Behind family atmosphere, North Allegheny softball team aims to return to WPIAL final

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, April 8, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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The North Allegheny softball players were individually asked by their coaches to pick one word to describe the program. It wasn’t a serious task, just a light-hearted word-association game.

When a majority chose “family,” that certainly made coach Morgan Vescovi smile.

“That’s so important for how much time these girls spend together and all of the different ways they rely on one another,” she said. “That was just such a cool thing to hear organically from so many of them.”

Here’s an example of why.

Vescovi is expecting her first child later in the year. Guessing the gender became a fun competition among her players, so she planned a gender-reveal practice complete with a softball piñata filled with colored confetti.

That’s what family does.

“They were asking me about it all week, trying to get hints, looking at what I’m wearing and seeing if I’m giving anything away,” Vescovi said. “They’re funny and very competitive. It doesn’t matter what it is. It can be a gender reveal. They’re going to be competitive about it.”

Vescovi relied on many underclassmen in recent years, including two freshmen last season when the team reached the WPIAL Class 6A finals and the state quarterfinals. As a result, the Tigers have five returning starters from a team that went 14-11, adding to the camaraderie.

They opened this season with a trip to Orlando that took both the varsity and junior varsity rosters to Florida.

“At some point in our lives, if we’re involved in athletics, we’ve been a part of a team that doesn’t have that cohesion,” she said, “and that can completely break your season.”

The team has five senior starters this season in outfielders Meghan McDonough and Katie Lucas, second baseman Mayson Brokos, first baseman Reagan Sheets and catcher Sadie Kelly.

McDonough is an all-section player and Pitt-Johnstown recruit who ranked second on the team with a .371 batting average a year ago. Her speed lets her cover ground defensively in the outfield, Vescovi said, but also causes “chaos in the infield” with her slap-hitting style at the plate. She had 16 runs and 12 RBIs.

Also returning is junior pitcher Anne Melle, who had a team-best .379 batting average with 14 RBIs and 12 runs. The two freshmen-turned-sophomore starters are pitcher Sammy Plotsko and utility infielder McKenna Rowlands, who scored 16 runs.

Another returning starter, junior outfielder Carlyn Vaupel, is recovering from shoulder surgery and could rejoin the lineup later in the season.

“I have a lot back, which is pretty cool,” Vescovi said. “I’ve had a very young team the last two years and it’s nice to now see a large group that has section and WPIAL experience.”

North Allegheny finished fourth in the section last season before getting hot in the WPIAL playoffs. The No. 7-seeded Tigers upset Nos. 2 and 3 en route to the finals.

Vescovi said she sees more confidence among her players as a result.

“There’s a lot of composure out there, which is really awesome,” she said. “That definitely comes from the confidence they developed last season.”

Vescovi’s schedule is busier nowadays as she coaches and teaches about four months into her pregnancy, but said she intends to complete the softball season as planned.

This is her fifth year as head coach.

“I may not always be coaching at third base,” she said. “I’m sure I’ll become a bigger and slower target as the season goes, but I fully intend to be there.”

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: North Allegheny