Lady Pioneers’ offense kicks back into gear vs. DuBois
WEXFORD — West Greene’s offense was stymied in its state quarterfinal against Claysburg-Kimmel pitcher Courtney Garver but had no trouble in Monday’s PIAA softball semifinal against DuBois Central Catholic at North Allegheny High School.
The Lady Pioneers (25-1) scored nine runs on 11 hits and were aided by two errors in defeating the Lady Cardinals (23-2) for the second straight season in the state semifinals. West Greene, who topped DuBois Central Catholic, 5-2, last year, plays Williams Valley on Friday at Penn State University. The first pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Sophomore Kaitlyn Rizor, who hit a home run in the quarterfinals for one of the Lady Pioneers’ six hits, was 4 for 4 with a double, three singles, four RBIs and one run scored. Rizor’s three-run double in the third inning scored McKenna Lampe, Madison Lampe and Madison Renner to give West Greene a 4-0 advantage. McKenna and Madison Lampe drew back-to-back walks, and Renner had a base hit up the middle to load the bases for Rizor.
“I didn’t know if the ball was going to be caught (on Rizor’s double), so I had the girl at third kind of semi-tagging, but when I actually looked to go ahead and bring them, Renner was already coming around third and about a foot away from our previous runner,” West Greene coach Bill Simms said. “I could have gotten us jammed up there pretty hard, but evidently Madison (Renner) had a better read on the ball than I did or we wouldn’t have scored the third run. I didn’t make a good read on the ball but it was a key hit.
“If someone can convince me that Kaitlyn Rizor wasn’t All-State last year or gets snubbed this year, there shouldn’t be a ballot,” Simms said. “She can play on any team with anybody. She is a little girl, frame wise, but just has great extension, which is why we love her at second base and she hits the ton out of the ball.”
Rizor admitted that Lady Cardinals starting pitcher Riley Assalone threw much harder than Garver, and that made it tougher for the Lady Pioneers at the plate. Rizor improved on her .526 average from the clean-up spot. She has five home runs, nine doubles and 32 RBIs.
“She threw me an inside fastball on the double,” Rizor said. “I think that was a huge momentum swing for us and gave Jade (Renner) a lot of breathing room on the mound and gave us room to work.
“She (Assalone) was a lot faster than the pitcher in the quarterfinals. I don’t really remember much about facing her last year, but I think I hit one off the fence.”
Rizor wasn’t the only West Greene batter to have a big day at the plate, as Madison Lampe hit a two-run home run in the fourth to score sister McKenna, and give her team a 7-2 lead. Madison singled, walked and scored three runs. McKenna, who tripled to score Linzee Stover before her sister’s homer, drew a walk and scored twice.
“I shouldn’t leak this out to the press, but Madison Lampe has the greatest missed sign in West Greene history right now,” Simms said. “With her sister on third, we put the squeeze bunt on, and with her sister running on the pitch she hits a two-run homer.”
Madison Lampe came into the game batting .573 and has eight home runs and 51 RBIs. McKenna is known for her speed on the base paths and in the outfield but recorded her first triple of the season in Monday’s game. McKenna entered the state semifinal batting .667 with seven home runs and collected her 33rd run batted in.
“I was just trying to get a hit and score McKenna,” said Madison Lampe of missing the bunt sign. “When I first hit it, I thought I had too much air on it, but our first base coach, Mr. (Eric) Bedilion told me it’s out.”
McKenna Lampe leads the Lady Pioneers with 48 stolen bases, and although she didn’t swipe a bag, she appeared to have Assalone and her catcher, Jordy Frank, off their game when she walked in the third, as both were paying more attention to her stealing second than Madison Lampe at the plate, which set the stage for Rizor’s heroics.
“It usually sparks everybody when McKenna (Lampe) gets on,” Madison Lampe said. “My goal is just to try and move McKenna around the bases.”