Williams Valley Walks All Over Neshannock as Lancers Lose in PIAA ‘A’ Title Game

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, June 14, 2013 | 9:06 PM

If you would have asked the over one thousand fans in attendance today at Nittany Lion Softball Park, not even the most rabid Williams Valley fan would have predicted the outcome. The Vikings were patient at the plate, drawing eleven walks, six coming with the bases loaded as the District 11 champions handed the WPIAL Champion Neshannock Lancers a 13-0 defeat in six innings at Beard Field. The victory in the Class A Softball championship was the first for Williams Valley in any team sport on the state level.

The win may be a prelude of things to come for the Vikings. Coach Lee Reiser has only two seniors on the roster, none were in the starting lineup with two juniors, five sophomores and two freshman taking the field.

The game was scoreless thru three innings. Williams Valley had the only threat in the second, with runners at first and second with one out, but Madison Altmyer made a great play on a grounder, turning it into an inning ending double play.

Junior Cassidy Pinchorski confused the Neshannock hitters all day, the Lancers had five players batting over .500 entering the game, she allowed just three hits and retired eight straight from the second thru the fourth innings. Reiser said Pinchorski used her curveball and change up to keep the Lancer bats off balance.

The Lancers chariot saw the wheels loosen in the fourth inning, as the first five batters reached base. Sophomore pitcher Madison Shaffer struggled getting strikes, she walked in two runs and Maura Kreiser singled to stake Williams Valley to a 3-0 lead.

It looked like Shaffer would dance thru the raindrops in the fifth, getting two outs after hitting Rayanne Hawk, but Whelski singled home Hawk and Shaffer gave up two more bases loaded walks sandwiched between a Kyrsten Miller single. Lancers coach Tracy Kimmel replaced his pitcher, calling on freshman Cassidy Burrelli, who ended the bleeding for Neshannock.

Williams Valley tacked on six more runs off Burrelli in the sixth, with two singles, three walks and a two run double by sophomore Hannah Nestor. Kimmel was forced to put Shaffer back into the circle, she was able to get the final two outs. Neshannock got two runners on in the sixth but Cassidy Burrelli struck out to end the game. Kimmel said it was the Vikings day, they were the better team. When the Lancers got down 3-0, he thought the players started pressing and it snowballed out of control.

Shaffer had thrown two no hitters and a perfect game during the season, she said her control was off and she wasn’t happy with her performance. Kimmel hoped the loss would be a good learning experience for Shaffer, who started at third base in last year’s Class AA title win over Warrior Run.

Pinchorski was the only Viking to register two hits, Hannah Nestor and Kreiser each drove in three runs, Whelski plated two. Williams Valley ends the season at 23-4.

Neshannock graduates three seniors, RMU recruit Rayanna Furst, shortstop Jaime Graziani and right fielder Katelyn Burrelli, but six players will return next season. Neshannock finishes 21-3, the Lancers  saw a six game winning streak come to an end.

WILLIAMS VALLEY VIKINGS 0 – 0 – 0 – 3 – 4 – 6 = 13 – 9 – 1
NESHANNOCK LANCERS  0  – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 = 0 – 3 – 1