Strong finish helped Plum cap season in WPIAL playoffs

By: Michael Love
Saturday, May 28, 2022 | 11:01 AM

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The Penn-Trafford softball team will play for a WPIAL Class 5A title against Armstrong on Thursday at Cal (Pa.).

The Warriors were dominant in the regular season, losing just a pair of one-run games, and as the No. 2 seed, they were favored to make a deep postseason run.

Plum saw Penn-Trafford up close and personal in the first round May 17. Mustangs coach Phil DiLonardo said the girls, as the underdogs, battled hard before falling 10-0 in five innings. It was another example, he said, of his team’s willingness to fight and battle through whatever was thrown at them in an up-and-down 2022 season.

“We stuck right with them going into the fourth,” said DiLonardo of the playoff matchup at Norwin.

“I felt that was a victory for us right there. Mia Smith is a great pitcher. She’s only given up two runs in three (playoff) games. She shut Shaler out also (5-0), and they’re always tough. We both had three hits against her. I think that says a lot about how good she is.

“We struggled offensively in that game, but we had chances to score runs, especially early. One of our problems all year was not getting that clutch hit in games.”

DiLonardo said the team overcame adversities such as injury and players moving around to different positions as it punched its ticket to the postseason for the third straight year.

Plum, which finished 7-12 overall and 5-7 in Section 1 play, faced a must-win situation in the final week of the regular season. It was win or go home at rival Penn Hills on May 10.

The Mustangs, who came into the game with a winning feeling after nonsection victories over Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (9-6 on May 5) and North Catholic (12-8 on May 9), produced a complete 6-0 triumph over the Indians to clinch the postseason berth.

“Basically, what I told them before the Penn Hills game was that our playoffs started that day,” DiLonardo said.

“It was win and advance against Penn Hills. We needed to have that game to get into the playoffs, and the girls responded. The girls played really well down the stretch to get to that point. They persevered through a lot of stuff. Their battle, heart and determination to get us to that point was huge, even more so than being in the playoffs. It also was a lesson for the younger kids that getting to the playoffs isn’t easy. You have to put the work in.”

DiLonardo said the playoff experience is a benefit to his returning group.

But before the team could begin to get ready to build on the postseason experience with offseason work, it had to say goodbye to a group of six seniors — Cassidy Starr, Jaralyn Kincaid, Ashley Polakovic, Maura Marston, Shianne Walker and Jenna Nardo — who helped form a foundation of leadership.

Polakovic played the first three games of the season before injury took her out of the lineup. She returned against OLSH, and in eight games, she batted .423 (11 of 26) with two doubles, four runs batted in and four runs scored.

“That kind of helped reset our defense, and it was a big part of us playing pretty well down the stretch,” DiLonardo said.

Junior Mackenze Lang, who battled shoulder issues and split time between the pitching circle (611/3 innings) and serving as the designated player, led the team in batting with a .442 average (19 for 43). She hit six home runs, tallied 14 RBIs, and scored 19 runs.

Opposing teams respected her power ability as a number of her team-best 16 walks were intentional free passes.

“For the situation Mackenzie was in, she gave it all she had,” DiLorenzo said. “She didn’t get a whole lot to hit this year, especially in the section.”

Freshman Dani Pici made an impact in her varsity debut at catcher and pitcher.

She hit .392 with four home runs and a team-leading 18 RBIs.

“Dani was a pleasant surprise for us,” DiLonardo said. “It’s sometimes tough as a freshman just to get into a starting lineup, but to produce like she did, I thought she had a great year, and her future is really bright.”

Kincaid (.316, 12 RBIs) earned second-team all-section recognition at third base, while junior Kendal James (.340) was an honorable mention selection at second base along with Pici, Lang and Marston.

Also expected back next year and hoping to make an impact will be junior outfielder Taylor Lorish (.327), junior infielder Madelyn Wagner and freshman infielder/outfielder Bella Tavella.

“I told them at the banquet the other night that I felt the future is bright with who we have coming back and who we have coming up,” DiLonardo said.

“I had the opportunity to watch a few of the junior high games, and there are some really talented kids down there.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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