Neshannock softball team advances to PIAA championship

WEXFORD — All roads lead to the PIAA Class 2A championship for the Neshannock High softball team.

The Lady Lancers breezed to a 12-1 PIAA Class 2A semifinal-round win over Chartiers-Houston on Monday at North Allegheny High School. The game ended in the fifth inning because of the mercy rule.

The semifinal contest was a rematch from this year's WPIAL Class 2A championship.

"We were prepared," Neshannock coach Jackie Lash said. "We just have worked so hard. Last night, the girls were all at Johnny Sansone's hitting facility until almost 10 o'clock. We don't leave hitting practice until the girls are satisfied that they've had enough good reps.

"I felt like we had a great awareness of what kind of pitching we would see so we were ready. The pitchers threw a lot of balls last night to every player and we knew what pitches to lay off of. I think the girls were really disciplined and ready to play."

Neshannock, the defending PIAA Class 2A champs, will face South Williamsport at 11 a.m. Thursday at Penn State University's Nittany Lion Softball Park. Last year, the Lady Lancers defeated South Williamsport in the PIAA Class 2A championship, 12-2.

In the top of the first inning, Neshannock's Addy Frye mowed down the first three batters via strikeout. Frye (23-0) picked up the win in the circle.

"It's a great feeling," Frye said of the win. "This team has worked so hard to get back to where we want to be. This was a big game for us. We really wanted this game. Everyone came motivated. There's really nothing else to say. This team was ready to play today."

Frye pitched all five innings and allowed one hit, one run — earned — and tossed two walks and 10 strikeouts.

"She did a great job," Lash said of Frye. "These middle of the day games, the heat and everything, I'm sure it can get to you. But, she just comes out and she's ready to play. In the middle of the game, she reached 750 strikeouts for her career. You know I don't talk about numbers, but, man, when you think about it, this kid is just done phenomenal things."

Neshannock (25-0) wasted little time getting the sticks hot. In the bottom of the first inning, Nesahnnock's Miley Anderson hit a lead-off single and was brought home by Frye on a double.

Neshannock's Gabby Quinn, the cleanup hitter, was intentionally walked by the Lady Bucs (22-3) in the bottom of the first inning, which loaded the bases. Neshannock's Gianna Paglia and Payton Newman each hit a single to bring in one run each and create a 3-0 lead.

Gianna DeSalvo kept things rolling by bringing in two more runs on a double to create a 5-0 advantage over Chartiers-Houston in the bottom of the first inning.

"We've just worked so hard," DeSalvo said. "We played in practice with a chip on our shoulder and we were just ready to play. Our leadoff hitters just started it off and we kept the momentum going."

DeSalvo recorded three RBIs for Neshannock.

"She's a kid that at the start of the season, I'd say, didn't have a lot of confidence," Lash said of DeSalvo. "But, we knew she's the right kid to be in right field. She's got an amazing arm on defense; she has a beautiful swing. It's just convincing her that she has a beautiful swing and she's going to put hard balls into swing. As the games go on, she's stepping up more and more. I love to see her excitement because she's an emotionless kid on a daily basis. She's just going in, doing her job and having fun."

After DeSalvo's double in the bottom of the first inning, the Lady Lancers reached the top of their lineup again with Anderson posting a double to bring in another run. Lash said returning to the top of the lineup was "super exciting," to start off the bottom of the first.

"I could feel it myself," Lash said. "I think I'm a pretty calm person, but, you just get excited for the kids because you see hard work pays off."

Neshannock's Jaidon Nogay singled to allow another runner to cross home plate and create a 7-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Frye closed things out in the bottom of the first with another double to bring in two more runs and enter the top of the second inning with a 9-0 lead over the Lady Bucs.

Frye posted three RBIs for Neshannock.

"Everyone was really prepared for that first inning," Frye said. "We went a little bit stagnant but we did enough in the first inning to do enough damage."

Lash said she was slightly worried about complacency after her team created such a big lead early on.

"I feel like that's where the senior leadership comes into play," Lash said. "I could hear Aubrie Ragone talking to the girls, saying 'Let's not let up. Let's keep this going.' She's just having a good talk with the girls and you have the three that were in the field coming back and saying the same things."

In the top of the third inning, Chartiers-Houston's Lauren Rush hit a triple to bring home the lone run of the game for her team and narrow Neshannock's lead to 9-1.

Neshannock responded in the bottom of the fourth inning with DeSalvo hitting a triple of her own to lift her team back to a nine-run lead, 10-1. Neshannock's Brenna Frengel reached first base on an error to bring home DeSalvo in the fourth.

Neshannock's Nogay hit a single to bring in another run to close out the bottom of the fourth inning with a 12-1 lead.

The top of the fifth inning ended the same as the top of the first, with Frye striking out the first three batters up.