After a tough 4-3 loss in the WPIAL semifinals, Greensburg Central Catholic had two places to go.

One led to another loss in the state playoffs and the end of the season, the other led to a place no Greensburg Central softball team had gone before -- the state playoff quarterfinals.

The Centurions chose the latter option, putting the 4-3 loss to Sto-Rox in the past and coming back 10 days later to edge Northwestern, 10-9, in the first round of the PIAA playoffs.

It was the furthest a softball season has ever extended at Greensburg Central Catholic.

Even with the 10-day layoff between the WPIAL semifinals and state playoffs, the bounce back to get prepared for another game was harder than usual. With the chance to play in the WPIAL title game just sitting three outs away, Greensburg Central let a 3-1 lead turn into a 4-3 loss in the bottom of the seventh inning.

"That loss to Sto-Rox hurt me and the coaches more than the kids," Greensburg Central Catholic coach Gary Ciarimboli said.

"It was right there, you could taste it and 'Boom!' You lose it. We didn't do anything for three days and they came back [to practice] and I was very, very pleased with how they reacted. We could have gone either way [after the Sto-Rox loss] but they are resilient. The only way to get rid of that feeling in your stomach is to win."

After the win over Northwestern, Greensburg Central Catholic's season ended at the hands of WPIAL champion Riverside for the second consecutive season. The Centurions finished 14-7 overall.

"They set the bar this season," Ciarimboli said. "After the Riverside game I told them 'You guys have set the bar for other teams and that is what they are going to shoot for.' Everyone was ecstatic just to be along for this ride."

Early on in the regular season, playing in the state playoffs seemed as unlikely as playing in the WPIAL playoffs. Through seven section games, Greensburg Central was 4-3 and in the middle of the pack in Section 4-AA. After a 10-3 loss at South Allegheny on April 21, Ciarimboli was wondering if his team would be able to play beyond the regular season.

Two days after a seven-run loss to South Allegheny, the Centurions began a nine-game winning streak with a 12-0 shutout win at Steel Valley. The nine-game winning streak included a pair of playoff wins against Burrell, 5-1, and Mohawk, 9-7.

"At the beginning of the year I saw what I had [on the roster] and got excited," Ciarimboli said.

"Then during the season we had some rough stretches and a lot of injuries. I was worried about even making the playoffs after the South Allegheny loss and then I got real excited at the end. I knew we could compete with anyone in Class AA if we could hit the ball."

Senior Emily Nowicki was the top starting pitcher and also one of the top hitters in the lineup along with junior catcher Katie Ferdarko.

"I knew what we had with our pitching with Nowicki but our hitting was no doubt our strength," Ciarimboli said.

"When we hit the ball, we can play with anybody. We had 15 hits in a high school softball game. You just don't see that anymore."

The Perz sisters, junior Jamie and freshman Alie, put up big offensive numbers in the playoffs. Ciarimboli also got plenty of production out of his seven through nine hitters, freshman Leah Daigle, junior Haley Galiotto and senior Angela White. The trio was a steady presence helping to turn over the lineup.

A return to the state playoffs could be a possibility next season since all but three starters are expected to return. The Centurions will lose Nowicki, White and Breanna Appleby.

Ciarimboli figures Jamie Perz, Galiotto, Emily Adisey and Ferdarko to form the nucleus of the team next season.