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Triple play, shutout by freshman spark West Greene to win

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West Greene’s Madison Renner hits a home run to conclude the game against Shanksville-Stoneycreek in the PIAA Class A playoffs at North Allegheny High School Tuesday.

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West Greene’s Jade Renner makes the throw against Shanksville-Stoneycreek in the PIAA Class A playoff game at North Allegheny High School Tuesday.

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West Greene’s Kaitlyn Rizor beats the tag by Shanksville-Stoneycreek’s Kara Platt in the PIAA Class A playoff game at North Allegheny High School Tuesday.

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West Greene’s Kaitlyn Rizor beats the tag by Shanksville-Stoneycreek’s Kara Platt in the PIAA Class A playoff game at North Allegheny High School Tuesday.

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West Greene’s Madison Renner hits a home run off Shanksville-Stoneycreek’s Lexus Wilt to win the game in the PIAA Class A playoff game at North Allegheny High School Tuesday.

McCANDLESS – West Greene softball won its Class A PIAA first-round playoff game Tuesday against District 5 runner-up Shanksville-Stonycreek, 10-0, in six innings. The Pioneers won because of a gem by their pitcher, a rare defensive play and a persistent offense.

Freshman pitcher Jade Renner led the Pioneers both in the circle and at the plate Tuesday at North Allegheny High School. The southpaw tossed six shutout innings while going 2-for-3 with the bat.

Renner faced only two batters over the minimum as only one Shanksville-Stonycreek runner reached second base. While getting ahead of 13 of 20 Vikings batters, Renner allowed two hits, walked one and struck out one.

Renner’s best pitch, her changeup, didn’t cause many swings and misses but rather weak contact. Only four batted balls left the infield for Shanksville-Stonycreek as Renner induced nine groundball outs.

“She had her changeup that she was locating for strikes,” West Greene head coach Bill Simms said. “She was locating it for strikes in any count (and) leading it off with a strike if we needed to. We threw a couple other pitches that we don’t throw a lot, too. She worked her riser two times, (and) her two-seam fastball was really biting down, so she had a lot of stuff today.”

At the plate, Renner hit an RBI double in the third inning and an RBI single in the fourth to add to her cause.

“She scolded (the double) pretty good,” Simms said. “She’s really come on the last two games with the bat.”

Renner had three RBI in the WPIAL championship game last week against Monessen.

“Usually when I pitch, I don’t hit as well. But usually when I don’t pitch, I hit better,” Renner said. “But just like the WPIAL championship game I did both (today).”

It wasn’t just Renner’s prowess in the circle that shut down the Vikings. The West Greene defense did, too.

Sophomore Madison Lampe made a slick backhand play at third base, and Mackenzie Carpenter recorded a 9-3 putout on a would-be single to right field.

The biggest defensive help for Renner came in a fifth inning that started shaky for the Pioneers. Down 7-0, Shanksville-Stonycreek’s Alyson Platt doubled to start the inning and Alyssa Custer followed with a walk to pose the team’s biggest scoring threat on the day.

Lynn Brewer then hit a line drive that was caught by first baseman Lexie Mooney right over the bag. Mooney then tagged first base for the second out and fired to second base to easily retire Platt and record the triple play. Both baserunners were running on contact.

“I think it probably took a lot of wind out of their sails,” Simms said. “But, at the same time, they were probably running on contact trying to get something going, but Mooney just made a nice snare there.”

West Greene didn’t waste any time scoring and never let up as the Pioneers scored in five of six innings off Shanksville-Stonycreek’s pitcher, sophomore Lexus Wilt.

Sophomore center fielder McKenna Lampe led the game off with a bunt single, and her twin sister Madison Lampe hit a flyball to right field that was dropped by Shanksville-Stonycreek, putting the twins on second and third. Junior shortstop Madison Renner hit a sacrifice fly to score McKenna Lampe.

Sophomore second baseman Kaitlyn Rizor singled to score Madison Lampe and came around to score on a wild pitch to give the Pioneers a 3-0 lead in the first.

Mooney led off the second inning with a walk and came around to score on a McKenna Lampe single. Madison Renner started the third inning with a single and scored on a double to center field by Jade Renner.

McKenna Lampe bunted for a single to start the fourth inning and scored on a Madison Lampe sacrifice fly. After singling to left field, Rizor, who went 3-for-3, scored on Jade Renner’s single to increase to lead to 7-0.

“We just had to work the count a little bit more in our favor,” Simms said. “I thought we were hunting strikes there for a stretch from the third through the fifth inning, where we’re not letting the ball come to us.”

After being retired in order in the fifth, the Pioneers needed only three batters to score the three runs necessary to win the game via the mercy rule. McKenna Lampe led off with a single off Wilt’s leg and Madison Lampe hit a two-run home run to left field. Three pitches later, Madison Renner followed with a solo homer to straightaway center field to reach envoke the 10-run rule.

McKenna Lampe led the Pioneers, going 4-for-4 with three runs, two stolen bases and an RBI.

“She makes it go at the top,” Simms said. “When we get leadoff on and our (second) leadoff on with her sister, we’re pretty potent up there with the hitters coming behind them.”

Wilt allowed 10 runs (six earned) over five innings. The righty gave up 12 hits while walking two and striking out two.

West Greene will face District 6 runner-up Claysburg Kimmel, which won its first-round game 11-5 over District 9 runner-up Coudersport, Thursday. The location and time will be announced today.

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