in 2023.

George Malanosky

Malanosky, a longtime, highly respected high school basketball official, suffered a debilitating stroke following the 2017-18 season and was confined to a wheelchair for a long period of time before eventually battling back to take the court again. He credits the love and support of his wife, Angela, a certified occupational therapy assistant, his brother, and sons Max and Chase, for helping him rehab and recover.

Malanosky returned to the basketball court and worked his way back to doing high school games in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. In the latter he was assigned to do the WPIAL Class A girls championship game at the Petersen Events Center.

Lorie Wise Hildreth

Hildreth, who is from New Freeport and currently lives in Wind Ridge, is amazed at all the publicity she’s been receiving recently for something that happened almost 45 years ago when she was a sophomore in high school.

“After all these years finally getting recognized for something that I did, especially after finding out how rare a feat it was, it just blew my mind,” Hildreth said. “Then when I heard from the Hall of Fame, it just hit me, like, ‘Oh my God. Is this really happening to me?’ It took me a while to have it all really sink in and, to be truthful, it’s still sinking in now.”

Softball has always been a part of Hildreth’s life.

“I love softball. I’ve played it and coached it for a lot of years,” Hildreth said.

She was an assistant coach under Simms for 11 years and was the head coach of the seventh and eighth grade team for two years. She has also coached youth softball, getting involved when her daughter Kayla began to play, and Little League baseball, being highly successful at each endeavor.

Hildreth didn’t have an opportunity to participate in softball in college but continued to play in the area after high school.

“I played in the summer league but when that went out for us women back in the day, I was very sad,” Hildreth said.

That’s when she turned to coaching.

“I was involved up until about six or seven years ago when I just kind of stepped down because the younger generation of coaches were coming in and it was just time for me to move aside and let them do their part now,” Hildreth said. “I do miss it terribly. Softball is one of the very strong passions I’ve had over my life.”

In addition to her daughter Kayla, now 35 and living in Charleston, South Carolina, Hildreth, whose husband passed away from cancer in 2015, has a son, Michael, 33, who lives next door to her in Wind Ridge.

There is a display near the gymnasium at West Greene High School honoring Hildreth’s accomplishment. She looks forward to attending the Hall of Fame banquet.

“My grandkids are going to be there so that’s what makes this even more special now,” she said.