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Waynesburg can’t crack Scotties

3 min read

McMURRAY – Throughout Tuesday afternoon’s WPIAL Class 3A softball semifinals, the fans of Waynesburg High School played a waiting game.

Surely, the Raiders would break free and take control of the semifinal game against Southmoreland. It could only be a matter of time before the bats boomed and Waynesburg earned a trip to the finals.

That time never came.

Behind the strong pitching of Maddie Brown and the even stronger defense of Southmoreland, Waynesburg fell, 7-0, to the Scotties at Peterswood Park.

Brown allowed seven hits, an average of one an inning and that’s what it almost was, one an inning. Waynesburg got only one player to third base and had runners in scoring position twice.

But the Scotties’ defense, and especially second baseman Bryn Chernesky, who had two putouts and seven assists, was fantastic.

“Brown was not that dominating, I don’t think,” said Waynesburg head coach Jim Armstrong. “We just didn’t hit very well. We batted poorly.”

Both teams have qualified for the state playoffs. Waynesburg will play Burrell, a 3-0 loser to Avonworth yesterday, for third place in the classification at a site, date and time to be determined.

Southmoreland plays Avonworth for the WPIAL title. The Scotties have won nine games in a row.

“Our own errors did us in,” said Armstrong. “We didn’t need anyone’s help with that.”

Two errors by Waynesburg led to single runs for Southmoreland. Centerfielder Taylor Doppelhauer knocked in two runs, left fielder Riley Puckey brought home two runs and third baseman Brooke McBeth and DH Gwyn Bassinger had key hits in a four-run seventh.

“This was one of Maddie’s more dominating performances,” said Southmoreland head coach Todd Bunner. “She bent a little bit but didn’t allow any runs to cross the plate. She got strong when she needed to. She didn’t walk anyone. She didn’t give us any free runners.”

Brown said she felt it was one of her better games but credited the defense.

“They were so solid behind me,” said Brown. “We had a lot of runners out at second base. Bryn just did a tremendous job keeping runners from getting to third and into scoring position.

“Our hitters were good. We were able to get some gaps. We laid some good bunts down, made some good contact.”

Waynesburg came into the game as the third seed in the class and Southmoreland was the second seed. Waynesburg is 16-4, losing also to Belle Vernon, Trinity and Chartiers-Houston.

Southmoreland is 16-2, losing to Belle Vernon in the season opener and Ligonier Valley at midseason.

Southmoreland took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth and put the game away with a four-run uprising in the sixth.

“They are hard outs,” Armstrong said. “I played them for four years, so I know they’re tough. I respect them.”

Armstrong said this is the first time in 18 years Waynesburg has been in a semifinal game.

“We just didn’t hit well in this game,” he said. “I’m proud of my kids. We just didn’t hit well.”

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