Bishop Canevin softball sets sights on Section 3-A title

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, March 10, 2018 | 12:18 AM

Bishop Canevin softball coach Karen Seitz-LaFianza was hoping for a better seed in last season's WPIAL playoffs. The Crusaders' spot in the Class A bracket ran them smack into a second-round meeting with West Greene, which steamrolled everyone on its way to the title.

So the Crusaders aim to win their section in order to impress the WPIAL seeding committee.

“West Greene is a problem for everyone,” Seitz-LaFianza, in her seventh season, said. “But the focus here is on competing with (section champ) Leechburg.”

The Crusaders return eight starters from the team that went 8-4 (overall and in Section 3-A). Pitcher Alana Losego is one of the eight, and she is a three-year starter.

Another senior three-year starter, Tamara Blue, anchors the infield at first base. Across the diamond is sophomore third baseman Taylor Lokaitis, whom Seitz-LaFianza said has “tremendous potential.”

Center fielder Clare McMahon was a first-team all-section performer after hitting better than .600.

But Seitz-LaFianza said she also has depth, so she won't have to rely on her starting nine exclusively.

“There are options, for sure,” she said.

Chartiers Valley

In her first season as coach, Lexi Schwartzmiller led the Colts (9-7, 7-5 Section 3-5A) to the playoffs. The team graduated five seniors, but Schwartzmiller has high hopes — if the returning players can fill the leadership void.

“It's not so much the skill,” she said. “It's (players) taking the initiative.”

Much will depend on the development of junior pitchers Teresa Mackey and Delaney Young. Mackey battled issues with an illegal “crow hop” in her pitching motion last year, but, Schwartzmiller said, she appears to have that worked out.

Shannon O'Connell is slotted at first base for the moment, but Schwartzmiller said she has the ability play any position on the field. And she might have to. Specifically, she could move to center field after all three outfield starters from 2017 graduated.

If nothing else, the Colts have a full year in Schwartzmiller's system under their collective belt. That, the coach said, puts the team further ahead than it was last season at this time.

“Even though a lot of things aren't set in stone right now … I still have a good feeling about where we are,” she said.

Carlynton

Like Schwartzmiller, the Cougars' Traci Melko is entering her second season at the helm. The Cougars went 4-10 (2-8 Section 1-2A) and missed the playoffs last season.

A big key to getting back to the postseason will be the emergence of sophomore pitcher Jaelyn Melko, who should benefit from a season of varsity experience. She will need some help from her fielders, and that's an area Traci Melko continues to develop.

“We lost a couple of key players, so we're kind of regrouping,” she said. “We have some talented girls. I just need to pull it all together.”

The Cougars should be solid offensively, with Alexis Stewart, who also can pitch, Brianna Koval and Chloe Evans.

Carlynton's 2017 season was feast or famine, with only three of their games decided by fewer than four runs. Reeling in some of the teams that put them on the wrong side of those blowouts will go a long way to getting the Cougars back to the playoffs.

“I think we're going to be OK,” Melko said. “I think we're going to need a little time to mesh because a lot of these girls haven't played together before, so we're trying to develop that camaraderie between them.”

Chuck Curti is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at ccurti@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CCurti_Trib.

Tags: Bishop Canevin, Carlynton, Chartiers Valley