Welcome to the
NORTH ALLEGHENY

SPORTS NETWORK

The Official Source of North Allegheny Sports
 

PIAA Class AAAA Softball Brackets

FOUR LADY TIGERS EARN POST-SEASON AWARDS

(6/24/13)  Following an 18-6 season and an appearance in the WPIAL title game and PIAA playoffs, four Lady Tigers have been named to the WPIAL Class AAAA All-Section 3 Softball Team.  Catcher Bonnie Pierson, shortstop Christine Scherer, outfielder Laura Cotter and pitcher Sami Beining all garnered All-Section selections.

"Each of these four girls was an integral part of our success,” said head coach Rick Meister. “They were a part of a very special team effort, and deserve the accolades that they have received. The awards were voted on by the Section coaches, so their accomplishments certainly were noticed. We as a coaching staff are proud of their efforts."

In addition to being named all-section, Pierson was also chosen to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette All-Area Team. The gregarious catcher was tough behind the plate on defense, and helped pace the offense as the team leader in home runs and RBI. Pierson hammered four homers and drove in 36 runs on the season.

Christine Scherer, a junior, covered a lot of ground on the middle infield and was the team’s top hitter with a .455 batting average and 40 base hits. Scherer also scored 20 runs and added 17 RBI.

Along with Scherer, sophomore Laura Cotter will be an important cog for the team next season with good defense in centerfield good speed on the base paths. Cotter scored a team-high 27 runs and swiped three bases during the 2013 campaign.

Junior pitcher Sami Beining was one of several key reasons North Allegheny went deep into the WPIAL and PIAA playoff brackets. In 20 appearances, Beining posted an 11-4 record with a 2.29 ERA in 116 innings in the pitcher’s circle. Also returning next season, Beining will look to add on to those totals in 2014.

Receiving accolades from the MSA Sports Network, junior third baseman Mary Funderlich was selected as a 2013 MSA Sports Diamond Dolls Softball All-Star. Funderlich was another key contributor to a potent line-up, hitting .446 with 15 RBI and a team-best eight doubles.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

NA FALLS TO CANON-McMILLAN, 5-0

(6/7/13)  The North Allegheny Varsity Softball Team fell to Canon-McMillan in the P.I.A.A.  Quarter-Finals at Woodland Hills on Friday afternoon.  Canon-McMillan struck first in the top of the first when center fielder Yaszmin Kotar hit a leadoff triple to deep right-center field and scored on a sacrifice fly to give the Big Macs an early 1-0 advantage.   The Tigers had a huge opportunity in the bottom of the first when they loaded the bases with one out, but a pop-up and a strike out ended the threat as the Macs maintained the one-run lead.

Canon-McMillan added two in the top of the second on a two-run home run by designated player Kirsten Rush to raise the lead to 3-0.  That score held until the sixth inning, as North Allegheny’s Sami Beining and Canon-McMillan’s Alayna Astuto settled in to their routines. The Macs added single insurance runs in the top halves of innings six and seven, featuring Abby McCartney, who went deep for Canon-McMillan’s second home run of the day. 

The Tigers’ offense was highlighted by shortstop Christine Scherer, who had a two-for-three day at the plate.  Both teams played solid defense, as neither committed an error throughout the contest.

With the loss, North Allegheny’s season ends with a record of 18-6, as the team captured the W.P.I.A.L. Section 3-AAAA Championship, earned the W.P.I.A.L. Silver Medal in the Championship Game, and advanced to the field-of-eight in the P.I.A.A. Playoffs. Congratulations to all sixteen of the Tigers, with valuable contributions coming from each during a very successful season; and a special congratulations to the two senior members of the squad, left fielder Rachel Pecanis and catcher Bonnie Pierson, for their senior leadership throughout the year.

GAME SUMMARY (Unofficial)
CANON-McMILLAN - 5   NORTH ALLEGHENY - 0

WP - Alayna Astuto    LP - Sami Beining (11-4)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

WPIAL SOFTBALL - 2013

The Lady Tigers will compete again in the WPIAL against 28 other teams.  The top three teams in each section will enter the WPIAL Tournament.  All playoff entries will be determined by section record only and will be determined by the best section won/lost record.  Teams that tie for first place will not have the tie broken and ALL of the tied teams will be declared section champions, will receive a section winner's plaque, and will be entered into the WPIAL tournament.  If three or more teams tie for first place, only those teams will qualify for the playoffs.

In the event of a multiple tie (two or more teams) for a playoff position, head-to-head competition will be the first determinant.  If head-to-head does not break the tie, the following tie-breaking system will be used.  If three or more teams are tied for second place and the tie breaking system identifies one team as the second place team, the remaining teams will be then tied for third place and the process begins all over with head-to-head competition being the first determinant for establishing the third place team.  If a tie cannot be broken all tied teams will enter the playoffs.

TIE-BREAKING SYSTEM

1.  Section won-lost record of the tied teams will be compiled.
2.  The team with the best numerical head-to-head section record among the tied teams will enter post-season play.
3.  If the the tie cannot clearly be broken, all tied teams will enter post-season play.

All WPIAL games must be played according to the National Federation Rule Book.  Be aware that beginning in the 2010-11 school year the pitching distance will move from 40 to 43 feet.  This is a mandated rule change.

The two WPIAL finalists in Quad A will represent the WPIAL in PIAA inter-district play.  For more information on WPIAL softball rules and regulations, click here.

CLASS AAAA - 29 TEAMS

Any questions or comments should be directed to Athletic Director Bob
 Bozzuto at:  bbozzuto@northallegheny.org