Armstrong looks for another run

River Hawks’ seniors motivated to win

Armstrong had been to the WPIAL Class 5A championship game each of the past three seasons, thanks to a tremendous offense and the pitching of Cameryn Sprankle.

But with Sprankle graduated, the River Hawks needed to find a replacement in the circle if they were to challenge for their second title in the past three seasons.

Luckily, they already had a starter waiting in the wings with senior Madison Baker.

“She was always in Cam Sprankle’s shadow, but she’s always been competent,” Armstrong coach Keith Shaffer said. “She’s a very good control pitcher with movement and backed up Cam for three years and stepped in and done an excellent job for us.”

Baker got her first taste of the pressure cooker last year when she came on in relief of Sprankle in the WPIAL Class 5A championship game loss to Trinity. Though she allowed four runs in 5⅔ innings of relief, the game was 7-0 when she entered in the second, and she gave the River Hawks a chance to make a game of it in their 117 loss to Trinity.

But if Armstrong is to make another run, it will rely on its veteran players who are the team’s infield: senior third baseman Shelby Cloak, senior first baseman Jessie Pugh, junior second baseman Jordyn Klingensmith and two-time firstteam all-state shortstop and Fairmont State recruit Emma Paul.

Paul has always been a catalyst for the team, but she’s taking on an even bigger role this season. Over the past couple of seasons, she had settled into the No. 2 spot in the lineup behind Emma Smerick. But with Smerick graduated, Paul is now the team’s leadoff hitter.

Her production certainly hasn’t dropped off, as she’s hitting in the .480 range.

Unfinished business

It was supposed to be one the most anticipated Class 1A games in the early part of the season when ChartiersHouston ( 6- 1, 4- 0) and Carmichaels ( 6- 1, 3- 0) matched up in their first of two Section 2 matchups. It may still be.

In what has been a crazy week for the Bucs, the game against the Mikes was suspended after 13 innings with the teams deadlocked in a 5-5 tie. No date has been set for the teams to resume the game.

Softball notebook

Their second scheduled tilt is slated for Friday at 4:15 p.m.

Though that game is as yet undecided, ChartiersHouston does have one win in the books this week, and it was one with historic import, as junior pitcher Meadow Ferri is believed to be the first pitcher in school history to throw a complete game with 21 strikeouts.

She pulled off the feat in a 6- 0 one- hitter Monday against Jefferson-Morgan in a battle of WPIAL hyphenates.

Ferri is the first WPIAL pitcher to fan 21 in a seveninning game since April 24, 2022, when Ligonier Valley’s Maddie Griffin tossed a 21strikeout perfect game against Seton LaSalle. There have been two pitchers, Seneca Valley junior Lexie Hames and Belle Vernon senior Talia Ross, who have fanned 20 in a game this year.

It’s not like her success has come out of nowhere. Ferri was also the team’s pitcher the past two seasons, was an All-Class 2A Section 1 pick as a freshman and an all-section selection last season in Class 1A Section 2.

“She’s such a great kid,” Armstrong coach Tricia Alderson said. “She works so hard, and we’re just happy to see her continue to improve every year.”

Very few homecomings

There are always going to be teams with strong pitching and defenses that somehow find a way to keep opponents off the board, but several have taken it to the extreme this season with opposition run totals looking more like opposing goal totals for a soccer team.

Heading into Wednesday’s action, Shaler, behind sophomore pitcher Bria Bosiljevac, has been the stingiest team in the WPIAL this year. The Titans have not allowed a run in eight games and have outscored their opponents 61-0.

Frazier in Class 1A has allowed the second- fewest runs in the WPIAL so far this year with one in three games but has still put up 49 of its own. The Commodores’ Section 3 rival, Jeannette, has given up only two, as has Class 2A Neshannock, behind Providence recruit Addyson Frye.

Both runs the Lancers allowed came in a 12-2 victory against two-time reigning Class 1A champion Union.