Bucs win on Richey’s walk-off HR
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
West Greene catcher London Whipkey watches as Chartiers-Houston’s Ella Richey heads for home after her three-run, walk-off homer that gave the Bucs a 9-7 victory over the visiting Pioneers.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Chartiers-Houston's Ella Richey is met at home plate by celebrating teammates as she returns from a solo home run in the fourth inning.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
The throw to West Greene catcher London Whipkey is not in time as Chartiers-Houston’s Seanna Riggle scores in the bottom of the third inning.
MarkMarietta/For the Observer-Reporter
West Greene's London Whipkey sparks the Pioneer offense by connectring for a single in the first inning.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Starting pitcher Meadow Ferri went the distance for the Bucs, striking out eight in a 9-7 victory over visiting West Greene.
HOUSTON – Batting a catcher at leadoff is not conventional, but the strategy seems to be working for Chartiers-Houston and Ella Richey.
The sophomore belted two home runs, including a three-run shot in the Bucs’ 9-7 walk-off victory over West Greene Tuesday afternoon in Class A Section 2 play.
The Pioneers (3-1, 6-4) battled back from three-run deficits twice and held a 7-6 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
“Ella is a great hitter,” West Greene coach Bill Simms said. “We’ve played travel with her for years, but we got to control what we can control.
“We had a one-run lead with seven, eight and nine coming up, and I would rather the(No.) 8 hitter hit one halfway back to Holbrook than put her on for free, but we are going to live and die with our pitchers. We really couldn’t afford to put that girl on for free.”
Chartiers-Houston (3-1, 4-4) was down to its last two outs when Heidy Almo walked. Paiton Higgins got on base after West Greene pitcher Payton Gilbert dove to catch a popup but was inches shy of securing the ball in her glove, which set the stage for Richey.
She belted the first pitch she saw just to the left of straightaway center field and rounded the bases before being mobbed by her teammates.
“Honestly, I was just waiting for a fastball,” Richey said. “I knew I was going to get changeups, so if she threw a fastball I had to jump on it, and that is what she threw me on the home run.
“I was just looking to keep the game alive and get the base hit. I trust my teammates, and I know if I got on base they could hit me in. My job is to get on base as the leadoff hitter, and the home runs are a bonus. We had a rough start, and we are working harder every day to get better and better.”
Richey hit a solo homer in the fourth just a few feet from the same spot where her blast landed in the seventh.
Chartiers-Houston coach Tricia Alderson said the plan to bat Richey leadoff was put into motion before the season started.
“We made the decision pretty early to put Ella at leadoff this year,” Alderson said. “We have a pretty young and inexperienced team. Ella started last year and did a fantastic job catching and offensively, and she batted second last year.
“We decided to move her up and teams have to pitch to her. To be honest, that is probably something we decided at the end of the season last year.”
The Bucs struck first with three runs in the third on two hits.
Richey reached on an error and Lauren Rush’s two-run blast to left centerfield provided the home team with a 2-0 lead. Chartiers-Houston added another run when Seanna Riggle reached on an error, Alana Palone walked and Riggle scored on Kaileigh Walton’s single up the middle.
“We are happy to get a section win,” Alderson said. “West Greene is a great team and they have a lot of experience. We moved down from 2A and lost a lot of kids from our team last year. It wasn’t pretty but we will take the win. It was a good win.”
The Pioneers battled back in the fourth and cut the deficit to 3-2 after Lexi Six and Kendra Tharp scored on Ali Goodwin’s single to right. Six walked and Tharp was the runner for designated player Lilly Melodia, who also reached via a walk. Both moved up on a wild pitch.
Emmaline Beazell reached on an error and Goodwin scored on Pieper Whipkey’s sacrifice bunt to tie the game.
The Bucs regained the lead on Richey’s homer before starting and winning pitcher Meadow Ferri doubled to right. Farrow scored after Emily Swarrow reached on an error. Swarrow scored on Riggle’s double to left for a 6-3 advantage after four.
West Greene came back in the fifth with another three spot that started when Taylor Karvan walked. Karvan scored when London Whipkey blasted a ball that hit off the top of Rush’s glove at shortstop and the Pioneer catcher raced into second with a double.
Whipkey scored on Gilbert’s single to left and Six scored when Pieper Whipkey was hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded to tie the game at 6-6.
London Whipkey doubled in the sixth and courtesy runner Emily Wise scored on Six’s double to give the Pioneers the lead.
“London hit the ball hard off a high-level pitcher,” Simms said. “Ferri is going to get it done for them most of the season. London and Taylor Karvan at second base are back from our last WPIAL championship team, but other than that, we got some youthful kids out there. You got to find a way to win when you got them out there.”