The West Branch Lady Warrior softball team had an outstanding performance last week. The team went 3-0 on the week and has a current record of 6-1. The Lady Warriors’ week started off on Monday with opponent Penn Cambria. West Branch hosted Penn Cambria at the Morrisdale fields due to unplayable field conditions at the softball’s home field. Pitcher Makena Moore had a day tossing a 5-inning no-hitter. Moore struck out 13 batters and walked just one. The junior also shined on offense collecting two hits, including a double, and two RBIs. Catcher Greysyn Gable also added two hits for the team, and sophomore Mackenzie MacTavish cranked a home run. Seniors Madison Butler and Mallory Graham each scored two runs for the team, and Carsyn Wesesky had two RBIs. The Lady Warriors defeated Penn Cambria in 5 innings with a final score of 10-0.

Then on Tuesday, West Branch was on their home field for the first time this season to host the opposing team Moshannon Valley. Tuesday was an important night for multiple reasons. The future Warriors of softball were recognized for Little League Recognition Night, and Tuesday was also West Branch’s Strikeout Cancer game. This year’s Strikeout Cancer game was more touching due to a cancer diagnosis from a former Lady Warrior softball player, Sydney Dunlap. Sydney was at the West Branch versus MoValley game where she received money donations. As for the game, senior Carsyn Wesesky pitched her first game of the season, securing a one-hit shutout. The offense secured a total of 12 hits. Senior Brooke Bainey was a standout going 3 for 3 with three stolen bases, three runs scored, and two RBIs. Gable and Graham were right behind her, each having two hits, Gable with 2 RBIs, and Graham scoring two runs. Moore had a triple, and Layla Thompson scored twice, also smacking an RBI double. Madison Butler secured a line drive single for the team, and Wesesky gathered a double. As a whole, the team was 9-for-9 in stolen base attempts. The final against Mo Valley was 13-0.

The team then traveled to Mount Union to take on the Trojans. Makena Moore pitched another outstanding game, firing a one-hitter. That’s two in a row for the Warriors. On offense, Mallory Graham drove in 5 for the Warriors and led the team with 3 hits – 2 singles and one double. Gable was right beside her, collecting another 3 hits for the team and two RBIs. Layla Thompson was another standout. The junior homered to left field, scoring two runs. Brooke Bainey had a double, two runs, and two RBIs. Makena Moore, Carsyn Wesesky, and Mackenzie MacTavish each singled, scoring one run. The three collected multiple hits for the team. Courtesy runner Cheyanne Bush scored three runs, and Jayley Coval scored two. The team collected a total of 14 hits, the most they have had in a game this season.

Finally, on Friday, West Branch traveled to Cambria Heights to try and secure their fourth and final win of the week. The team started the game in bad weather conditions and unfortunately got cut short in just under 3 innings. The Lady Warriors were up 3-2 before the game was called. As the week came to a close, I asked senior Greysyn Gable how she felt toward the team’s performance. Gable said, “I was very impressed with our team’s performance this past week. We have such a solid defense that we are making it impossible for other teams to score. Our hitting has been solid recently, and that helps put pressure on the other team early. We are just a solid team in general, and we are going to give everyone a run for their money.” The team gathered a total of 39 runs in just three games, all in 5 innings each. West Branch has a big week this week, competing against two of their biggest rivals. On Tuesday, the girls will travel to Glendale to take on the Vikings. Thursday, the Lady Warriors host Claysburg, looking to get their ultimate revenge. Finally, the team will wrap up the week on Friday, hosting Portage. All games start at 4:30 p.m. Good luck, team!