‘Rivals’ join forces at South Park
Tri-State Sports & News Service
Who says Pitt and Penn State supporters can’t get along? The South Park softball team is one of the best squads in Class 3A thanks to lifelong friends and teammates Katlyn Pavlick, a Pitt commit, and future Nittany Lion Kaitlyn Morrison.
Pavlick, a junior third baseman, is leading the Eagles with a .614 batting average to go with eight homers and 27 RBIs. Morrison, a sophomore shortstop, is hitting .475 with four home runs and 12 RBIs.
The dynamic duo has played together since they were 5 and 6 years old on slow pitch teams. They have been fast friends ever since then, but also friendly competitors. As soon as they are done cheering each other on, they want to top one another.
“I’m always pulling for her to get a big hit,” Morrison said. “Obviously, that makes me want to go up there and get one.”
South Park coach Larry Mercurio said they bring out the best in one another and that the gamesmanship between them is simply healthy competition.
“You don't want to change the mindset of kids like that,” he said. “It would be like telling a pitcher to throw slower.”
The big-time recruits don’t act bigger than the team. Mercurio said they take to his coaching methods and lessons like every other player.
“They don’t give off any type of arrogance, ever,” Mercurio said. “If anything, they are extremely supportive of their teammates.”
South Park was 11-2 overall and 9-0 in Class 3A Section 3 through Wednesday, putting the Eagles on the fast track to a top playoff seed.
For the better part of a decade, Pavlick and Morrison have been there for each other as they learned the game and blossomed into star players. But by the time they graduate from South Park, their paths will fork to Pitt and Penn State, which play each other annually.
Both said it would have been nice to play together in college, but they respect each other’s decision. They might even look past the instate rivalry and continue to pull for one another.
“There’s exceptions to every rule,” Pavlick said with a laugh. “I guess I could do that.”
Hempfield
Morgan Ryan is well known as a Notre Dame recruit and the ace pitcher of the defending WPIAL and PIAA softball champions. She added another accolade recently, but it wasn’t because of her pitching arm. She used both arms for this one.
During a 6-0 victory April 7 at Albert Gallatin, Morgan set a Hempfield record by smacking her 13th career home run. Ryan has worked hard to become a balanced player and now she has the record to prove it.
“I think this one is pretty special,” Ryan said. “I like to focus on both sides of my game. I want to help contribute to my team any way I can.”
Not to mention that hitting a home run is unlike any other experience.
“It’s so exciting as it goes over and then your teammates meet you at home,” said Ryan. “Home runs are special. Home runs can change the game with one swing.”
The record-setting bash didn’t feel like it when it left her bat. But it sailed over the center field fence and history was made.
“When I first hit it, I didn’t think it was going to go all the way,” said Ryan. “But it just carried.”
Ryan is batting nearly .500 and has two home runs this season for Class 6A No. 1 Hempfield (17-0).
Dwindling unbeatens
The mighty are falling. South Side Beaver was upset by McGuffey, 4-0, April 28, suffering its first loss of the season. That leaves only three WPIAL teams with unblemished records through Wednesday. Hempfield is 16-0 in Class 6A, West Allegheny is 16-0 in Class 5A and Ellwood City is 11-0 in Class 3A.
Hempfield and Ellwood City are defending WPIAL champions, while the Indians played in the title game last season.