Deep lineup returns for Yough softball team

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, March 22, 2018 | 4:15 PM

What do the Yough and Mt. Pleasant softball teams have in common?

The obvious answer is both are from Westmoreland County.

Besides that, they each won PIAA titles without winning the WPIAL championship the past two seasons and needed to win a consolation game to qualify for the state tournament.

Yough did it in 2016, and Mt. Pleasant in 2017.

The Cougars are talented enough to make another run in 2018 with seven returning lettermen and four skilled freshmen. But Mt. Pleasant and Belle Vernon also will be in the mix.

“We have good depth, seven seniors and that's nice,” Yough coach Art “Dutch” Harvey said. “All the seniors have been here since their freshmen year and five were starters from the PIAA team.

“Having Kierra (Waywood) back as our pitcher, that's a big plus. We have four nice freshmen. All played travel ball.”

Yough (19-4, 11-1) finished as co-champion with Belle Vernon (20-2, 11-1) in Section 2-4A. Harvey considers the section the toughest in the WPIAL with Belle Vernon, Elizabeth Forward, Keystone Oaks and South Fayette.

“The section is tough,” Harvey said. “We have Mt. Pleasant on the schedule, which is probably the best in the WPIAL, and Latrobe, which is probably one of the top two teams in the state in 6A. Softball in Westmoreland County is going to be fun this year.”

Yough and Belle Vernon split during the regular season, but the Leopards won 4-1 in the WPIAL title game.

In the state playoffs, Mt. Pleasant toppled Yough, 7-2, in the semifinals.

Harvey plans a different pitching approach this season. While Waywood is the team's top pitcher, senior Karlie Clark and sophomore Sarah Mears should see time in the circle.

“We're going to mix up our pitching,” Harvey said. “We want Kierra to be fresh headed to the playoffs. We plan to use Karlie a lot.”

Offensively, Yough will be led by senior center fielder Hannah Bach, a Pitt recruit, as well as second baseman Aubrie Mance and first baseman Kayley Westerman.

Bach owns the Yough stolen base record, Mance was the team's top hitter and Harvey said Westerman is hitting the ball well in the batting cage.

He also hopes Clark's bat continues to improve.

The other starters back are senior outfielder Nina Maroney and sophomore catcher Hannah Christner.

“We'll have a freshman starter at shortstop and at third base and another in the outfield,” Harvey said. “Sammie MaGhee and Jaden Cox are battling for the third base spot.

“Kaylan Odelli is our choice at shortstop, which allows us to move Bach to center field where she can cover some ground, and Savannah Manns might be one of the girls in the outfield. All four freshmen will all have a chance to play.”

Yough opens the season Friday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World, where it will play four games. When the Cougars return home, they open section action April 3 at West Mifflin.

Paul Schofield is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at pschofield@tribweb.com or via twitter @Schofield_Trib.

Tags: Yough