Slow-Pitch Softball Game Summaries

by: Slow-Pitch Softball Contributor

WPISL playoff softball delivered an instant classic Saturday.

North Allegheny and West Allegheny combined for 35 runs across nine innings, with momentum swinging back and forth all afternoon before the Tigers’ season came to an end in a heartbreaking 18-17 extra-inning loss.

The Tigers grabbed the early momentum, striking for three runs in the bottom of the first. Senior Amara Daugherty reached and came around to score, while senior Lily Daugherty, senior Megan Sweeney, and junior Olivia Smith each drove in runs as North Allegheny raced out to a 3-0 lead.

West Allegheny answered in a big way in the third inning. The Indians erupted for eight runs, turning a three-run deficit into an 8-3 advantage and suddenly seizing control of the game.

North Allegheny’s response was immediate.

After being held scoreless in the third, the Tigers exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fourth. Junior Frida Gourlay and A. Daugherty helped get the rally started before L. Daugherty delivered an RBI single. Senior Jordan Phillips followed with a two-run hit, and senior Viola Laswell capped the comeback with a game-tying two-run double as North Allegheny erased the deficit and tied the game at 8-8.

The back-and-forth battle continued in the fifth as West Allegheny reclaimed the lead, moving in front 12-8. Once again, the Tigers refused to go away.

Laswell helped spark another rally in the sixth, and sophomore Ava Combs came through with a clutch two-run single that cut the deficit to 12-10. Freshman Addy Gannon entered as a pinch-runner and came around to score, helping North Allegheny keep the pressure on heading into the seventh.

With their season down to its final three outs of regulation, the Tigers delivered again.

Sophomore Zoey Bornt opened the inning with a double, freshman Abby Steiner followed with a hit, and North Allegheny chipped away. Then, with two outs, L. Daugherty delivered one of the biggest swings of the season, ripping a game-tying RBI double to knot the score at 12-12 and force extra innings.

Neither team managed to break through in the eighth despite scoring opportunities on both sides, sending the playoff thriller to the ninth.

West Allegheny finally appeared to create separation, scoring six runs in the top half of the inning to take an 18-12 lead.

Most teams would have been finished.

The Tigers weren’t.

Gourlay reached to begin the bottom of the ninth, and A. Daugherty quickly followed with a hit. L. Daugherty delivered an RBI double, Phillips added an RBI single, and North Allegheny kept chipping away. Laswell helped bring home another run before Smith’s sacrifice fly cut the deficit to two. Moments later, Bornt lined an RBI single to center, pulling the Tigers within one run.

Suddenly, after trailing by six, the tying run was aboard.

The comeback ultimately ended one run short, but not before North Allegheny delivered one final rally that perfectly reflected the resilience shown throughout the season.

The offensive numbers reflected the effort. L. Daugherty finished 5-for-6 with four RBIs and three runs scored, while A. Daugherty scored five runs and collected three hits. Bornt added four hits, Laswell recorded three hits and three RBIs, and Phillips drove in three runs. Smith collected three hits and two RBIs, Combs drove in two runs, and Sweeney, Steiner, Gourlay, and Gannon all played important roles in one of the most memorable games of the season.

For the Tigers’ senior class of Amara Daugherty, Lily Daugherty, Jordan Phillips, Viola Laswell, and Megan Sweeney, the season ended in heartbreak.

But down five runs, down four runs, and eventually down six runs in the ninth inning, the Tigers never stopped fighting.

Final: West Allegheny 18, North Allegheny 17

by: Slow-Pitch Softball Contributor

North Allegheny showed its resilience and offensive depth ahead of the WPISL playoffs, splitting a doubleheader with Hempfield on Tuesday. After dropping the opener 10-4, the Tigers bounced back with a 12-9 victory in the nightcap, combining for 30 hits across the two games as they prepare for postseason play this weekend.

In Game 1, Hempfield built an early advantage with four first-inning runs and added two more in the third to take a 6-1 lead. North Allegheny continued to battle throughout the game, getting on the board when Jordan Phillips delivered an RBI single in the third inning. Frida Gourlay added an RBI hit in the fourth, helping the Tigers trim the deficit to 6-2. Hempfield responded with four runs in the bottom of the fourth to extend its lead, but North Allegheny never stopped competing. In the seventh inning, Lily Daugherty ripped a two-run triple to score Amara Daugherty and Zoey Bornt, accounting for the final 10-4 margin.

Despite the loss, the Tigers collected 14 hits in the opener. Lily Daugherty drove in two runs, while Amara Daugherty, Olivia Smith, Abby Steiner, Gourlay, and Lily Daugherty each recorded two hits.

The nightcap told a different story.

