Jun 1, 2015 5 min read

ERIE – Shawn Gray, the head softball coach at Trinity High School, has heard the critics. They like to say that Trinity is a talented team and has some of the best players in Class AAA, not only in the WPIAL but the state. They also say the Hillers have a weak link in pitcher Paige Galentine. Those critics say she doesn’t throw hard enough or strike out enough batters.

Gray has a message for those critics: shut up.

Galentine showed on a raw Monday afternoon that you can win big games by simply following the plan, keeping the ball down in the strike zone and making good pitches in clutch situations. The junior right-hander threw a two-hit shutout, and Trinity gave their pitcher an early lead with a two-run top of the first inning, as the Hillers knocked off District 10 champion Warren, 3-0, in a PIAA first-round playoff game at Penn State Behrend.

The win advances Trinity (18-5) to the quarterfinals Thursday against WPIAL champion Belle Vernon, a 3-0 winner over District 9 champion Punxsutawney. The site and time will be announced today.

Galentine held District 10 champion Warren (16-2) to two singles, one by Paige Wilson through the right side of the infield with two outs in the second inning and a clean single to left field by Rachel Wilson to lead off the sixth. Galentine finished with five strikeouts.

“Paige has come through for us,” Gray said. “She has turned the corner as a pitcher. She’s been dominating. To hold a team that was 16-1 to only two hits … you can’t ask for more than that.”

Galentine’s performance did have a few blips as she issued seven walks and hit a batter, but Gray says some of the free passes were simply the result of his pitcher executing the game plan. Gray wanted to pitch around Paige Wilson, who had a .609 batting average, and take his chances with the rest of the Warren lineup. Galentine walked the Dragons’ catcher three times.

“Paige has been executing what we’ve been asking her to do,” Gray said. “All of her pitches were working today.”

She needed all of them to escape a few tight spots, especially in the bottom of the seventh, when Warren loaded the bases with two outs. During the inning, Galentine tweaked her hamstring when she slipped on the soft field and needed a visit from the trainer.

Galentine walked Paige Wilson with two out to load the bases in the seventh but got Warren cleanup hitter Megan Wartman to hit a soft line drive to first baseman Delaney Elling that ended the game.

Opportunity knocked, and knocked and knocked for Warren, but the Dragons never answered. They also left the bases loaded in the third inning and stranded 10 baserunners.

“That was so uncharacteristic of us, for whatever reason” Warren coach Mark Buck said. “We just lacked the ability to put something together and gain some momentum. (Galentine) did a nice job of mixing her pitches.”

Trinity took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Shortstop Olivia Gray hit a line drive that found the right-field corner and she didn’t stop running until she had a triple. After Elling walked, Gray scored when Galentine grounded out to second base. Hali Justice made it 2-0 when her two-out infield single scored pinch-runner Sara Beecham.

Madison Hornack led off the third inning with a bunt single for Trinity and stole second base. Two batters later, she made it 3-0 by scoring when Elling hit a hot smash that went between the legs of Rachel Wilson, Warren’s third baseman.

Hornack also was involved in a key play in the bottom of the sixth. After Rachel Wilson’s leadoff single, Maddie Loutzenhiser hit a grounder to Hornack at second base. As she fielded the ball, Hornack’s glove clipped Wilson. The second base umpire immediately signaled interference on Wilson, but Hornack remained focused and completed a double play by throwing to first base to retire Loutzenhiser.

“The ball, the runner and I all met at the same time,” Hornack explained. “They called interference, but I knew to try and get a double play. I wasn’t familiar with the call – I didn’t know if it was a dead ball or if I could get the double play.”

After a discussion among all four umpires, it was ruled a double play.

“That was a huge defensive play. It took the momentum they had right out of the inning,” Gray said.

Warren had one last threat in the seventh, but Galentine was up to the task of complete-game shutout in the state playoffs.

“You can tell there are a lot of travel softball players on Trinity’s team,” Buck said. “You can tell by the way they carry themselves. You can tell that’s a seasoned group.”