Variety spices Tigers lineup
North Allegheny off to fast start
Four games, four differ- ent starting lineups.
That is how the North Allegheny softball season started this year.
While the batting order and fielding positions may not have been consistent, there was consistency everywhere else. The Tigers (3-0, 3-0 through Tuesday) only committed one error in those games and have had seven different players drive in runs. They blanked Moon Area and Seneca Valley, 4-0 and 3-0, respectively and won, 10-2, at Butler Area. Their game against Brashear was suspended in the first inning.
“We are not changing the lineup for the sake of changing the lineup,” coach Rick Meister said. “We want to see how our kids respond and so far, they have all responded. We are not perfect, we are not mailing in orders for medals. We are just determining who is going to play where. Until something settles in and we have a set lineup, we are going to continue to give players opportunities.”
After splitting pitching duties with her older sister, Sami Beining, who has since graduated, junior Madi Beining is North Allegheny’s top returning pitchers. Madi Beining had pitched all of the innings through three-plus games, but the Tigers have other capable pitchers in junior Mollie Benvenuto and senior Mackenzie Gostomski.
“Mollie is a very capable pitcher and can do some other things as well,” Meister said. “Gostomski can pitch too and she is a lefthander all the way. I would not hesitate to put her in the game. She is not the power pitcher that Madi or Mollie would be but if she goes into that circle, we feel confident in her.”
Junior catcher Liz Scherer also returns.
“Liz has emerged as somewhat of a team leader,” Meister said. “Being a ‘go-to catcher,’ her leadership has been important to us.”
North Allegheny has been employing a platoon at first base with seniors Erica Jelinek and Logann Woodley. Jelinek is batting .625
Senior Emily Hogan is back at second base and batting .500. Gostomski starts in left field and she is also batting .500. She had a three-run triple that opened up a six-run seventh inning and allowed North Allegheny to roll past Butler.
“She is our number two hitter, most noted for her speed and her ability to put the ball in play, but against Butler she really got a hold of one,” Meister said.
She is part of an experienced outfield that has all returning starters including junior Laura Cotter in center field and senior Anna Sardon in right field. Cotter, who is batting .417 this season, is one of two team captains along with Hogan.
After emerging in the second half of last season as a utility player, junior Lacey Hilderbrand is starting at shortstop this season.
“I think this is a team that is going to have that good flexibility,” Meister said. “We can try to ride the hot hand. I don’t even want to call them substitutes, we call them ‘changes.’ The flexibility gives you a very solid bench as well.
“We are still a work in progress — it has been forward progress.”