Neshannock trounces Mapletown girls 14-3
McKEES ROCKS – Mapletown saw first-hand Wednesday why Neshannock was the Section 5 champion and second-seed in the first round of the WPIAL Girls’ Softball Playoffs. The Maples (10-9) were trounced by Neshannock, 14-3 at a cloudy Lind Field at Fairhaven Park in Kennedy Township as every Lancer (17-2) who batted reached base during their nine-hit performance.
“Neshannock had a very-well rounded team in all aspects of the game,” second-year head coach Jay Donley said. “I don’t think they made a mistake on defense the entire game.”
The loss did not put a damper on the Lady Maples’ season overall though, as they achieved their top two goals, according to Donley.
“Our first goal this year was to go at least .500 and we did that with a 10-9 record,” Donley said. “Our second goal was to make the playoffs and we did that too, so I thought we had a good season.”
Donley, who previously coached the boys’ baseball team, saw marked improvement in only his second year at the helm of the softball team.
“Experience-wise, we had a young team with no junior high program and 4 or 5 girls that never played youth softball before at all,” Donley said. “I don’t think our team has made the playoffs in almost 15 years, so I thought we accomplished a lot this year.”
Besides lack of experience, Donley also thought a case of the nerves contributed to the loss as the Maples committed 7 errors.
“I didn’t think our hitting was as much of a problem as was our defense,” Donley said. “We committed too many errors due to inexperience and nerves.”
Also, starting pitcher Miranda Shipley gave up three walks and hit three batters. Five of those six batters scored. She also threw 5 wild pitches.
“I thought our pitcher was nervous too,” Donley said. “She was facing a good-hitting team, though, which didn’t help either.”
Second baseman Kayla Stevulak hit an RBI triple in the fourth inning to give the Maples their first run and close the gap to 11-1. Senior shortstop and leadoff hitter Heather Shook led the Maple charge by hitting two doubles in three at bats.
Left fielder Christa Grim hit a two-run double in the fifth to close the score to 12-3 and extend the game into the sixth inning. The Lancers scored two more runs in the top of the sixth though, and held the Maples scoreless in the bottom of the sixth to end the game due to the 10-run rule.
“I thought we hit the ball well and were led by the girls (Shook, Stevulak, Grim) who have hit the ball well all season,” Donley said. “They (Neshannock) hit the ball well too, but it was the most-dangerous play in girls’ softball, the bunt, that really turned the tide of the game in their favor.”
The Lancers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first and extended their lead to 6-0 in the second, but it was a bunt by leadoff hitter Steff Graziani in the top of the third inning that blew the game open.
After two outs, she laid down a bunt for an RBI single, but after an error on the throw to first and an error on the throw back into the infield, three more runs scored and the Lancers held an insurmountable 10-0 lead midway through the third inning.
Graziani led the Lancer charge by hitting 2-for-4 and scoring in every inning she batted.
The Lancers also stole five bases and scored at least one run in every inning.
“We were up against a very aggressive team on the bases today,” Donley said. “We haven’t seen that type of aggressiveness and speed on the bases this season.”