Norwin Comeback Stuns NA, 10-7
by Bob Orkwis
The North Allegheny softball team dropped a 10-7 decision to the Norwin Knights on Wednesday night in a Section 1-6A contest. The Tigers led the game 7-0 after four innings, before the Knights scored ten unanswered runs.
Both teams left the bases loaded in a scoreless first inning. In fact, North Allegheny had runners on base in every inning against winning pitcher Alyssa McCormick, but the Tigers did all their damage in only two innings.
North Allegheny broke open a scoreless game with a five-run third.
Meghan McDonough slides home safely to give North Allegheny a 1-0 lead in the third inning.
Megan McDonough, who had three hits, led off with an infield single and stole second. Sammy Plosko followed with a single and courtesy runner Olivia Carlson stole second. Anne Melle bounced into a fielder’s choice which scored McDonough. Reagan Sheets walked to load the bases. Junior Caitlin Logan then drilled a pitch over the right field fence for a grand slam to put the Tigers in front 5-0.
North Allegheny plated two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. McDonough stroked a one-out double down the left field line and scored on Melle’s double. Sheets reached on a throwing error by McCormick, which allowed Melle to score, and North Allegheny had a 7-0 lead.
The Norwin comeback started in the top of the fifth when Josey Michalski cracked a three-run homerun to right center field. The Knights then took the lead for good in the top of the sixth.
Again, Michalski was in the middle of the Norwin uprising, after a passed ball and a wild pitch brought home a run, the third baseman singled home a run to pull Norwin to within two. Emma Novotnak then doubled to tie the game at 7-7. McCormick helped her own cause with an RBI single as Norwin took the lead.
Norwin added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh with Michalski picking up another RBI to finish the game 3-for-4 with five runs batted in.
Plosko struck out six batters for North Allegheny but walked eight and fell to (6-2) on the season.
McDonough was the only Tiger with a multi-hit game as North Allegheny dropped to (8-3, 5-2) with the loss.
Earlier in the day, Hempfield handed top-ranked Seneca Valley its first loss of the season. That, coupled with the Norwin win, created a three-way tie atop the 6A standings, with the Knights, the Raiders, and the Spartans all (5-1) in section play. The Tigers are now a ½ game back of the leaders.
Caitlin Logan was awarded the Wright Automotive Player of the Game honors. In addition to her grand slam, Logan also reached base when she was hit by a pitch, and also drew a pair of walks in the loss.
The Tigers next see action on Monday when they travel to Mt. Lebanon before visiting Hempfield next Wednesday. North Allegheny returns home on Friday, April 19 when they play host to Canon-McMillan.
Box Score - Softball vs. Norwin - 04/12/2023
| Score by Innings | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 1 |
| North Allegheny | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 3 |