Wheeler’s home run gives Monessen first win over West Greene since 2014
Jacob Calvin Meyer/Observer-Reporter
Cara Wheeler celebrates rounding the bases after her two-out, two-run home run in the seventh inning to give Monessen the lead Thursday.
Dana Vatakis, who earned the win for Monessen, throwing a change-up.
Madison Renner delivers a pitch. The southpaw threw a complete game, allowing two runs on two hits in the loss.
ROGERSVILLE – Everybody thought the game was over.
Parents stood up to put away their lawn chairs.
Players in both dugouts started packing up their bags.
West Greene’s fielders were eager to congratulate Jade Renner, who took a no-hitter into the sixth and was one strike away from completing a one-hit shutout.
Everybody thought the game was over … except Cara Wheeler.
Jacob Calvin Meyer/Observer-Reporter
Cara Wheeler and her teammates celebrate in the dugout after Wheeler’s seventh-inning home run.
After striking out against Renner in her first two at-bats, Wheeler hammered a 2-2 fastball over the left field fence to put Monessen up 2-1 and give the Greyhounds their first win over the defending Class A state champions since 2014.
“Going to bat, I knew this is where it would all count. I just wanted to get a base hit to advance (Maddie Guzzie),” Wheeler said. “I went up there and swung, and it all worked out.”
Prior to Wheeler’s home run, Guzzie walked with two outs on a 3-2 count to bring up Wheeler, who had never hit a home run in her eight years of playing softball.
“After those two strikeouts, I thought to myself that it wasn’t my game and that we’ll see them again,” she said. “But coach told me to move back in the box and to swing at whatever looks good.”
Monessen head coach Bo Teets said he was confident in Wheeler because she was used to being under pressure.
“Cara’s been a girl who’s really fought for her position,” Teets said. “She’s been one of the girls to come in and earn what she gets, and throughout the course of the year, she’s done that. With her mindset, fighting for that job and earning that job, I knew she would be mentally tough enough to stay in there and fight until the end.”
West Greene (6-1, 9-3) got on the board first in the Section 2-A matchup at Center Township Park. After not being able to score in the first, the Pioneers smacked three hits in the second inning and put immense pressure on Monessen’s defense.
Jersey Wise reached base on an infield single with two outs, stole second and advanced on a throwing error by the catcher. McKenna Lampe then roped a single to right field to score her.
Jacob Calvin Meyer/Observer-Reporter
Dana Vatakis was the winning pitcher for the Greyhounds, striking out seven and allowing one run in the complete game.
Two more batters reached to load the bases, but Monessen starter and Robert Morris commit Dana Vatakis struck the next batter out to escape the threat. The righty wouldn’t allow another run in her complete-game win, striking out seven and walking three (two intentionally).
“I’ve said it time and time again: Anytime she takes the circle, they’ve got a chance to win,” said West Greene head coach Bill Simms. “That’s what I think of her. I think she’s that good.”
The rest of the game – until Wheeler’s home run – was a pitcher’s duel. Vatakis faced one over the minimum in her next four frames, while Renner faced only 15 batters. Renner also tossed a complete game, allowing two hits, two walks and two runs while striking out eight.
Jacob Calvin Meyer/Observer-Reporter
West Greene pitcher Jade Renner winds up to deliver a pitch.
Simms said he expects Renner, a sophomore, to be more disappointed in the two-out walk to Guzzie than the home run to Wheeler.
“I think if Jade is going to be critical of herself it’s the previous batter where you put a batter on for free,” Simms said. “If the previous batter hits a home run, we’re probably still playing. When you put people on for free in big games, it should be a penalty.”
In the bottom of the seventh, Teets made a very unconventional coaching decision. With one out, Teets decided to intentionally walk Madison Renner, putting the tying run on base. Vatakis retired two of the next three batters to end the game and pay off Teets risky move.
“In the past, (Renner) has hit balls that I don’t think have landed – on great pitches, too, not just on meatballs over the plate,” Teets said. “We just felt she was a girl who could tie it up with one swing. We felt we were better with their 4-5-6 (hitters) than we were with her.”
Jacob Calvin Meyer/Observer-Reporter
Jacob Calvin Meyer/Observer-Reporter
West Greene shortstop Madison Renner reaches for a pop-up in the fourth inning.
Teets said the win could be a stepping stone for Monessen (8-1, 9-1), which has been outscored by the Pioneers 45-3 in their last six meetings, with one being a 1-0 loss at home last season.
“This has been a friendly rivalry,” Teets said. “They’ve been the measuring stick for the last couple of years. We’ve been there, but we haven’t been able to get over the hump. Today, we were able to do that.”