Softball News

by Randy Gore

The North Allegheny softball team extended its winning streak to six on Friday with a 12-2 triumph over Mt. Lebanon in five innings. The Senior Day victory was keyed by a 13-hit attack that saw the Tigers earn their third run-rule victory of the season. Seniors McKenna Rowlands and Sammy Plotsko were recognized before the game as part of the Senior Day festivities.

The Tigers jumped on the Blue Devils in the first inning when Zoe Rychel clubbed a two-run double and Twila Goulding added an RBI double for an immediate 3-0 lead. The NA advantage grew to 4-0 in the second inning when McKenna Rowlands reached on a two-out double and scored moments later on a lined single by Erin Fadgen.

Mt. Lebanon scored its first run of the game when Dani McClinchie delivered a solo home run in the third inning, cutting the score to 4-1, North Allegheny.

A lightning delay in the third inning didn’t take the thunder out of the NA bats as a two-run single by Avelyn Kropf increased the NA lead to 6-1 once play resumed. Another lightning and rain delay in the fourth inning only postponed the inevitable as the Tigers surged ahead with a five-run inning, highlighted by a two-run single by Taylor Condiotte, a two-run double by Kropf and a sacrifice fly RBI by Alison Friend. The big inning ballooned the NA lead to 11-1.

An unearned run by Mt. Lebanon in the top of the fifth extended the game for one more half inning, but the Tigers invoked the 10-run rule in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by Rychel to cap a 12-2 victory. Rychel finished with a 4-for-4 day with three RBIs and three runs scored, giving her Wright Automotive Player of the Game honors.

Kropf contributed the big offensive output with a 2-for-3 performance with four RBIs, and Rowlands tallied a two-hit day, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Plotsko was the winning pitcher and yielded only two hits and two runs, one earned, with five strikeouts.

The win improves North Allegheny’s record to 12-7 overall and caps the section slate with an 11-5 mark. Mt. Lebanon drops to 6-13 overall and 4-12 in Section 1-6A. The Tigers are locked into the No. 3 seed in the upcoming WPIAL playoffs, while the Blue Devils will miss the playoffs for the third straight season. NA will host Penn-Trafford for a non-section matchup on Tuesday. The game will be broadcast live by the North Allegheny Sports Network.

Softball Summary vs. Mt. Lebanon, 5-2-25

Score By Innings	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Mt. Lebanon	0	1	0	0	1	X	X	2	2	0
North Allegheny	3	1	2	5	1	X	X	12	13	1

WP - Sammy Plotsko (12-7)
LP - Lily Dwyer