Monessen tops Uniontown in five
Monessen's Soleil (7) Simpson's attempt to steal third base is foiled by Uniontown's Emilee Harvilla (24) during the non-section game between Uniontown and Monessen at Monessen Field.
Darnell Graham
Monessen’s Destiny Habeck (5) arrives on second base with seconds to spare while Uniontown’s Bailey Hoover (48) awaits ball during the non-section game between Monessen and Uniontown at Monessen Field.
Darnell Graham
Monessen pitcher Dana Vatakis prepares to release the ball during the non-section game. The Lady Greyhounds play defending champion Jefferson-Morgan in the Class A WPIAL softball playoffs Monday.
MONESSEN – Saturday afternoon, Monessen stepped out of section play to pick up a five-inning exhibition win at home over Uniontown, 13-3.
“It is good to get a win against a Triple-A team and we have been in a lull the last couple of games,” said Monessen coach Bo Teets. “We had a really good practice yesterday. It carried over to today and hopefully we can keep it going.”
Uniontown coach Steve Forsythe said that errors, much like they have all year, haunted his team.
“We have been committing too many errors all season and that is why we are where we are,” he said. “We are seeing improvement though and will keep trying to improve.”
Uniontown (0-11) came out hot to start the game in the chilly weather as Robin Rishel hammered a double to start the game and Lei Guthrie singled her in to give the guests a 1-0 lead.
Even Uniontown’s three outs in the inning were hit hard, a fact not lost on Teets.
“They were crushing the ball and that is the hardest hitting top of the lineup we may have seen this year,” he said.
Dana Vatakis doubled to lead off the home half of the first and scored on a Shelby Minardi double.
Monessen (10-3) tacked on two more unearned runs to take a 3-1 lead into the second inning and it plated nine runs in the second inning to blow the game wide open.
The big hit of the inning was a bases-loaded triple by Vatakis.
Monessen tacked on another unearned run in the third and Uniontown added one of its own in the fourth.
Guthrie, who closed the scoring in the fifth with a towering home run, added two singles for Uniontown while Vatakis (triple and double) and Minardi (double and single) paced Monessen.
Both teams play exhibition games Monday. Monessen travels to Charleroi while Uniontown hosts Frazier.