PIAA CLASS AA SOFTBALL

Staying grounded

Lady Eagles know they must be at top of their game against Sto-Rox

By Walt Moody

Most folks who have played a sport have heard it uttered, "It's better to be lucky than good," after catching a break.

Craig Houtz

Bald Eagle Area's Cortney Switzer, left, throws to first base to record an out as Taylor Parsons backs up the play during the Lady Eagles’ 3-1 win over Bishop Canevin in the first round of the PIAA Class AA softball tournament on Monday. The refocused Lady Eagles will meet Sto-Rox at noon today in the quarterfinals at Forest Hills High School in Sidman.

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• GIRLS' ATHLETE OF WEEK
• BOYS' ATHLETE OF WEEK

Bald Eagle Area softball coach Dave Breon and his team can relate to those words. The Lady Eagles (21-3) were fortunate to get a pair of unearned runs in their 3-1 win over Bishop Canevin in a PIAA Class AA opener on Monday.

“They realize they were lucky,” said Breon. “They know they need to take it a little bit more serious about who is in front of them.”

Breon is hoping his team turns from lucky to good when the Lady Eagles square off against Sto-Rox (19-5) at noon today at Forest Hills High School in Sidman.

“They’re not going to worry about how they did (Monday),” said Breon, citing a letdown following an emotional win against Philipsburg-Osceola in the District 6 title game and a Saturday prom as having some effect on the play. “I think they know what some of the reasons were that they didn’t do as well as they should. I think that’s going to change. I think they will be more like themselves come Thursday.”

They will have to be good against Sto-Rox, one of the more successful programs in state history. St-Rox has won 10 WPIAL titles and is looking for its first state crown since 1989.

Breon, who has been a longtime head and assistant coach, has never crossed paths with the Lady Vikings and their colorful head coach Bill Palermo.

“It’s always fun to play a different team or different program,” Breon said. “I’m familiar with Sto-Rox and I have a lot of respect for them.”

The Lady Vikings have been living on the edge this postseason. They were down 1-0 in the seventh inning of their WPIAL opener but scored twice to beat Mount Pleasant. In the semifinals, they were down 3-1 to Greensburg Central Catholic, but scored three two-out runs to win 4-3.

Sto-Rox opened the PIAA Playoffs by knocking off previously unbeaten Chestnut Ridge, the District 5 champion, 7-4.

The Lady Vikings, led by Vicky Vuljanic’s three hits, scored four early runs to take control.

The PIAA contest did reinforce the notion that Sto- Rox can be scored upon. Palermo has said pitcher Kristin Olejar (19-4) has topped 60 mph on the radar gun, but the right-hander has been hittable at times. The Lady Vikings have given up 57 total runs, almost twice as many as the Lady Eagles (29), and have given up four or more in nine games. They lost 8-0 in the WPIAL title game to Riverside.

Sto-Rox can put some runs on the scoreboard. The Lady Vikings are averaging nearly seven runs a game and have scored in double digits six times.

Freshman shortstop Natalya Smarra is so well respected that Greensburg Central Catholic intentionally walked her twice, the second time in the seventh inning even though Smarra was the winning run. Third baseman Kerry Connolly also is an outstanding hitter.

They’ll face Megan Shaw (16-2), who tossed a two-hitter Monday even though she was feeling the effects of a busy weekend. Shaw has now struck out 138 batters and walked just seven in more than 127 innings this season.

“That’s the kind of girl she is,” Breon said. “She’s going to go out and gut it out no matter what the situation is. Whether she’s not feeling well or if she’s a little tight here and there, you’re not going to know that. She’s going to reach a little bit deeper and get the job done.”

Jasa Mitchell and Brooke Klinefelter, BEA’s No. 3 and 4 hitters, have been outstanding in the postseason. The two are a combined 12-for-25 (.480), have scored eight runs and driven in nine.

“I’m just glad that those kids are doing what they’re doing for us,” Breon said.

The two teams have one common opponent — Bishop Canevin. The Lady Crusaders beat Sto-Rox 5-1 and 6-0 this season.

Breon puts little credence in those results.

“One of the things I’m trying to get across to my kids is that Riverside, Sto-Rox and Bishop Canevin play each other and that they’re pretty well balanced,” he said. “I told them, ‘Don’t take the fact that Bishop Canevin beat them two times. That has no bearing on how the attitude atmosphere is in a playoff game. Look for the same type of team that we just got done playing. You have to understand that they’re not going to get easier. They’re going to get tougher.’”

Shaw said the Lady Eagles know what they’ve got to do if they want to get a gold medal to match the silver they won last season.

“We’ve got three more games left,” the senior right-hander said. “We’ve got to take one game at a time and play well each game. ... Every game is a big game to us.”

TODAY’S GAME

PIAA quarterfinals today at Sidman

Bald Eagle Area (21-3) vs. Sto-Rox (19-5)

Noon