2022 WPIAL Class A softball championship preview: West Greene vs. Union

By: Bill Hartlep
Tuesday, May 31, 2022 | 4:04 PM

Purchase Photo Options

WPIAL Class A softball championship

1-West Greene (14-3) vs. 2-Union (19-3)

4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Cal (Pa.)

On the air: Trib HSSN (video)

Road to the finals

West Greene – After winning the Section 2 title, top-seeded West Greene earned a first-round bye, then defeated No. 9 Mapletown, 7-0, in the quarterfinals and No. 4 Springdale, 5-2, in the semifinals.

Union – Union claimed the Section 1 title at 10-0 and was awarded the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. The Scotties then beat No. 7 Jefferson-Morgan, 11-0, in the quarterfinals and No. 3 Greensburg Central Catholic, 9-2, in the semifinals.

Secret to their success

West Greene – A lot of teams would like to know the Pioneers’ secret. Coach Billy Simms has West Greene in position for a WPIAL record sixth straight title. After a 0-3 start at the Ripken Experience at Myrtle Beach, West Greene has gone 14-0 against WPIAL opponents with a 147-28 scoring advantage. Senior Katie Lampe (.429, 22 RBIs), junior London Whipkey (.467, 21 RBIs) and freshman Payton Gilbert (.459, 13 RBIs) lead a loaded lineup. Gilbert was 3 for 3 with a triple and two RBIs in the semifinal victory. Senior pitcher Kiley Meek (11-3, 2.78 ERA, 97 strikeouts) also has been solid in the circle.

Union – The Scotties have relied on several underclassmen en route to the finals. Freshman Mia Preuhs has made quite an immediate impact, batting .585 with 16 doubles and 27 RBIs. She also is 12-1 in the pitching circle with a 1.79 ERA and 158 strikeouts. Freshman Addy Nogay (.386) has a team-high 28 RBIs. Another younger player, sophomore Mallory Gorgacz, has belted four home runs and is hitting .439 with 18 RBIs.

Championship factoids

West Greene – These teams met a year ago in the WPIAL finals as West Greene captured its fifth straight district championship. The Pioneers have defeated Chartiers-Houston, Monessen (twice) and Union (twice) in the last five WPIAL Class A title games by a combined score of 55-9. West Greene won 17-2 last season. The Pioneers then went on to lose in the PIAA title game to Tri-Valley. West Greene can become the first WPIAL team to win six straight WPIAL softball titles.

Union – For the fourth straight contested season (the pandemic wiped out 2020), Union is facing the Pioneers in the playoffs. In addition to last year’s title game loss, Union lost to West Greene, 11-0, in the 2019 finals, and 8-2 in the 2018 semifinals. The Scotties are seeking their first WPIAL title. Union’s baseball team also is playing for a WPIAL championship Wednesday.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Union, West Greene