Hempfield once again struck first, scoring three runs in the opening inning. North Allegheny immediately answered. Ava Combs delivered an RBI single and Megan Sweeney added a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 3-2 by the end of the first inning.

The turning point came in the third. With two runners aboard, Combs launched a three-run home run to center field, giving North Allegheny its first lead of the game at 5-3. Later in the inning, an RBI double by Olivia Smith helped the Tigers extend the advantage.

After Hempfield narrowed the score to 6-5 in the fourth, North Allegheny responded with its biggest inning of the day. Lily Daugherty drove in a run with a single, Amara Daugherty scored on an error, Combs added a sacrifice fly, and RBI singles from Sweeney and Abby Steiner capped a five-run rally that pushed the Tigers’ lead to 11-5.

North Allegheny added a key insurance run in the sixth when Viola Laswell delivered a sacrifice fly that scored Jordan Phillips and extended the lead to 12-6.

Hempfield mounted one final rally in the seventh, scoring three runs and bringing the tying run to the plate. With pressure mounting, the Tigers’ defense answered. Jordan Phillips recorded a force out at third for the second out of the inning before Lily Daugherty and Phillips teamed up on another force play to end the game and secure the 12-9 victory.

Combs finished the game with five RBIs, while Amara Daugherty added three hits. Laswell, Sweeney and Jordan Phillips each contributed multiple-hit performances as North Allegheny totaled 16 hits in the win.

With the regular season now complete, the Tigers head into the WPISL playoffs carrying momentum from a strong offensive showing against one of the area’s top programs. North Allegheny combined for 30 hits in the doubleheader and will look to carry that confidence into its pursuit of a WPISL championship this weekend.

by: Slow-Pitch Softball Contributor

North Allegheny overpowered Shaler in Sunday’s regular season doubleheader, rolling to 22–1 and 31–1 wins behind a lineup that stayed hot from the first inning of Game 1 through the final swing of Game 2. The Tigers didn’t just control both games — they dictated every inning, piling up a combined 55 hits and turning the day into one of their most dominant offensive performances of the fall.

In the opener, senior Viola Laswell set the tone immediately, driving in four runs on three hits and sparking an offense that answered Shaler’s early run with a four‑run burst in the bottom of the first. Laswell’s RBI single tied it, junior Ava Combs ripped a two‑run triple to right‑center, and senior Megan Sweeney lifted a sacrifice fly to push NA ahead. From there, the Tigers controlled every inning.

The second brought six more, all built on extra‑base hits. Senior Lily Daugherty doubled in a run, Laswell followed with a two‑run double, Combs added another RBI double, and Sweeney capped the frame with a run‑scoring double. The third inning became one of NA’s biggest single‑inning outputs of the fall—10 runs on 11 hits, with senior Jordan Phillips, Laswell, Sweeney, freshman Abby Steiner, junior Evie Sattler, junior Frida Gourlay, senior Amara Daugherty, and L. Daugherty again all driving in runs as the lineup rolled without a pause. Laswell threw the first three innings with just one run allowed, and Sattler closed the final two cleanly as NA finished off a 22–1 win powered by 22 hits and relentless pressure.

The second game somehow topped it. After an early 1–1 tie, NA broke the game open in the third with nine runs on eight hits, highlighted by Steiner’s two‑run triple that cracked the inning wide open. That surge set the stage for one of the most overwhelming innings NA has produced—a 17‑run fifth that turned the game into a runaway. Combs doubled twice in the inning, Sweeney drove in two, Sattler punched home two more, Gourlay added two RBI singles, A. Daugherty doubled and singled for two, L. Daugherty doubled in two and later singled in another, Laswell added an RBI single, Steiner chipped in another, and the inning kept rolling as every hitter fed the next. L. Daugherty led the day with five hits and four RBI, while Sattler drove in five from the nine‑spot, going 4‑for‑5. North Allegheny piled up 33 hits in the nightcap, with Laswell, Olivia Smith, Sweeney, Steiner, L. Daugherty, Phillips, Combs, and Gourlay all collecting multiple hits as the lineup stayed hot from top to bottom. Laswell handled the first four innings in the circle, allowing just one run, and Sattler finished the final frame without allowing a run as NA closed out a 31–1 win.

