Third time a charm for Monessen
Mackenzie Randall/For the Observer-Reporter Monessen’s Victoria Cooper (1) hugs teammate Cara Wheeler (8) while Destiny Habeck (5) and other teammates celebrate their victory during the 2017 WPIAL 1A softball semi-finals in Peters Township on Tuesday.
Monessen’s Cara Wheeler slides into second base as Carmichaels’ Natalie McNett tags her out and Carmichaels’ Laura Walker (9) looks on during the WPIAL Class A softball semifinal at Peterswood Park Tuesday.
Mackenzie Randall/For the Observer-Reporter Monessen’s Dana Vatakis (12) is intensely focused on her pitch during the 2017 WPIAL 1A softball semi-finals in Peters Township on Tuesday.
McMURRAY – In the WPIAL Class A softball semifinal Tuesday, No. 6-seeded Monessen and No. 2-seeded Carmichaels were facing each other for the third time this season.
Monessen had lost both regular-season contests to the Section 2 rival Mikes, 7-2 and 6-0.
It was a different story, though, in the playoffs as the Greyhounds, led by junior pitcher Dana Vatakis, beat Carmichaels 6-2 to advance to the WPIAL championship and earn a trip to the PIAA playoffs.
“We played a more complete game today,” Monessen head coach Bo Teets said. “The first two games we played, in the first one we had a huge bad inning where we had three or four errors. … In the second game, they beat us. They came out and hit the ball better. There’s nothing we could have done that day to beat them. I think the story kind of changed today.”
Vatakis, who pitched against the Mikes in both losses, threw a complete game while striking out 10.
“My pitches were a little off the last two times,” Vatakis said. “This time I got all my pitches moving in, out, up and down. So I had everything and I wasn’t staying in the same spot.”
The Robert Morris University commit scattered seven hits and three walks in the win.
“Honestly, she had really good stuff today,” Teets said. “She was on. She’s a Division I girl for a reason. She thrived in this situation, and I expected nothing different from her today.”
Monessen came out hot against Mikes freshman pitcher Kylie Sinn as four of the first five batters of the game reached base. Sophomore right fielder Mattie Telegraphis hit a one-out RBI single to drive in junior shortstop Maddie Guzzie, who singled earlier in the inning.
After a flyout for the second out of the inning, designated player Paige Kerestesi came through with what ended up being the biggest hit of the game. The junior ripped a single past the first baseman to score Vatakis and senior third baseman Kelsey Bachinski, who earlier reached base via an intentional walk and a fielder’s choice, respectively. The hit increased Monessen’s lead to 3-0.
“When we’re sitting here talking the last few days what could happen for us to (win), getting a lead was definitely on top of that list,” Teets said. “Playing in front against a team like that is an optimum kind of thing. Getting three in the first inning really set us up for the rest of the game.”
One of the Mikes’ best chances to score came in the second inning when sophomore first baseman Gina Ranieri led off with a double down the left-field line. Carmichaels wouldn’t be able to put another ball in play in the inning, though, as Vatakis traded a strikeout for a free base twice before stranding the bases loaded with her third strikeout of the inning.
“We’ve been down in games before,” Carmichaels head coach Dave Briggs said. “We thought we could score some runs off her and chip away. We weren’t able to do that until late in the game.”
The Greyhounds added to their lead in the third inning when Tori Cooper singled in Vatakis, who led off with a hard-hit single, to increase their advantage to four runs. The hit was Cooper’s second of the game. Vatakis was 1-for-2 with two runs and two walks.
After Vatakis faced only 11 batters over the next three innings, the Greyhounds added two insurance runs, the first on a triple by Destiny Habeck, which scored Janae Evans, who drew a one-out walk to start the inning. Guzzie hit a ground ball to second base to score Habeck to make it 6-0.
Habeck, the Greyhounds’ leadoff hitter, went 2-for-3 with a triple.
Carmichaels finally scored in the bottom of the sixth, pushing across two runs when Maddi Ewart singled home Natalie McNett and Ranieri, who began the inning with a walk and a double, respectively. Ranieri, the Mikes’ cleanup hitter, was 2-for-3 with two doubles, a walk and a run.
The Mikes threatened in the seventh, bringing the tying run to the plate after loading the bases on two singles and a walk, but Vatakis induced a groundout to end the game.
Carmichaels will take on No. 4-seeded Leechburg Thursday in the third-place game with the winner advancing to the state tournament against the District 9 champion.
“I told them it’s going to come down Thursday to the team that wants it more,” Briggs said. “I’ve been in the consolation games before, and it comes down to who wants it more. Who wants to keep playing and who doesn’t?”
The Greyhounds will take on West Greene, the No. 1 overall seed, in the Class A WPIAL Championship next week. The Pioneers, who are also in Section 2, defeated Monessen, 6-2 and 1-0, in both meetings in the regular season.
“It’s going to take a monumental effort to beat a team like that,” Teets said. “They’re the No. 1 team gate to gate for a reason. They don’t really have any weaknesses. We’re really going to have to bring our A-game and hopefully get a couple of breaks. That’s the only way you’re going to beat a team like that.”