Penn-Trafford pitcher steps up in 1-hit shutout of North Hills in Class 5A semifinals

By: Matthew Purucker
Tuesday, May 20, 2025 | 7:25 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

One of the best attributes an athlete can have is a short memory.

After getting past a tough challenge from Chartiers Valley in the WPIAL quarterfinals, giving up 11 runs, Penn-Trafford sophomore pitcher Allyson Paulone was determined to step up.

Paulone pitched a gem in Tuesday’s Class 5A softball semifinals: a one-hit shutout in a 7-0 victory over fourth-seeded North Hills to send No. 1 Penn-Trafford to the championship game.

Paulone relied on her defense, but she helped her teammates, too, because whenever the Indians made contact, the ball usually went directly to a fielder. She finished with three strikeouts and one walk to go with the one hit, a blooper that landed near the left-field foul line between third baseman Cameron Ponko and left fielder Rilie Moors.

“I just said to myself, ‘It’s just another game.’ Coach Denny (Little) always says that,” Paulone said. “The girls always have my back. They’re always there getting hits, being gritty, and I just know to trust my pitches and trust my teammates to help me out.”

Penn-Trafford’s high-powered offense came ready to hit. Moors belted a double to lead off the bottom of the first inning. Following a flyout and a wild pitch, Moors advanced to third and Ponko hit a ground-ball single to drive Moors home to open the scoring.

“I definitely think when we get ahead first, it helps me. It helps the team,” Paulone said. “It keeps our energy up, and we know that we can hit.”

Later, with two outs, two Indians collided while trying to catch Penn-Trafford shortstop Kylie Anthony’s fly ball in shallow left field for the first of Anthony’s three RBIs, making it 2-0. In the third inning, Anthony smacked a two-run triple off the glove of North Hills left fielder Alexa Edmunds to take a 4-0 lead.

“It’s hard to watch the kids who played solid all year (not play their best). I don’t think the moment was too big,” North Hills coach Libby Gasior said. “I think P-T did a great job, and they hit, put the ball in play. So good things happen when you do that. So I’m not hanging on the kids that made mistakes. It happens, part of the game.”

Giuliana Youngo hit a sacrifice fly to score Ponko in the bottom of the fifth. Moors and Lorryn Sepe each tallied an RBI in the bottom of the sixth to add insurance runs.

Although the loss stung North Hills, for Penn-Trafford, the win redeemed what Little believed to be a subpar performance in an 8-6 triumph over North Hills earlier in the season.

“The whole season is just ups and downs, ups and downs, and I was hoping that we had our down in that win,” Little said. “When you can come out and win like that, that’s almost a loss, and you learn a lot from losing. … And (Paulone) learned a lot about pitching.”

Also, the win moves Penn-Trafford one step closer to claiming its first WPIAL softball championship. To do it, the Warriors will have to take down No. 2 Shaler and ace Bria Bosiljevac. North Hills will face West Allegheny in the third-place game. All four teams have already qualified for the PIAA tournament.

“I feel so good for the girls … and they have had energy the whole time through the playoffs,” Little said. “Before the playoffs, we talked to them about, ‘Hey, you’re kind of dipping on your energy, kind of dipping on this. You know, pick it up a little bit.’ It just went (up) — their energy and their attitude and effort, everything.”

Tags: North Hills, Penn-Trafford