Clutch hitting carries Bishop Canevin to playoff victory

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, May 18, 2018 | 2:54 PM

If the Bishop Canevin softball team is hitting, there is a good chance it is winning.

In the midst of a WPIAL Class A playoff run, the Crusaders are looking to keep their season alive. If Bishop Canevin can keep up its strong performance at the plate, it may well do that.

“At the beginning of the year, our hitting was good because we were in the gym so much hitting off the machine,” Bishop Canevin coach Karen Seitz-LaFianza said. “It is good to be back in the groove. Our whole lineup can hit. There is no weak spot.”

The Crusaders are averaging 11.2 runs this season. Bishop Canevin has only been held to less than five runs in two games and has topped 14 or more runs six times. Seitz-LaFianza credits the team's leadoff batters — seniors Clare McMahon and Haley Pilch — as being difference makers.

“They set the tone,” Seitz-LaFianza said. “Clare is our leadoff batter and sets the tone every game. Haley is as consistent as it gets.”

The team's base running also has been a catalyst for success. While the team might not have any burners on the bases, the Crusaders have the experience to keep their opponents on their heels.

“There is a fine line between being aggressive and getting silly on the bases,” Seitz-LaFianza said. “We try to make the other team make a play. We know how to cut the corners running the bases and take aggressive leads.”

The team's offense led to a successful opening to the postseason. In the opening around of the Class A playoffs, the No. 12 Crusaders used their high-powered offense to score a 7-6 upset of No. 5 Carmichaels. The Crusaders scored all of their runs by the fifth inning and kept the Mighty Mikes (12-7) at bay.

“For six of seven innings, we did everything right,” Seitz-LaFianza said. “We had a little hiccup. It was the best game of our season.”

A total of four Crusaders had extra-base hits — McMahon, senior Kasey Kaczorow­ski, junior Brenna Nolf and sophomore Taylor Lokaitis. Senior pitcher Alana Losego threw a five-hitter with three strikeouts to record the win. It was the fourth straight win for the Crusaders.

The team will look to keep those wins coming. With a battle-tested lineup — the team has six seniors and eight of nine starters are in at least their second season — the Crusaders will look to trek past the quarterfinals for the first time since 2015.

“We're a good team,” Seitz-LaFianza said. “We have a lot of talent. We beat Leechburg, the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. I don't know if we weren't focused or had bad luck earlier in the year, but I knew the potential was there. We hope it comes out before the end of the season.”

Nathan Smith is a freelance writer.

Tags: Bishop Canevin