Double trouble
Cavaliere, Senge lead LH softball to victory over rival Uniontown
Laurel Highlands enters the majority of its games with a solid chance to come out victorious.
With sophomore Payton Senge and her miniscule ERA in the pitching circle, coupled with her ability to record double-digit strikeouts in any outing, the Mustangs are a formidable softball team.
When Pat Livingston’s team hit like it did Wednesday afternoon against cross-town rival Uniontown in a Section 2-4A contest, Laurel Highlands is nearly unbeatable.
The Mustangs scored 11 runs on 15 hits and Senge threw a one-hit shutout over five innings while striking out 11 in an 11-0 victory over the Red Raiders at Laurel Highlands.
“We are a different team than we were a few weeks ago,” Livingston said. “We needed some other players to step up and contribute because Payton (Senge) can’t do it all herself, and they have been doing that. We’ve had timely hitting, and our defense has been making the routine plays. When you have a pitcher like Payton, you don’t always need a ton of offense, but it was good to see our girls hit like they did today.”
Senge, who allowed a lead-off single to her pitching opponent, Emmaleigh Noah, in the second, was otherwise dominant in recording her 11 strikeouts and not walking a batter.
“It feels great to win a game like this,” Senge said. “I am so happy for my seniors. I am super excited for our next game. My arm feels great.”
Senge, who singled twice, walked and drove in two runs, had plenty of run support, as teammate Emme Cavaliere hit two home runs and drove in five runs. She added a base hit and scored three runs.
The Mustangs improved to 7-4 in section and overall play, and have an opportunity to finish second in the section with a win over West Mifflin (7-3, 11-3) this afternoon at home. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. LH handed the Titans a 6-0 defeat on Monday, which also clinched the program’s first playoff berth since 2013.
“We are looking forward to Friday’s game,” Livingston said. “With the way our team has been playing, I believe we can compete with anybody.”
Livingston has stated that the turning point in this season for his team was a 14-4 setback to Oakland Catholic on April 10. Senge didn’t pitch that game, but Livingston believed it was a wake-up call for his squad.
Laurel Highlands has won three of its last four games since the setback to the Eagles, including an 11-1 triumph over Belle Vernon last Friday on senior night.
The Mustangs’ lone loss following the debacle against Oakland Catholic was a 1-0 defeat to Elizabeth Forward, who is ranked No. 1 in the WPIAL softball standings in Class 4A. The Warriors’ only loss this season was to Class 6A Spring-Ford on March 18 at the KSA SunSational Spring Training tournament in Orlando, Fla. Spring-Ford topped Elizabeth Forward, 7-2, but the Warriors have won their last 12 games.
Cavaliere, like Livingston, believes her team took the loss to the Eagles personally, and have been playing their best softball at the right time.
“That loss set a fire under us,” Cavaliere said. “We have been chugging along since that loss to Oakland Catholic, and we are looking forward to our next game.”
Cavaliere had a close eye on Senge from her spot at third base, and had no doubt her teammate would close the game out with a strikeout in the fifth inning, as the 10-run rule was in effect.
“Payton is a dog, and I love her to death,” Cavaliere said. “She is really strong on the mound, very aggressive, but also defensive, and I trust her a lot as our pitcher.”
Uniontown coach Jason White has also guided his club to the playoffs, and the Red Raiders have earned a postseason berth the past four years, so White is still optimistic his team can turn around their fortunes. He also gave credit to Senge, who is tough to stop when she gets on a roll.
“We couldn’t get on it early against her, and that’s what you have to do,” White said. “When you let her start to groove, she grooves. You want to put the pressure on early, and we just didn’t do it. It is super hard to sweep in this section, too. This is the toughest section in Class 4A, no doubt about it, and I will challenge anyone who says it’s not. “Top-to-bottom, there are a lot of good teams in this section. It is really hard to sweep a team, especially at home, and the pressure was on us to come in here and do what we needed to do in the first game, and it just didn’t happen.”
Laurel Highlands took the only lead Senge would need in the second inning when Cavaliere singled on a line drive to center field, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and stole third before scoring on Liv McClelland’s base hit to left field for a 1-0 lead.
The home team added three runs in the third for a 4-0 advantage.
Harlie Dirda tripled to left field with one out and scored on Senge’s base hit for a 2-0 lead.
Noah would buckle down for a strikeout following Senge’s RBI for two outs, but Cavaliere blasted a two-run shot to right field on a 3-2 count.
Noah had a rough outing, but she did record six strikeouts and only walked one batter.
The Mustangs exploded for seven runs on eight hits in the fourth to score their final runs.
McClelland doubled to right field to lead off the frame and courtesy runner Kendra Pitts scored on Aubrey Speelman’s single to center field for a 5-0 advantage.
Izzy Coleman’s line drive to right field moved Speelman to second before Kayla Howell’s second hit off the game loaded the bases with no one out.
Dirda reached on a fielder’s choice, as Uniontown’s Gracie Rodeheaver fired the ball from shortstop to catcher Tessa Livingood to record the out at the plate before Senge walked with the bases loaded to score Coleman for Laurel Highlands’ sixth run.
Chloe Komacko’s line drive to center field plated Howell and Dirda for an 8-0 lead before Cavaliere cleared the bases with a three-run homer to center field for an 11-run advantage. Senge and Komacko also scored on Cavaliere’s round-tripper.
Cavaliere didn’t admit to any special approach when she came up to bat, but is pleased to see the hard work her team has put in is starting to pay off.
“I was just looking for my pitch,” said Cavaliere in regards to her approach at the plate. “I don’t really sit in the box with any thoughts in my head. I am not hunting for an inside or an outside pitch. I am just waiting for the right pitch. I go into the box with no thoughts and I leave with no thoughts.”
The Red Raiders (6-5, 8-5) finish section play on Monday at Oakland Catholic (2-8, 2-8). The game’s first pitch is set for 4 p.m.
“We will use today’s loss as the fuel we need to fire off into the playoffs,” White said. “We are going to go into that game with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder.”