Jun 4, 2025 By Rob Burchianti 3 min read

West Greene coach Bill Simms took a positive view of his softball team after its season ended Monday evening with a 9-0 PIAA first-round playoff loss to Cambridge Springs at Slippery Rock University.

“I told my girls that the one umpire we’ve had in several of our state games came up to me and said, ‘Hey Coach, if you’re playing in June you’re doing something right.’ So I relayed that to the players as something to take out of the game, because that’s very true,” Simms said.

“We wanted to focus on what we got done and not on what we didn’t do.”

What the Lady Pioneers (16-5) got done was finish second in Section 2-A behind Carmichaels and win three out of four WPIAL playoff games, including a third-place consolation game to qualify for the state tournament.

The District 10 champion Lady Devils (16-2) made sure West Greene’s stay in the PIAA playoffs would be short thanks to pitcher Kayla Crawford who threw a three-hit shutout. Crawford struck out 10 and walked two.

Jaydan Simmons hit two home runs for Cambridge Springs with a two-run blast off Lady Pioneers starting pitcher Payton Gilbert in the first inning and a solo shot off reliever Katie Brudnock in a four-run fourth that made it 6-0.

The Lady Devils added two runs in the fourth and one in the sixth.

Simmons and Aubri Crawford each had three RBIs for the Lady Devils, who also got a double from Morgan Dunton.

Gilbert allowed five runs on two hits with five walks and two strikeouts in two innings to take the loss. Brudnock surrendered three earned runs on five hits with no walks and no strikeouts in four innings of work.

Madelynn Roberts had two of West Greene’s three hits with Brudnock accounting for the other, all singles.

In looking ahead, Simms noted the Lady Pioneers only lose two seniors, although they are key players in Gilbert and lead-off hitter and center fielder Marissa Tharp.

“We’ve got what we feel is an impact group of freshmen coming that might be able to fill a couple holes,” said Simms, who complimented his team after the game.

“I’m proud of this group for what they gave me. I thought we were a little bit shorthanded at times but they muscled through the meat of the schedule and found a way to be in the (WPIAL) final four and make the state playoffs.”