Top-seeded South Park knocks off rust, shuts out Deer Lakes in Class 3A

By: Michael Love
Monday, May 19, 2025 | 9:35 PM

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Twelve days went by between the South Park softball team’s final regular-season game and Monday’s WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals against Deer Lakes at Fox Chapel.

The Eagles’ high-powered offense took a couple of innings to get going against the Lancers.

If it was a little rust, South Park hitters shook it off in time to collect three runs in the third, three more in the fourth and four in the sixth to close out a 10-0 victory.

The top-seeded Eagles, who improved to 19-0, pounded out 12 hits in a contest that was stopped in the bottom of the fifth by the 10-run mercy rule. South Park ace Sydney Sekely gave up just three hits and struck out 12.

“I am very proud of my team that we came in here with confidence knowing that we didn’t do to well against them last year,” said Sekely, referencing a close 1-0 win over Deer Lakes in last year’s Class 3A first round. “It showed we were ready to play our best and are now ready for the next game.”

South Park advances to Wednesday’s semifinals against No. 4 Avonworth at a site and time to be determined. The Antelopes, playing No. 12 Keystone Oaks on Monday at the same time but at Pleasant Valley Elementary in McMurray, advanced with a 7-1 win.

“We came out kind of slow until we got the timing down with their pitcher,” South Park coach RJ Matetic said. “But we believed we could do this and believed we could make hard contact. Once you start hitting, it is contagious. We just needed to get those first couple of runs on the board, and after that, with Sydney pitching, we were in good shape. The girls did what they needed to do.

“We have to get back at it and prepare for Wednesday and see what happens. I know the girls will be ready. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate.”

Deer Lakes, which made it to the quarterfinals with a 7-0 first-round win over Charleroi last Thursday, saw its season come to a close at 8-14. The team’s lone senior, Sophia Laurenza, had two of the Lancers’ three hits Monday.

“(Sekely) is a great pitcher,” Deer Lakes coach Paul Lagnese said. “She throws strikes and has a great mix of pitches. That was a real challenge for us. Then they just hit up and down the lineup with no weaknesses.”

Already ahead 6-0, the Eagles put the game away in the bottom of the fifth with the final four runs on three walks and three hits off relievers Siena Plummer and Ella Thomas.

Mady and Ally Wilder, who both finished 2 for 3, each tripled home a run in the frame. Cleanup hitter Emma Hayes drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home the game-ending 10th run.

South Park left runners stranded at second and third in the bottom of the first before being retired in order in the second by Deer Lakes starter Laney Dineff and the Lancers defense.

But the Eagles started to turn their at-bats into runs in the home half of the third.

Ally Wilder, in the No. 9 spot of the batting order, started the rally with her first triple. She came home on a single from Kylie Metrick, who, in turn, stole second and scored on a single from Sydney Dubyak.

With two outs, Kaitlyn Polk delivered a sharply hit single to left to plate Dubyak and increase South Park’s lead to 3-0.

Mady Wilder singled and Kaitlyn Mattas walked to open the bottom of the fourth, and that chased Dineff from the game.

Plummer came on, and she retired the first batter she faced before Metrick singled home Mady Wilder and Mattas for a 5-0 advantage. Sekely then helped her own cause with a double to score Metrick and make it 6-0.

Deer Lakes threatened in the top of the fourth as Laurenza tripled to right with no outs. But Sekely struck out the next three Lancers to quell the threat.

“If we could’ve gotten that run in, maybe it puts a little pressure on them, and maybe it’s a little bit of a different story,” Lagnese said.

Gracie Spagnolo had Deer Lakes’ other hit, a single with two outs in the top of the fifth. She moved to second on a wild pitch but wasn’t able to advance any further.

“I am just proud of the way our girls played all year,” Lagnese said. “Sophia had a great career for us, and she will be missed, but we have everybody else back. I am expecting next year will be a good year for us. We have a lot of good things to build from. We’re happy about that.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Deer Lakes, South Park