Brownsville looks to experienced players
Among area teams in Class AA softball are Brownsville, Waynesburg Central and Southmoreland, while Frazier hopes to have another successful season in Section 1-A. The following are preseason outlooks for those teams.
Section 2-AA
Brownsville
Although the Lady Falcons were 4-9 in the section and 5-11 overall, they return a number of experienced players under coach Jane Bock, who has led the program since 1985.
Graduation losses: Second baseman Bethany Remington, outfielder Brittany Remington, outfielder Christina Mullen.
Returning letter winners: Among the returnees are fourth-year seniors outfielder Karmen Bruschi, first baseman-outfielder Gabby Vaughn, pitcher-outfielder Karly Peton, right fielder Kendle Parsons; juniors third baseman Kayla Hetrick, shortstop Paige Bogol and sophomores second baseman Paige Ferguson, pitcher Miranda Arison and catcher Miranda Nichols.
Coachspeak: “We were real pleased with our hitting, defense and pitching in our first scrimmage against California,” Bock said. “We have players with experience, but other than our seniors, we’re still young.”
Extra innings: Bogol is new to the team but played two years at Beth-Center. Her arrival allows Bock to move Bruschi from shortstop to center field. Bock said Waynesburg, Bentworth and South Fayette will be among section teams to beat.
Waynesburg Central
When Jim Armstrong was head coach at McGuffey, the Lady Highlanders had some intense games with Waynesburg Central. After 17 years as McGuffey coach, Armstrong takes over the reigns of a Waynesburg program that won the Section 2-AA championship in 2010. The Lady Raiders posted a section record of 13-1 and an overall mark of 16-5 that included WPIAL playoff victories over Mount Pleasant and Center.
Graduation losses: Three-year pitcher Emily Bosworth, Sara Headlee, Kaylee Barger and Lindsay Minor.
Extra innings: “We’re in a little bit of a rebuilding year,” Armstrong said. The Lady Raiders will replace Bosworth with the left-hand-right-hand pitching combination of freshmen Lyndsee Bane and Jordan Moore. Returning seniors shortstop Breanna Morris, catcher Bethany Orndoff, first baseman Brittany Orndoff and junior third baseman Taylor Johnson will be counted on to provide leadership, while a group of sophomores and freshman will battle for outfield positions.
Section 4-AA
Southmoreland
The Lady Scotties move from Section 2-AAA to Section 4-AA and 12th-year coach Kim Pfeifer Kelly said that the school’s junior high school program is beginning to have an impact on the program. “All of our freshmen are talented,” Kelly said. “Any one of them can step up. They don’t have varsity experience, but they have a lot of playing experience.”
Graduation losses: Outfielders Miranda Mills, April Wiltrout and Lauren Marchewka; first baseman Stephanie George and shortstop Kaylie Schroyer.
Returning letter winners: Senior pitcher Alaina Kaufman; juniors third baseman Shannon Tomasello, catcher Courtney Leighty, second baseman Lindsey Morrison, and sophomore Samantha Suhan.
Coachspeak: “Our section is very competitive with Mount Pleasant, Jeannette, Greensburg Central Catholic and Steel Valley,” Kelly said.
Extra innings: Although hurt by injury losses of sophomore catcher Taylor Gephart and senior pitcher Rebecca McCune, Southmoreland has 27 players on the roster, including eight freshman. The Lady Scotties were 1-11 in Section 2-AAA last season.
Section 1-A
Frazier
The Lady Commodores had one of their best seasons last year, going 8-4 in the section and 14-7 overall, including a 2-0 playoff win over Western Beaver. Third-year coach Paul Harvey has most of his players back to make another run at a playoff berth.
Graduation losses: Angela Kirchner, Taylor Lux.
Returnees: Seniors catcher Emily Stark, shortstop Melissa Brown, second baseman Ashley Brown; junior third baseman Kelsey Dillon, and freshman pitcher Andrea Lash provide the nucleus, along with additional letter winners: senior Chelsea Howser, junior Megan Hegyes, and sophomores Alexis Livingstone, Courtney Domonkos, Brittany Strouthers and Cheyenne Hiles.
Coachspeak: “First, you’ve got to get in (the playoffs). Once you get in, anything can happen. Last year was our best year in probably 20 years,” Harvey said. “(Section champion) Chartiers-Houston won the state and has the whole team back. (Runner-up) Bentworth is out of the section and in (Class) AA.”
Extra bases: Frazier dealt 22-2 Chartiers-Houston one of its two losses in 2010.