Deer Lakes softball players hope to add another title to program’s legacy

By: Michael Love
Tuesday, May 31, 2022 | 5:28 PM

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Anna Bokulich remembers Deer Lakes’ 2015 WPIAL softball championship well.

The Deer Lakes junior, along with a number of other young, up-and-coming players in the Deer Lakes area youth program, including seniors Shayne Cerra, Keeghan Cook and Lydia Guthrie, were on hand to see the Lancers rout Mohawk, 13-5, to win the program’s second WPIAL title in four years and the second in the program’s history.

“It was so amazing to see the community come together for that game and support all the girls,” Bokulich said.

Added Guthrie: “We were sitting in right field, all in a row, and we saw three buses full of (Deer Lakes) students and fans pull up. We thought that was so cool. Since then, we just dreamed about being in that situation.”

For Guthrie, Bokulich, Cook, Cerra and all of their Lancers teammates, the goal has become a reality. At noon Wednesday, they will face No. 1 Avonworth in the WPIAL Class 3A title game at Lilley Field at Cal (Pa.).

The 2015 title capped a run of four straight WPIAL finals appearances for Deer Lakes. The Lancers returned in 2017 but came up short against Ellwood City.

“We’re trying to live up to that legacy and play for each other, our school and the community as a whole,” Bokulich said. “We’re excited we have the chance to add to it all.”

Second-year starting catcher Tia Germanich, a sophomore, said the players were dedicated to putting themselves in position to make a run this season after last year’s tough opening-round loss to Ellwood City.

“We were working hard all season waiting for our time to come and get the opportunity to be where we are,” she said.

“For the past couple of years, we said that this was going to be the team that gets to the title game with a chance to win a championship. We’ve worked so hard in practices, and it is working for us in these games.”

Deer Lakes earned the No. 3 seed and a first-round bye for the playoffs after finishing the regular season 11-4 and winning Section 1 with an 8-0 record.

“The girls realize what has come before them, and there is great respect for what coach (Craig Taliani) established,” coach Rick Cerra said. “When they were young, they would go to all of those games. They talked about one day it being them on the field with a chance to bring home a championship for Deer Lakes.

“The girls understand the seriousness of it all, but we’re trying to keep it as low-pressure as possible. We just want them to go out and play the game that is fun to them and play it to their highest potential.”

Deer Lakes punched its ticket to the finals with its 5-4 victory over No. 2 South Allegheny on May 24 at West Mifflin.

The Lancers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning. After the Gladiators closed the gap to one at 3-2, senior Reese Hasley rose up with a crucial two-run homer in the fifth.

It turned out to be the game winner, as South Allegheny rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh before Deer Lakes closed the door on the Gladiators comeback.

“South Allegheny really put a scare into us at the end, but the girls got the job done and closed it out,” coach Cerra said.

“I was really proud of the girls for the way they jumped out and got the lead. We knew what kind of team South Allegheny was, and we knew it was going to be a battle. There was no quit in the team.”

The Lancers were right back at it with practices Wednesday and Thursday. After two days off surrounding the prom, they continued to prepare Sunday through yesterday to face an Avonworth team that is back to its winning ways after nonsection losses to playoff powers Seton LaSalle, Belle Vernon and North Hills to end the regular season.

The Antelopes (16-5) topped Mt. Pleasant, 5-2, in the quarterfinals before blanking Southmoreland, 3-0, in the semifinals.

Sophomore Alivia Lantzy was the star of the semifinal shutout. In addition to pitching a gem, she crushed a triple to right in the fifth inning to score two runs.

Teammate Leah Kuban, also a sophomore, added a home run in the sixth to set the final.

Lantzy gave up only three hits and struck out eight.

“We know Avonworth is a good hitting and pitching team,” coach Cerra said. “They have all the pieces in place. At the same time, we’ve been making sure our situationals are in place and that we’re hitting and fielding well. Basically, we’re approaching everything the same knowing that what we have in front of us isn’t changing what we’re doing. The girls are ready, but they fully understand that it’s not going to be a cakewalk by any means.”

Deer Lakes’ close calls in the playoffs began in the quarterfinals in a 3-2 victory over Waynesburg on May 21. Guthrie hit a two-run go-ahead single, Kee struck out eight, and Bokulich went 3 for 3 to help lead the Lancers to victory.

While the concentration is squarely on Wednesday’s championship opportunity, the Lancers also know they have more to look forward to in the state playoffs. It’s a trip that was clinched with its semifinal victory.

Deer Lakes will open play Monday against either the District 10 champion or a team from District 5 or 6.

“We know going into Wednesday we’re guaranteed at least two more games,” coach Cerra said.

“We’re approaching it all one game at a time. Once Wednesday is done, the girls can refocus and see what we can do against the rest of the state. It’s just all a ton of fun for the girls. They’ve worked so hard and have earned all of this.”

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.

Tags: Avonworth, Deer Lakes