Shaler softball looks to make adjustments to keep bats hot

By: Josh Rizzo
Sunday, April 24, 2022 | 9:01 AM

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When things go smoothly for the Shaler girls softball team, the Titans feature power not many other teams in WPIAL Class 5A can match.

But what Shaler needs to transform itself into a serious postseason contender is the ability to stay on track when things go sideways.

In the Titans’ five victories, Shaler has plated 53 runs. In Shaler’s two losses, to Section 3-5A rivals North Hills and Fox Chapel, the Titans weren’t able to make as much solid contact as they would have liked at the plate.

“I think power is our strength,” Shaler coach Tom Sorce said. “Good pitching stops that. We have to learn how to make adjustments. That’s what we preached after those losses. We haven’t been making the adjustments we need to be successful.”

When Shaler is on, the Titans (5-2, 2-2) are tough to stop. In the Titans’ first seven games, they connected on 11 home runs.

Bethany Rodman leads the team with three home runs. Kate Gordon, Cam Murphy and Megan Povich have also shown pop. Sorce also expects outfielder/first baseman Eloise Facher, who is out with an injury, to make major contributions when she gets back in the lineup.

Murphy said she feels the Titans have been putting a lot of pressure on themselves to replicate last year’s succes.

Shaler won the section with an 8-1 mark but bowed out in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs to Connellsville.

“Last year, we accomplished a lot as a team,” Murphy said.

“Winning the section was a big deal for us. We are trying to do the same thing we did last year. Bringing all of that into this season is a lot of pressure on us. We get in our heads a lot.”

Despite the longing to replicate last season’s success creating pressure, Shaler hasn’t suffered much in the win column.

The Titans are in third place in the section and are in a good position to compete for a playoff spot.

Shaler is benefiting from the experience it has. The Titans returned 16 of their 17 varsity players from last season and have 11 seniors. Rodman has been carrying the workload inside the circle, striking out 31 batters in 46 innings pitched.

Sorce believes taking a few losses early may benefit the Titans in the long run.

“Last year, we peaked early,” Sorce said. “We played well early and then petered out toward the end. Even with the experience we have, we haven’t started as strong. Now we are starting to pick it up a little bit, which is a reversal of last year.”

Murphy believes that experience will help Shaler as the games become more elevated in importance.

“It helped us this season because having players who know what to do and work well as a team makes a big difference,” Murphy said.

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