Yuhas, Schmidt lift West Mifflin past Ringgold

By: Don Rebel
Monday, April 8, 2019 | 8:49 PM

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West Mifflin sophomores Lauren Yuhas and Allysa Schmidt combined to go 7 for 7 with five runs scored and six RBIs as the Titans cruised to an 18-3 home win Monday over Ringgold.

The game only lasted four innings and ended when West Mifflin invoked the 15-run mercy rule.

The Titans had production up and down their batting order as they hammered out 15 hits and scored seven runs in the second inning, five in the third and ended the game with six more runs in the fourth.

“I told the girls early in the season that they could all play defense and they could all hit,” second-year West Mifflin coach Erik Hilligsbeger said. “At any point, no matter who is in there, we expect them to play well and do their job consistently.”

The biggest contributions on this day came from Yuhas, the Titans leadoff hitter and shortstop, who singled three times and also doubled, to go with three runs scored and three RBIs.

“She’s been pretty consistent the last two years,” Hilligsberg said. “Any ball hit to her, we’re pretty confident it’s going to be fielded, and we’re going to record an out there. Offensively, she’s one of the fastest girls on the team.”

Three of the top four hitters in Hilligsberg’s lineup are sophomores, with Yuhas leading off, Emma Mackulin batting second and Schmidt hitting fourth.

“Last year, I was a little concerned because they were all freshmen coming in,” Hilligsberg said. “They proved they could handle it. With the travel circuit the way it is, these girls play upper level competition all summer, so it’s nothing they haven’t seen before.”

Mackulin tripled and Schmidt singled twice and blasted a three-run homer in the third inning.

Freshman Emily Buchleitner went 2 for 3 at the plate, with two runs scored and picked up the win for the Titans. She pitched four innings and allowed only one earned run on four hits, three of which led off innings.

“I was glad to see the way she responded to that,” Hilligberg said. “Being a freshman, she could have been a little rattled. She hung in there and settled down.”

Ashlee Salembo had a double and scored twice for Ringgold (1-2, 1-4), while Haley Resosky and Jordan Sinz each drove in a run for the Rams, who dropped their third straight.

West Mifflin improved to 4-1 in Section 2-4A, 9-1 overall as it prepares to travel to unbeaten Thomas Jefferson for an early-season showdown against the rival Jaguars on Friday.

“Some of the teams in our section thought we were nothing this year,” said senior first baseman Izzy Farmer, who had an RBI double in the game. “We’re really giving them a run for their money. We work really hard, and it’s really paying off.”

Tags: Ringgold, West Mifflin