Lady Pioneers rally for walk-off win over South Side
McMURRAY – Take your thumb and fourth finger and spread as far as you can from each other. That’s how close to a foul ball Payton Gilbert’s base hit was in the bottom of the eighth inning. The softball landed in fair territory down the right-field line and scored Katie Brudnock with the winning run in the eighth inning as third-seeded West Greene pulled out a 7-6 victory over sixth-seeded South Side on Monday in the quarterfinals of the WPIAL Class A softball playoffs.
Gilbert’s RBI single in the eighth was the only time West Greene (14-3) led in the game.
“I’ve seen the No.1 team in the country get beat two or three times,” said West Greene coach Bill Simms. “Not everyone has its best game all the time. Their pitcher had a tremendous game. I think she went 4-for-4. I don’t look at us faltering as much as she had a hell of a game.”
The Lady Pioneers trailed right from the beginning when South Side starting pitcher Mya Ringhoff smashed a three-run home run over the center field fence in the first inning. West Greene would chase those runs until Gilbert’s hit.
“I had faith that it was going to be fair,” said Gilbert. “It was really close.”
The Lady Rams (11-7) gave up the big lead in the bottom of the first inning when Emmaline Beazell drove in two runs with a double to center field. Beazell would have four RBIs on the day.
“Everyone is responsible on this team,” said Beazell. “It’s not just one player.”
South Side took a 6-3 lead in the top of the fifth, but West Greene answered with two more in the bottom of the fifth to trail 6-5. Kendra Tharp and Kylee Davis each drove in a run.
The Lady Pioneers tied the game 6-6 in the seventh inning on an RBI double by Gilbert.
Brudnock doubled leading off the bottom of the eighth for West Greene and remained there after a ground out and walk to Marissa Tharp. That brought up Gilbert to deliver the walk-off hit.
West Greene’s win sets up a third meeting against Section 2 rival Carmichaels, the No. 2 seed, in the semifinals on Wednesday in a 6 p.m. game at Pleasant Valley Elementary School in the Peters Township School District. The Lady Mikes won both regular-season meetings.
Fifth-seeded Jefferson-Morgan also advanced to the final four with a 5-0 victory over Sewickley Academy to give Section 2 three of the four teams in the semifinals along with No. 1 Union.