The Piedmont Middle School Softball kept up their winning ways, notching three more victories last week as they concluded their regular season and began their playoff run.
On Monday, May 12, the Scots finally returned to the friendly confines of Witter Field, where they took care of business, besting East Bay Innovation Academy 18-0 in the first-round of the East Bay Middle School Softball League playoffs. Simone Tornatore went the distance from the circle, posting a complete game shutout backed by a sparkling defense that committed no errors.
The offense came early and often as the Scots set the tone with back-to-back HRs in the bottom of the first from Keira Spina (3-3, 6RBI) and Bailey Gregovich (4-4, 4RBI).
On the May 13, the Scots concluded their regular season in the Oakland Athletic League with a gritty 7-3 win over Elite Public Academy. Piedmont chose to showcase some of the team’s younger talent and was rewarded by key contributions from sixth graders: Clara Blanchard laced a double to right that drove in a key run, Anya Giri brought the crowd to their feet by legging out a standup triple, Mailey Small smacked a double of her own, and Cate Penrod pitched two solid innings in relief.
Seventh-grader Mackenzie Ewen was a force on both sides of the ball, pitching 3 dominant innings striking out 5 batters while also continuing her hot streak at the plate going 2-3 with a 2B, 3B, and 2RBI.
The last game of the week took place on Friday, May 15. With the eighth graders literally sailing into the sunset (the long-time Piedmont tradition of the eighth grade Boat Dance was scheduled for the same time), the Scots relied on sixth and seventh graders to deliver the victory in the higher stakes Semifinal round of the OAL.
Olive Dao-Hoang batting 
Alice Sorensen pitching
In the rematch against EBIA, strikes were generally hard to come by, but sixth graders Keira Spina and Olive Dao-Hoang each had solid hits to the outfield for extra bases, and seventh grader Alice Sorensen (3 RBI) delivered her second home run of the season to put the game out of reach. Ewen and Sorensen combined to hold EBIA to 2H and 2BB while ringing up 8Ks. The Scots won 11-1 to earn its spot in the Championship.
With the Scots playing in two leagues this season, this week will see them playing in the OAL Championship game on Wednesday against the rival Montera Toros at the Carter Gilmore/Greenman Field, followed on Thursday by the EBMSL Semifinal game vs the Albany Cobras at 6 p.m. at Witter Field.
The Scots are currently 12-2 for the season.