Greensburg CC gets past Leechburg to make 1st semifinal trip in a decade
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Thursday, May 19, 2022 | 10:10 PM
Greensburg Central Catholic players celebrate with teammate Isabella Marquez after she drove in the winning run Thursday.
Leechburg’s Ava Richards makes an over-the-shoulder catch on a ball hit by Greensburg Central Catholic’s Emma Henry during a WPIAL Class A quarterfinal Thursday, May 19, 2022, at North Allegheny High School.
Leechburg celebrates with Anna Cibik after her grand slam against Greensburg Central Catholic in the second inning during a WPIAL Class A quarterfinal Thursday, May 19, 2022, at North Allegheny High School.
Greensburg Central Catholic starting pitcher Emma Henry throws against Leechburg during a WPIAL Class A quarterfinal Thursday, May 19, 2022, at North Allegheny High School.
Leechburg starting pitcher Anna Cibik throws against Greensburg Central Catholic during a WPIAL Class A quarterfinal Thursday, May 19, 2022, at North Allegheny High School.
Greensburg Central Catholic’s Isabella Marquez beats the tag by Leechburg’s Bella Vozar in the first inning during a WPIAL Class A quarterfinal Thursday, May 19, 2022, at North Allegheny High School.
The Greensburg Central Catholic softball team will play in a WPIAL semifinal game for the first time in 10 years.
The Centurions got back-to-back run-scoring doubles from sophomore Macee Magill and junior Isabella Marquez in the bottom of the eighth to rally past No. 6 Leechburg, 9-8, in a Class A quarterfinal Thursday at North Allegheny.
“This is awesome. This just feels so good,” said Magill, who doubled twice and scored three runs in the victory for No. 3 GCC (12-5).
“We work every day for hours to be ready for games like these. Through all the ups and downs of the game, we had hope. We just needed to keep doing what we’ve been doing all season.”
GCC knows it will play its semifinal game Tuesday, almost 10 years to the day from its last WPIAL semifinal game: May 23, 2012 against Riverside.
But the Centurions will have to wait one day to find out who they will play. Thursday’s game between No. 2 Union and No. 7 Jefferson-Morgan was postponed to 5 p.m. Friday because of unplayable field conditions.
It was a game of momentum swings as GCC had an early lead, fell behind by four runs and tied it before Leechburg broke through with a run in the top of the eighth. Blue Devils cleanup hitter Bella Vozar was hit by a pitch from Centurions relief pitcher Makenzee Kenney and later raced home from third on a grounder to short off the bat of Falyn Verner.
“We’ve been in this situation before against some good teams,” GCC coach Mike Gaffney said. “When we were down four runs, we felt we were still OK. We had some mistakes, errors and walks we don’t normally make, but the girls never gave up. They fought and fought. Even in the eighth, we knew that if we got the leadoff on, we would be OK.”
Leechburg finishes its season at 9-6. The Blue Devils, who routed Rochester, 19-0, in the first round Tuesday, was attempting to qualify for the WPIAL semifinals for the fifth straight season.
“The girls gave all you could ask for,” Leechburg coach Debbie Young said. “We wish it would’ve tipped our way, but I am really proud of the girls. After the game Tuesday, I told the girls that I knew they would come in here today and play a full game against a really good team, and they did that. They played hard right to the final play.”
GCC jumped out to an early lead with three runs in the bottom of the first.
McGill led off with a walk and came around to score on an Emma Henry single.
Bailey Kuhns reached on a fielder’s choice, and she and Henry were driven home on a two-out single by Grace Kindel.
Leechburg responded in the top of the second, loading the bases with one out on walks drawn by Laney Aul and Ava Richards and a single from Grace Richards.
Henry, GCC’s starter, continued to struggle with control, walking Karli Mazak and Tatum Verner to bring in a pair of runs and draw Leechburg to within 3-2.
Henry’s issues in the circle prompted Gaffney to bring in Kenney with the bases loaded.
Leechburg pitcher Anna Cibik greeted Kenney with a shot high over the left-field fence. The grand slam surged the Blue Devils into the lead at 6-3.
Vozar then walked and came around to score on a fielding error.
GCC got a run back in the bottom of the second as Erica Rodriguez doubled with one out and later scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-4.
The Centurions closed to within 7-6 in the bottom of the fourth as Rodriguez singled, Magill doubled, and both came in on a one-out error. It then became 7-7 on an RBI double from Kenney.
Kenney surrendered just one hit over the final six-plus innings after giving up the grand slam. She walked seven and struck out eight.
Leechburg had several scoring chances after GCC tied the game. The Blue Devils hit into a double play to end the fifth, stranded two in the sixth and left the bases loaded in the seventh.
“One of the best pitchers in the WPIAL was struggling and we brought in a sophomore, and she did a nice job,” Gaffney said. “She made some great pitches when she needed them.”
Cibik went the whole way in the circle for the Blue Devils. She gave up 10 hits and issued two walks while striking out six. Of the nine GCC runs, five were earned.
Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.
Tags: Greensburg C.C., Leechburg
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