May 31, 2016 4 min read

IMPERIAL – The deepest run the Monessen High School girls softball program has ever made in the WPIAL playoffs reached the finish line Tuesday afternoon, a few runs and key hits shy of holding off North Catholic’s finishing kick.

Cardinal Weurl North Catholic first baseman TayJay White hit a two-run single, on an 0-2 pitch, capping a three-run sixth inning and giving the Trojans a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Monessen in the Class A third-place game at West Allegheny’s sun-baked field.

North Catholic (16-5) bounced back from a loss to Chartiers-Houston in the semifinals and advances to the PIAA playoffs that begin Monday. The Trojans will play District 10 champion Saegertown in the first round.

Monessen (15-6), which had never won a WPIAL playoff game until this year, was two innings away from the PIAA berth as the Greyhounds led 2-0 through five innings.

“Five minutes after losing, it’s hard to reflect. But I told the girls that as much as it hurts stings right now, weeks and months from now we’re going to look back and say we’ve built this program and took it to places where nobody thought we could go,” Monessen coach Bo Teets said.

It appeared the Greyhounds were on their way to the state tournament after the fifth inning. Monessen senior pitcher Dana Vatakis was working a three-hit shutout, but the third time through North Catholic’s batting order proved to be the turning point in the game and the Greyhounds’ season.

Bridgette Hudson, the Trojans’ leadoff hitter, started the pivotal sixth inning with a single. After Vatakis struck out Mina Shaw, North Catholic pitcher Alayna Derzak walked. Cleanup hitter Adrienne Nardone then laced a hard single off the glove of sliding shortstop Madison Guzzie and the ball got past the Greyhounds’ left fielder. Hudson scored to make it 2-1 while Derzak and Nardone each advanced into scoring position.

Vatakis appeared to be on her way to working out of the jam by quickly getting ahead of White in the count. But White smacked a changeup through the middle to score Derzak and Nardone and give North Catholic a 3-2 lead.

Teets said he called for the changeup and was second-guessing himself after the game.

“There’s always one you want to have back, and that was our one,” Teets said. “When you’re calling pitches, sometimes you outthink yourself. I did on that one. I thought we’d change (White) up, but to her credit she sat back on the pitch and drove it.”

Monessen threatened in both the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings but couldn’t push across the tying run.

In the sixth, Shelby Mirandi singled and Madison Telegraphis drew a two-out walk, but they were left stranded. In the seventh, Kelsey Bachinski led off with a single and advanced to second on a groundout. Derzak got her only strikeout of the game for the second out and Vatakis had a well-hit flyout to end the game.

Monessen took a 2-0 lead in the fourth but it could have been an even bigger inning for the Greyhounds had it not been for a baserunning miscue. Vatakis had a leadoff walk and Guzzie followed with a single. Mirandi then doubled to the gap in left centerfield, scoring Vitakis with the game’s first run. Carly Rock followed by reaching on an error as Guzzie scored.

The threat then fizzled when a courtesy runner for Rock, the Greyhounds’ catcher, was picked off first base and two fly balls ended the inning and left Mirandi at third base.

“That was tough,” Teets said of the baserunning mistake. “We were building a little momentum. That out took the wind out of our sails.”