May 12, 2015 4 min read

CALIFORNIA – West Greene returned to the WPIAL softball playoffs with strong defense behind junior pitcher Bailey Bennington and an emphasis on fundamentals, particularly on the basepaths.

Those strengths quickly became trouble spots Tuesday afternoon.

The Pioneers committed eight errors, including five in the fifth inning, to allow Greensburg Central Catholic to regain the lead, and stranded 11 baserunners as they fell to the Centurions, 11-7, in a WPIAL Class A first round playoff game at California University’s Lilley Field.

West Greene’s season ends with a 10-8 record, while 10th-seeded Greensburg Central Catholic (10-4) advances to the quarterfinals to face No. 2 Frazier, a 14-1 winner over Riverview.

Despite two baserunning errors that cost them two runs, the Pioneers trailed 4-2 entering the fourth inning. They grounded out twice to begin the inning before Emily Goodwin hit a single and Bennington, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, doubled to left centerfield. Goodwin scored and Bennington advanced to third on a throwing error.

Freshman Madison Renner then reached on an error – one of four by GCC – to score Bennington, and Lexie Mooney hit an RBI double to give West Greene a 5-4 lead.

From there, everything began to unravel for the Pioneers. They committed five errors in the top of the fifth inning, allowing the Centurions to score four runs for an 8-5 lead.

“We ran ourselves out of two innings,” West Greene head coach Billy Simms said. “Overall, it was an uncharacteristic day for us. I’m sure it was for them, too. I doubt they struggle defensively, either. I don’t know if it was nerves or what, but we didn’t run the bases well at all.”

West Greene added two runs in the fifth inning on RBIs by Hannah Reed and Goodwin. With two outs, GCC walked Bennington and Renner to load the bases, but Centurions pitcher Nicole Adisey got Mooney to line out to end the inning.

Adisey was a threat at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a two-run homer in the third inning and a two-out, two-run double in the sixth that gave GCC a three-run cushion.

“I probably made a coaching error in the sixth by not walking Adisey,” Simms admitted. “We had two strikes on her, so I thought we’d go high and in, but she crushed that double.”

The Centurions added one run in the top of the seventh and held West Greene scoreless in the final two innings. The Pioneers stranded runners on first and third in the sixth before Adisey ended the threat with a strikeout.

Bennington, a junior, struck out just four batters, but limited hard contact. The Pioneers’ errors extended innings, including the third when Adisey hit a two-run homer. West Greene’s pitcher hit a line-drive solo home run in the third inning, but the Pioneers stranded at least two runners in three innings.

Baserunning cost WG an early lead. After Renner reached second base in the third inning, she was caught in a rundown when a ground ball was hit to the shortstop. Mooney reached third base later in the inning, but was caught leading off when a ground ball was hit to the Centurions’ third baseman and was tagged out.

“I didn’t know what to expect with this game,” GCC head coach Tom Appleby said. “I was expecting a lower score because Bennington is a good pitcher, but we were on our game. It’s a big relief to get out of this one.”

The Pioneers will return all nine starters next season. Simms believes the experience of facing two of the top three seeds in the Class A playoffs – section rivals Chartiers-Houston and Jefferson-Morgan – and a strong middle school program have his program heading in the right direction.

“We were absent from the playoffs for a year, then fought to get back in,” Simms said. “I have a tremendous group in eighth grade, which is undefeated in its middle school season. They’ll be a big addition to what we have now.”