North Allegheny will be back in action on Wednesday for a makeup doubleheader against Hempfield at Blueberry Hill Park, looking to carry this offensive momentum into the final stretch of the fall schedule.

by: Slow-Pitch Softball Contributor

North Allegheny’s offense showed up from the first pitch of the afternoon and never really left, powering the Tigers to a sweep over North Hills in a pair of games that unfolded with very different rhythms but the same result. In the opener, NA jumped out as the visiting team with a five‑run first inning built on senior Amara Daugherty in left‑center ripping a leadoff single, sophomore Zoey Bornt pushing the pressure with aggressive baserunning, senior Lily Daugherty at shortstop driving a run home on a line drive, and sophomore Ava Combs blasting a three‑run homer to center. The Tigers added five more in the second, with L. Daugherty driving home another run, senior Viola Laswell dropping a single into left, senior Megan Sweeney lifting a sac fly, and freshman Abby Steiner ripping a two‑run double. That early avalanche built a 10–1 lead before North Hills mounted a long rally of their own, scoring six in the second and chipping away in the fifth and sixth. NA answered each push, adding single runs in both the fifth and sixth, and Laswell finished the full seven innings behind an error‑free defense that turned two double plays. Laswell and A. Daugherty each collected four hits, Combs drove in three, and Bornt, junior Olivia Smith, and Steiner all added multiple hits as NA held on for a 12–11 win.

The second game began in the opposite direction, with NA falling behind 5–0 in the top of the first as North Hills stacked a pair of doubles and three singles. But the Tigers, now the home team, responded with one of their best innings of the season. Laswell,  doubled home Bornt and L. Daugherty, Combs lined a run‑scoring single to right‑center, senior Jordan Phillips came home on a fielder’s choice, Steiner doubled in another, and Smith drove home two more. Seven runs on eight hits flipped the game instantly. North Hills cut the margin with a solo homer in the second and a groundout in the third, but NA kept control. Bornt’s single and an error scored one in the fourth, Laswell doubled home another, and Phillips added a two‑run single as NA posted a four‑run inning to stretch the lead. The Tigers kept pressing in the sixth, with Laswell singling home Bornt, Phillips bringing in L. Daugherty on a sac fly, Combs driving home Laswell, and Combs tagging and scoring on a flyout to short‑center. Laswell threw all seven innings again, striking out five and walking none, and finished with four hits and four RBI. L. Daugherty matched her with four hits, and Bornt and Combs added multiple hits as NA rolled to a 16–7 win.

Across both games, NA’s lineup depth carried the day. Seniors led the charge, underclassmen kept the pressure on, and the Tigers played clean, confident softball from start to finish. A one‑run battle in Game 1 and a comeback blowout in Game 2 produced the same outcome — North Allegheny sweeping North Hills behind relentless hitting and steady execution.

North Allegheny faces Hempfield next, bringing a lineup that’s locked in and producing from every spot. Hempfield typically plays tighter early innings and doesn’t give many free baserunners, but NA’s rhythm right now travels well — seniors setting the tone, juniors driving gaps, sophomores sparking rallies, and Steiner giving steady freshman impact. The Tigers arrive with momentum and a lineup that’s been answering every challenge.

by: Slow-Pitch Softball Contributor

North Allegheny celebrated Senior Day on Sunday at Marshall Middle School, recognizing Lily Daughtery, Amara Daugherty, Jordan Phillips, Megan Sweeney, and Viola Laswell — a senior group that has anchored the Tigers with leadership and consistency throughout the fall. Their presence has shaped the team’s identity, and the pregame ceremony added meaning to an afternoon that featured a full doubleheader against Montour.

Montour struck early in Game 1 and held momentum throughout, handing NA a 9–3 loss despite steady pressure from the Tigers’ lineup. Viola Laswell, the senior pitcher, stayed composed through a long outing and also led NA at the plate with two hits and an RBI. Jordan Phillips, the senior third baseman, added two hits of his own, and Evie Sattler, the junior right fielder, matched him with a two‑hit afternoon. Zoey Bornt, the sophomore right‑center fielder, and Amara Daugherty, the senior left‑center fielder, each drove in a run as NA kept pushing for answers. Even with Montour’s early surge, the Tigers finished with ten hits and continued to create scoring chances throughout the game.

Game 2 opened with NA’s strongest offensive frame of the day, as the Tigers loaded the bases before Montour recorded an out and turned that pressure into a quick 2–0 lead. Bornt started the inning with a sharp single, Lily Daughtery, the senior shortstop, followed with a walk, and Phillips drew another to load them up. Daugherty put a ball in play to bring home the first run, and an error allowed Daughtery to score right behind her. Laswell reached on another error to extend the inning, giving NA a promising start before Montour answered and steadily built its lead on the way to a 21–5 final. Daughtery singled twice, Phillips added two more hits, and Daugherty delivered NA’s biggest swing of the game with a two‑run triple to left in the fifth. Olivia Smith, the junior left fielder, added an RBI double in the fourth, and Ava Combs, the sophomore second baseman, continued to put the ball in play to keep innings alive. NA finished with ten hits and kept competing until the final out.

North Allegheny now turns its attention to Saturday’s road doubleheader at North Hills, looking to reset after a difficult afternoon and get back to the steadier, sharper play they’ve shown throughout the fall.