Standout pitchers highlight 2019 Trib HSSN softball all-star team
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Saturday, June 22, 2019 | 11:40 PM
Connellsville Area starting pitcher Mia Burd throws against West Allegheny during the 5-A softball championship Friday, May 31, 2019 at Peters Township High School.
Mt. Pleasant pitcher Carolyn Alincic winds up a throw against Thomas Jefferson during WPIAL softball semifinals Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at Seton Hill University.
Penn Trafford’s Brooke Cleland hits a two-run home run against West Allegheny during PIAA 5A softball quarterfinals Thursday, June 6, 2019 at Peters Township High School.
Hempfield’s Laura Fox scores during the sixth inning of a PIAA Class 6A quarterfinal against McDowell Thursday, June 6, 2019, at North Allegheny High School.
Frazier’s Logan Hartman throws a pitch against Laurel in the WPIAL Class 2A final May 31, 2019, at Trinity Middle School.
Avonworth starting pitcher Sarah Helffrich throws against Keystone Oaks during the 3-A WPIAL softball championship Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at Peterswood Park.
Elizabeth Forward’s Kailey Larcinese pitches a throw against Mt. Pleasant in the PIAA class 4A softball semifinal on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, at Seton Hill University. Elizabeth Forward defeated Mt. Pleasant 2-1 after eight innings.
North Allegheny’s Rachel Martindale hits a three-run home run in front of Norwin catcher Sara Russell during their WPIAL Class 6A semifinal Wednesday, May 22, 2019, at Fox Chapel High School.
West Greene’s Jade Renner pitches against Rockwood in the PIAA Class A playoffs June 3, 2019, at Peters Township.
West Allegheny’s Britney Wilson scores behind Connellsville Area catcher Kaybree Benton during the 5-A softball championship Friday, May 31, 2019 at Peters Township High School.
The one word that best describes the 2019 WPIAL softball season is dominant.
Four teams continued to flex their program’s muscles and repeated as district champions this spring.
Hempfield won a record-tying fifth straight WPIAL crown in the district’s highest classification, and did so with a 15-0 rout in the finals over top-seeded North Allegheny.
West Greene won a fourth straight Class A championship, while West Allegheny three-peated in Class 5A and Laurel won a second straight Class 2A title.
The two other WPIAL winners were first-time champions with Elizabeth Forward claiming gold in Class 4A, and Avonworth earning the district crown in Class 3A.
Two teams that didn’t win WPIAL championships went on to capture PIAA gold at Penn State with Penn-Trafford and Frazier earning their first state crowns.
There were a lot of players who dominated both in the circle and at the plate in the WPIAL in 2019.
While not all can be honored, here’s a look at the Trib 10 softball all-star team, led by Trib HSSN Player of the Year Kailey Larcinese of Elizabeth Forward.
Carolyn Alincic
Mt. Pleasant, Sr., P
The Morehead State recruit didn’t need to pick up a bat to show her dominance. She finished 15-1 with a 1.16 ERA with only 25 walks and 209 strikeouts in helping the Vikings to an undefeated regular season and a runner-up trophy in the district playoffs.
Mia Burd
Connellsville, Sr., P
The Cornell recruit hit .519 with 24 runs scored and 15 RBIs. She had a .600 on-base percentage and a .696 slugging percentage. In the circle, she was 15-7 with a 1.93 ERA and 126 strikeouts in helping the Falcons reach the WPIAL Class 5A finals.
Brooke Cleland
Penn-Trafford, So., OF
The young star hit .470 with an nine home runs, 26 runs scored and 30 RBIs. She had an .892 slugging percentage in helping the Warriors reach the state finals, where they captured the school’s first PIAA softball championship.
Laura Fox
Hempfield, Sr., OF
The Pitt-Johnstown recruit hit .471 with four home runs, 30 runs scored and 18 RBIs. She had a .536 on-base percentage and a .753 slugging percentage. The center fielder only committed one error in helping to lead the Spartans to a fifth straight WPIAL championship.
Logan Hartman
Frazier, Jr., P
Hartman hit .407 with one home run, 25 runs scored and 29 RBIs with a .484 on-base percentage and .630 slugging percentage. She also won 25 games in the circle with a 1.39 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP and 195 strikeouts in guiding the Commodores to a third straight district title game and a first state championship.
Sarah Helffrich
Avonworth, Sr., P, 2B
Helffrich hit .545 with three home runs, 25 runs scored and 35 RBIs. She had a .600 on-base percentage and a .955 slugging percentage. She also was 11-2 in the circle with a 2.56 ERA in helping the Antelopes win their first WPIAL softball championship.
Kailey Larcinese
Elizabeth Forward, So., P
Larcinese led the Warriors to the WPIAL championship in Class 4A and a second-place finish in the PIAA tournament. She posted a 19-5 record, an ERA of 1.02 and a WHIP of 0.85. She walked 36 in 151 innings while striking out 202 batters.
Rachel Martindale
North Allegheny, Sr., SS
The Akron basketball recruit hit .479 with five home runs, 35 runs scored and 21 RBIs. She had a .568 on-base percentage and a .836 slugging percentage. The shortstop helped the Tigers to the No. 1 seed and runner-up finish to Hempfield in the Class 6A playoffs.
Jade Renner
West Greene, Jr., P
Renner hit .506 with 37 RBIs with a .544 on-base percentage and a .567 slugging percentage. However, her strength is her pitching where she was 20-5 with a 1.68 ERA and 122 strikeouts and only 13 walks allowed as she helped the Pioneers win a fourth straight WPIAL championship.
Britney Wilson
West Allegheny, Jr., C
The Cal (Pa.) recruit hit .527 with two home runs, 34 runs scored and 22 RBIs. She had a .576 slugging percentage and a .851 slugging percentage. The catcher helped the No. 10-seeded Indians win a third straight WPIAL championship.
Tags: Avonworth, Connellsville, Frazier, Hempfield, Mt. Pleasant, North Allegheny, Penn-Trafford, West Allegheny, West Greene
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