Apr 10, 2017 4 min read

ROGERSVILLE – When Dana Vatakis released the pitch, Madison Renner’s eyes grew wide. It was the one she was waiting for.

The whack of the bat sent oohs from the crowd gathered around Utica Field at Rice Energy Park as the softball sailed toward left field, easily clearing the fence.

And another outcry came when the softball thudded into the tire of a white pickup truck 25 feet behind the left-field fence.

Serves Brian Jackson right. The superintendent of West Greene School District knows you take your chances parking too close to the fences when West Greene is batting.

Renner’s two-run blast was the key hit in the Pioneers’ 6-2 victory over Monessen in a Section 2-A game on a picture-perfect Monday afternoon.

The win moved West Greene’s record to 7-0, 2-0 in the section and 3-0 over Vatakis, a Robert Morris University recruit, over the last two seasons. Monessen (2-1, 3-1) lost its first game of the season.

West Greene head coach Bill Simms said Renner’s blast reminded him of the ones Samantha Milliken used to hit 10 years ago.

“It was a bomb,” Simms said. “When it left the bat, there was no doubt about it. When we got a two-plus run lead on (Vatakis), the wind came out of their sails a little bit. … It was a game-changing opening.”

Monessen head coach Bo Teets said he called the changeup from the dugout.

“I called a dumb pitch, got a little cute with it and that’s on me,” he said. “I have no problem telling our team when I screw up. The nice thing is that they pick me up. … That’s what they do.”

The Pioneers, defending WPIAL champions and the state runners-up last season, used the 1-2 punch of sisters McKenna and Madison Lampe to forge a 1-0 lead in the first. McKenna Lampe singled and went to second on an error by Monessen shortstop Maddie Guzzic. On a pitch to Madison Lampe, McKenna started toward third base and continued on when catcher Carly Rock tossed the ball back to Vatakis. The pitcher threw wild to third base and McKenna Lampe scored.

“They are the best team in the class for a reason,” Teets said. “They field the ball well. They hit 1 to 9. So you can never take a pitch off or a play off. When you do, they take full advantage of it.”

West Greene blew the game open in the fifth by scoring three times without the benefit of a hit. Shelby Morris walked to start the inning and was replaced by courtesy runner Haleigh Thomas, who went to second on a wild pitch. McKenna Lampe walked and Thomas scored on an error on a ball hit by Madison Lampe. McKenna Lampe scored on a groundout by Madison Renner – her third RBI – and Madison Lampe scored later in the inning on a fielder’s choice.

Jade Renner, a left-handed freshman, had a perfect game with two outs in the fourth inning. Vatakis broke it up with a bloop single to left field. Renner gave up four hits, struck out three and did not walk a batter.

“It was a pretty exciting day,” said Jade Renner, who also doubled to lead off the fourth. “I felt like I had my pitches working. I warmed up pretty well and our defense was playing tough.”

Vatakis struck out six and walked two. She lamented the one pitch that got away.

“I wish a couple (pitches) were different, the changeup (Renner) hit,” she said. “I would have pitched it differently. It was a little high. From last year, when we played them twice, we realized they had some really fast girls at the top of their lineup. We needed to cover the bases as best we could and shorten the throws (from base to base).”

Monessen scored two runs in the seventh on the back of two West Greene errors and groundout by Gabby Simpson.