Mar 12, 2014 4 min read

When the 2013 high school softball season opened, Canon-McMillan head coach Michele Moeller had T-shirts made for her team that included a very large bullseye on the back.

The defending WPIAL Class AAAA champions knew each game would be a battle.

This season, Moeller likely wouldn’t have enough room to fit the bullseye the Big Macs have on their backs on just one T-shirt.

Canon-McMillan not only won its second consecutive WPIAL championship last season, it added a PIAA championship trophy after defeating Neshaminy, 4-3, at Penn State last June.

“We felt it last year,” said Moeller of the pressure of being the team everyone wants to beat. “Winning the WPIAL two years ago, everybody we played, it was going to be their biggest game of the season. I anticipate that being the case again this year.”

Fortunately for Big Macs, who enter the season on a 23-game winning streak, just three starters are gone from a team that went 25-1 a year ago.

Unfortunately, one of those graduated starters is pitcher Alayna Astuto.

The 2013 Observer-Reporter Softball Player of the Year was outstanding in the regular season, but saved her best for the postseason. During Canon-McMillan’s run to WPIAL and PIAA championships, Astuto went 7-0 with a 0.26 ERA and 53 strikeouts.

Replacing that kind of stability will be Moeller’s challenge this season.

“I think offensively and defensively, we’ll be OK,” Moeller said. “We’ll see how it pans out in the circle.”

First in line to replace Astuto will be junior Tara Fowler, who started in the outfield last season. Fowler threw some varsity innings, but most of her pitching experience in 2013 was at the junior varsity level.

“She pitched every JV game in addition to playing varsity,” said Moeller. “She doesn’t have the experience of Alayna, but she’s pitched a lot.”

If Fowler falters or needs a break, starting second baseman Ally Bellaire could see time in the circle.

“We’re probably going to have to score some more runs,” Moeller conceded.

Run production shouldn’t be a problem.

The Big Macs averaged eight runs per game last season despite competing in rugged Section 4-AAAA and playing a quality non-section schedule.

And despite the loss of Astuto, the Big Macs return four All-District performers in senior third baseman Olivia Lorusso, junior outfielder Abby McCartney, senior catcher Gia Zeremenko and sophomore shortstop Linda Rush.

Lorusso, a Robert Morris recruit, had a team-best seven home runs and 35 RBI, and McCartney batted .519 with 31 RBI and 33 runs while spending nearly half the season at catcher when Zeremenko was out with a shoulder injury.

Peters Township

While Canon-McMillan was winning WPIAL and PIAA titles in 2013, the area’s other Class AAAA softball team is no slouch, either. Peters Township rolled to an 18-6 record, including a 10-4 mark in Section 4-AAAA.

The Indians advanced to the WPIAL semifinals under the direction of head coach Bob Bowers, dropping a 7-4 decision to North Allegheny, then losing in the WPIAL consolation game, 9-5, to Hempfield to end their season.

Of Peters Township’s six losses, four came to PIAA qualifiers, and the other two coming against Canon-McMillan.

The Indians also return a large portion of their lineup, having lost just four seniors.

One of those, however, was All-District catcher Abby Cunningham, who batted a team-high .467 with 26 runs scored during the regular season.

Pitchers Kellyn Perich and Carly Konopka, a pair of juniors who split time at the position in 2013, both return.

“Both are very good pitchers,” said Bowers. “And both improved over the year, adding a couple of pitches. We’ll use both of them unless one of them gets hot. Not too many teams have that dilemma. But it’s a nice problem to have.”

Both also are solid hitters. Perich, who doubles as an outfielder, batted .417 with 18 RBI and 18 runs scored and was an All-District performer last season.

“I expect the section to be very competitive again,” said Bowers. “One bad inning can mean a loss. But I think we’ll be in the mix.”