Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Week
Name: Madison Renner
School: West Greene
Year: Sophomore
Sport: Softball
Renner’s week: The right-handed pitcher/shortstop drove in 10 runs, went 8-for-18 at the plate and struck out 26 batters to lead West Greene to four wins, including a victory over Deer Lakes, the defending WPIAL Class AA champions.
She helped her cause against Deer Lakes in Myrtle Beach by going 2-for-4 with a double and an inside-the-park home run and four RBI. Renner had four doubles, a triple and a home run during the five-game stretch.
“I was just calm, and I knew my team had my back,” Renner said. “Whatever happened, I knew they were going to help me out and make the play behind me. I wasn’t really worried.”
Picking up: No one in Rogersville is surprised Renner assumed the role as the team’s ace pitcher. Her cousin, senior Bailey Bennington, who missed two games hasn’t pitched this season after fouling a ball off her inside left ankle. She proved last season she could throw meaningful innings and deliver clutch hits at the plate.
Renner is batting .520 with seven extra-base hits and 17 RBI for the Pioneers (1-0, 6-1), who scored at least seven runs in each of their wins.
“Her hits aren’t little flares going over the second baseman’s head; it is an absolute line drive coming off the center of the bat,” West Greene head coach Bill Simms said. “She’s really dialed in and even the outs she’s making are hit extremely hard.”
Renner also is dialed in as a pitcher. Using a refined changeup, she had 33 strikeouts, a 1.95 ERA and only four walks, including just two in five games last week. Opponents are batting .206 against her and she only allowed three hits against Section 1-A rival Chartiers-Houston, a perennial power, Monday afternoon.
“I’m more confident knowing I have, not a better team, but more of a solid, athletic team behind me,” Renner said. “It makes it easier as a pitcher.”
Thinking big: West Greene reached the WPIAL Class A playoffs last spring with a third-place finish in Section 1-A, which featured the WPIAL champion and runner-up, and fell in the first round to Greensburg Central Catholic, 11-7.
The playoff loss and experiencing the atmosphere at California University’s Lilley Field have the Pioneers hungry to make a run in Class A, but Simms wants to keep his players grounded. There’s no denying, however, that with a strong freshman class, West Greene looks improved in every facet.
“That really motivated us because we hadn’t made the playoffs in recent years,” Renner said of the loss to GCC. “What happened last year motivated us to go far this year and having this team we have now, I feel like we’re going to go pretty far.”
Compiled by Lance Lysowski