Postseason losses a ‘learning experience’ for North Allegheny softball team

By: Josh Rizzo
Thursday, June 6, 2019 | 4:59 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Two bumps to end the season didn’t spell doom for first-year North Allegheny softball coach Morgan Vescovi.

Along the way, the Tigers finished in a three-way tie for the WPIAL Section 2-6A crown and advanced to the WPIAL championship.

North Allegheny’s season came to an end with a 2-0 loss to Central Dauphin last Monday at Lebanon Valley College.

“The loss was disappointing, but we took it for what it’s worth,” Vescovi said. “We took it as a learning experience, not something that defines us as a team or how we play.”

Against Central Dauphin, North Allegheny (15-8) finished with four hits. In the WPIAL championship game, the Tigers were no-hit by Hempfield, which won its fifth straight district title. North Allegheny swept the Spartans during the regular season.

“There were some interesting scores in the College World Series Tournament, too,” Vescovi said. “It happens to good teams. The great teams are the ones who bounce back and don’t let it impact the confidence in themselves. We took that to heart and they know they are good enough athletes that those games weren’t a reflection of their abilities.”

The Tigers were a group driven in part by perceived disrespect. North Allegheny never felt it got the respect in early-season rankings.

“We weren’t getting considered and people don’t seem to be expecting a lot from us from the start,” Vescovi said. “The program is steeped in tradition, and we used this to motivate us to show people what we can do. That was an initial spark for us and we kept building. We kept focusing on what our team goals were and kept that fire.”

Several North Allegheny athletes were recognized for their roles in helping pile up wins.

The Tigers had two players — Rachel Martindale and Regan Brodine — selected as first-team all-section. Martindale led the team with a .556 batting average and four home runs. Brodine tied Martindale for a team-high with 18 RBIs and hit .345.

Kristen Chomos, who hit .426 and also drove in 18 runs, along with Ashley Adams, who was 9-4 with a 2.43 ERA were named to the second team. Brynn Serbin was chosen as an honorable mention.

Vescovi felt the team’s seniors played a big part in helping lead the team. North Allegheny, which was the top seed for the WPIAL playoffs, opened the season with nine straight victories.

“I think a big area of growth for the team was big-game experience,” Vescovi said. “We were fortunate to have seniors on our team who were incredible leaders and played in a lot of playoff situations, whether it was for softball, basketball or volleyball. Moving forward, we want to continue to develop that experience.”

Tags: North Allegheny