May 24, 2016 3 min read

MONESSEN – The old Bo Jackson Nike commercials went on the mantra that, “Bo Knows,” pretty much everything about every sport.

Monessen High School softball coach Bo Teets knows about clichés, and he also knows that his team will be in uncharted territory when the Greyhounds (15-5) play top-seeded West Greene (21-1) in the WPIAL Class A semifinals Wednesday at California University’s Lilley Field. Game time is 3 p.m.

In the other Class A semifinal game, Chartiers-Houston (13-7) will play Cardinal Weuerl North Catholic (15-4) at 2 p.m. at Baldwin High School, with the winners of the two semifinal games advancing to the WPIAL championship game June 2 at California University. The semifinals losers will play for a spot in the PIAA playoffs Tuesday at a site and time to be determined.

Monessen, which lost to West Greene 10-0 in a non-section game April 18 in Rogersville, has never advanced this far into the WPIAL playoffs. The Greyhounds, however, have an ace in the hole in their bid to upset the Pioneers.

Sophomore Dana Vatakis is capable of shutting down the potent West Greene offense. Despite the regular-season loss to the Pioneers, Vatakis had 11 strikeouts but walked an uncharacteristic five batters.

A Robert Morris recruit, Vatakis will get a shot at bettering that performance.

“She is usually the first one to practice and one of the last to leave,” Teets said of Vatakis, who ended the regular season third in the WPIAL with 167 strikeouts. “She also does extra work on her own on the weekend and is one of the hardest working players I have ever coached regardless of the sport. I know that is a cliché, but it is the truth.”

Vatakis committed to Robert Morris after her freshman season, and Teets said she plays as if she has ice water in her veins.

“She thrives on the big stage and is best in big situations,” he said. “She does not get rattled.”

That might be tough against a West Greene squad that is an offensive juggernaut, having scored 10 or more runs 14 times this season. The Pioneers have outscored opponents 248-34, including a 23-2 advantage in two playoff games. West Greene has a team batting average of .425. Freshman center fielder McKenna Lampe has a team-high .618 batting average.

West Greene had 14 hits in that previous meeting with Monessen, with Madison Renner collecting three, including a double, and driving in three runs.

As has been the case for West Greene in the playoffs, the top of the order did a lot of the damage against Monessen. In addition to Renner, McKenna Lampe had three hits and scored three runs, while Madison Lampe scored three times as well. Cleanup hitter Bailey Bennington doubled and Kaitlyn Rizor had two hits.

Vatakis, however, has done her best pitching in the playoffs. She had a no-hitter for five innings and setttled for a three-hitter in the Greyhounds’ 1-0 victory over Jefferson-Morgan in the first round. In the quarterfinals Monday against previously undefeated Serra Catholic, Vatakis threw a no-hitter, struck out 11 and walked none as Monessen won 10-0 in six innings. The only baserunners for Serra came on three infield errors by Monessen.

In two playoff games, Vatakis has 24 striekouts and one walk.

“I am very proud of our team to make it so far and we have played well,” said Vatakis, who had two hits against the Pioneers, including a double. “We will have to play well, hit the ball and play good defense to have a chance. If we play our best game, we can win.”