No. 2 Latrobe enjoys Section 2 softball victory over Norwin

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, April 6, 2018 | 8:39 PM

Previous Next

Previous Next

Latrobe appears to be a serious contender this season in WPIAL Class 6A softball. That doesn't mean the Wildcats have to take themselves too seriously.

Freshman Sophie Schmucker is injured, but she played a uniquely important role for the team Friday while also providing some comic relief. Looking like she raided a bargain bin in a costume store, Schmucker showed up wearing a colorful hula skirt and flowery lei over her uniform, carried a large plush fish under her arm and topped it off with a monkey mask over her head. It was a snapshot of pure randomness. But it roused the Wildcats.

Schmucker led an animated charge from the dugout. She even danced between innings, proof that a good time was had by all from the Latrobe side in a 7-0 victory over visiting Norwin at Graham-Sobota Field.

“It's just something they wanted to do; they're having a little fun,” Latrobe coach Rick Kozusko said. “But I just told them, you better back it up if you're going to do that stuff.”

Softball teams have made noise before but Latrobe took it up a notch with Schmucker. They chanted and giggled, used water jugs as drums and seemed to turn up the volume as the Section 2 game wore on.

Not all teams use nonstop dugout cheers to conjure rallies and annoy opponents. Norwin was mostly quiet Friday. But the giddy enthusiasm worked for No. 2-ranked Latrobe (2-0, 2-0), the returning WPIAL runner-up that won on back-to-back days.

“We have a lot of fun as a team,” junior catcher Makayla Munchinski said. “We try to keep it loose and have a good time. I brought the hula skirt, Lauren Bisignani brought the fish and Jordan Novak brought the monkey mask. Sophie has a lot of energy, so we wanted her to be the mascot. We try to constantly be making noise.”

Senior second baseman Sarah Blair went 3 for 4 and broke it open with a three-run double in the sixth inning. Senior outfielder Carissa Scekeres and Munchinski added two hits apiece, with Munchinski driving in two runs, one when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth.

The offense backed the pitching of junior Kiley Myers, who struck out eight and walked one in a five-hit shutout. Norwin (1-1, 0-1) never got a baserunner to third.

“Pitching and defense wins games,” Kozusko said. “Kylie was spot-on today. She needs to be a tiger out there, all year. It was a well-played game defensively, both sides. Norwin has a nice team, and they'll be around.”

In the fifth with Latrobe ahead 1-0, junior Mia Schweizer put down a bunt single, and Blair followed with a single to left. Scekeres lined back to Norwin pitcher Natalie Krzywiec, who saw the ball carom off her glove, and the bases were loaded with one out.

Munchnski was plunked to push home Schweizer, and senior shortstop Karley Kovatch drove in Blair on a fielder's choice to make it 3-0.

“That was a big inning, set up by Mia Schweizer. She had a nice bunt,” Kozusko said. “She was the inning-starter there for us, and it just caught fire that inning. Sarah Blair has been swinging a hot bat for us. We expect her to come through, and she did. That broke it open there.”

Blair also referenced Schweizer's bunt.

“We kind of build off each other,” Blair said. “Mia bunted and got on, and that was the inning it kept going. One hit led to another, and it just worked out in our favor.”

Norwin left six on base, including two in the first after opening the game with two hits in a row. The Knights could not take advantage of two Latrobe errors.

“Defensively, I thought we really played well and made some spectacular plays,” Norwin coach Brian Mesich said. “We have to string some hits together. We weren't aggressive at times. We have to learn to keep it simple.”

Junior Alexandra Brentzel had two hits for Norwin.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Latrobe, Norwin