Young Plum softball team battling through challenging early schedule

By: Michael Love
Saturday, April 15, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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The Plum softball team found itself in a hole at Shaler in a Section 1-5A game April 12.

The Titans led 7-0 after two innings and threatened to blow out the youthful Mustangs.

But Plum didn’t fold its tent and mounted a rally, drawing to within four in the sixth inning.

But the deficit was too much to overcome, and Shaler, No. 1 in the Trib HSSN Class 5A rankings, improved to 8-0 overall with a 10-6 victory.

“The biggest thing coming out of that game is that we didn’t quit when it would’ve been so easy to do it down 7-0,” said Plum coach Phil DiLonardo, who saw his team fall to 4-4 overall and 1-2 in the section with the setback to the Titans.

“We’re still a young team, and we made young mistakes that cost us early on. But the girls kept playing and kept fighting.”

DiLonardo said the section, with Shaler, North Hills and Fox Chapel at the top, has shaped up like he expected through the first couple weeks of games.

“At the beginning of the year, I expected us to be competitive, and I think it’s even been more than I expected,” DiLonardo said. “We’ve been in every game, and the girls have shown a lot of fight.”

“Starting four freshmen and two sophomores, I am happy with the progress we’ve made being that young. I’ve known the freshmen for a while and I knew they could come in and succeed right away. I credit a number of seniors and others with that experience for helping bring this team together. I told the girls that I think we can play with any team out there.”

North Hills, a WPIAL Class 5A semifinalist and PIAA qualifier last year, won seven of its first eight games this spring and was 6-0 before a 10-2 loss to Shaler on April 5.

Plum was within two runs late in its game with North Hills on April 3 before the Indians tacked on an insurance run to seal a 5-2 victory. Mustangs errors led to three North Hills unearned runs.

“Without those errors, that game definitely could’ve gone another way,” he said.

DiLonardo said he likes the way freshman Riley Stephans has progressed in the pitching circle.

Stephans collected the majority of innings (32 1/3) through Plum’s first eight games and owns a 4.76 earned-run average with 37 strikeouts and 21 walks.

“We’ve put a lot on her as a freshman, and she’s responding well to that,” DiLonardo said.

“Early on, I think she struggled a little bit with nerves. She seems to be working through that as she faces some really strong teams with strong and veteran hitters. She’s done well going up against the likes of Shaler and North Hills. I told her (after the Shaler game) that I liked the way she didn’t give in.”

DiLonardo said Stephans has grown with the help of her batterymate, sophomore Dani Pici.

“They’ve played together since they were 9 or 10 and they are very familiar with each other,” DiLonardo said.

“They communicate well with each other.”

Pici, DiLonardo said, continues to grow both at the plate and behind the plate.

She started a Mustangs rally against Shaler with a three-run home run in the third inning and finished 2 for 4. A day earlier, she went 3 for 5 with three RBIs in Plum’s 10-5 nonsection win over Serra Catholic.

Through eight games, Pici batted .571 (16 of 28) with five doubles, two home runs and 13 runs batted in.

“She’s been outstanding at the plate for us and really picked up where she left off last year,” DiLonardo said.

“She’s not real vocal, but her actions speak volumes. Defensively, she’s strong and getting stronger. Not many teams want to try and run on her. Overall, she’s just a little more at ease with what she’s doing and has taken on more of a leadership role.”

Senior first baseman Mackenzie Lang has met continued hitting expectations.

She batted .550 (11 of 20) with seven walks over her first 27 plate appearances and clubbed four home runs and drove in 15.

“Mackenzie’s doing her thing, hitting home runs and getting on base,” DiLonardo said. “She’s been that dependable hitter in the middle of the lineup.”

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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