Leechburg softball builds early lead, holds off late rally to advance

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, May 21, 2018 | 10:54 PM

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Leechburg was hoping to play its first WPIAL Class A softball playoff game last week instead of enduring a 12-day wait.

But the layoff had no ill effects as the Blue Devils jumped on Sewickley Academy for three runs in the first inning and rolled to an 8-4 victory in a quarterfinal game at Hampton Community Park.

Morgan Pierce struck out 10, and she was backed by Deasha Knight's three hits. Sophomore Grace Reinke reached base four times with a double, single and two walks.

Kristen Knapp drove in a pair of runs with sacrifice flies, and freshman McKenna Pierce brought home Reinke with a fly ball.

The Blue Devils (13-4) will be in the semifinal round for the second consecutive season Wednesday, this time facing Monessen at a time and site to be determined.

Sewickley (11-5) was vying for its first semifinal appearance in the program's 13-year history.

Pierce started the game with a single and came around on two throwing errors before Knight had a chance to put the ball in play.

Knight singled, McKenna Pierce walked and Reinke singled home Knight. McKenna Pierce scored on Knapp's foul out to left field, and the Blue Devils had a 3-0 advantage.

“I thought it was important to get that run,” Morgan Pierce said. “I feel we needed to get going, and as the first batter, I need to get on and set the table.”

In a key third-inning play, the first two Panthers reached base, and Theresa Wilson singled to short right. Second baseman Emma Ritchie threw home too late to get Alexis Barlock, but Knapp alertly threw to third to get Kaylee Patterson. Instead of having runners at first and third with none out, Sewickley Academy had to settle for the lone run after Morgan Pierce retired the next two batters.

“We were nervous early on and spotted them those runs,” Sewickley Academy coach Win Palmer said. “That's a quality softball team. When we're making mistakes like we made, you can't give a team like that easy runs, and we did.”

Leechburg added a run in the third when Reinke scored on Knapp's sacrifice fly to center.

But in the fourth, Leechburg sent 10 batters to the plate and scored four runs to increase its lead to 8-1. Hannah Berry doubled and scored to highlight the surge.

For the Panthers, Patterson's single brought home Kamryn Lightcap, and Lightcap doubled to drive in two runs with two outs in the seventh to make it 8-4.

But Morgan Pierce fanned Alyssa Winters for strikeout No. 10 to end the game.

“That was a little uncharacteristic of us. We usually don't make those three errors,” Blue Devils coach Debbie Young said of her team's late-inning miscues. “I think we'll clean it up for the next game. We had three freshman starters, and they had the jitters, so they can get it out of their system.”

Added Morgan Pierce: “That was a surprise, how many strikeouts I had. I've usually been low this season. To hear I had 10 today was kind of nice.”

Lightcap, a freshman, had a double, single and a walk. “As a young team, I was proud of the way we hung in there once we got over our nerves and started to play softball,” Palmer said. “That's a good omen for next year. I'm very excited about our future.”

A win Wednesday puts Leechburg in the finals. A loss would pit the Blue Devils against the Union-West Greene loser in a consolation game next week to determine the WPIAL's third PIAA entry.

George Guido is a freelance writer.

Tags: Leechburg, Sewickley Academy