Mar 23, 2017 3 min read

BELLE VERNON – A year ago, Belle Vernon looked primed to make yet another deep run in the WPIAL softball playoffs behind standout pitcher Bailey Parshall.

After all, in 2015, the Leopards had ridden the pitching of Parshall, then a freshman, to the WPIAL Class AAA championship.

But after using an ineligible player for part of the 2016 season, the Leopards were forced to forfeit three section games, moving them from second place in the section to fourth and costing them a playoff spot that instead went to Trinity.

With Parshall, a Penn State recruit, back for her junior season, the Leopards are hungry for a return to the postseason.

“I expect us to win the section and do well in the playoffs,” said head coach Tom Rodriguez, who is in his 16th season.

Expansion to six classifications has bumped Belle Vernon up to Class AAAA and will provide some new opponents, as well.

While former Section 3-AAA rivals Elizabeth Forward and West Mifflin also will make the move to Section 2-AAAA, the other teams will be new to the Leopards. The rest of the section includes Carrick, Keystone Oaks, South Fayette and Yough.

“I know that Yough and EF have a lot coming back and South Fayette is talented as well,” Rodriguez said.

As has been the case the past two seasons, much of Belle Vernon’s success will depend on the left arm of Parshall, who is the 32nd-ranked junior in the country according to FloSoftball.

Parshall has 427 strikeouts, 14 shutouts in her career and had a 0.84 ERA last year. She has added a drop ball to go with the rest of her pitching repertoire, which includes a fastball, curveball, screwball and rise.

Four of Belle Vernon’s five losses last year – not including the forfeits – were by 1-0 scores, The fifth was a 3-0 loss.

Putting runs on the board to support Parshall will be critical.

The Leopards have the first four hitters in their lineup returning.

“In those five losses, we outhit the other team in all but one game,” Rodriguez said. “I definitely expect more offensively this year. The pitching was there, as was the defense. This year, we have to hit.”

Parshall also is the team’s top returning hitter. She batted .431 last year.

A pair of lefty hitters, senior second baseman Megan Christner, a Mercyhurst commit, and senior center fielder Lexie Church are back. Christner returns as the leadoff hitter. Church will hit second in the order.

The speedy Christner, a converted right-handed hitter, has been clocked at 2.8 seconds from home plate to first base and will pressure defenses with her ability to slap, bunt and hit pitches. Church is a returning all-section player.

Junior shortstop Kourtney Gavatorta finished second on the team in hitting a year ago and is in the cleanup spot. She will counted on to provide protection for Parshall, who will hit third.

“We want to get the top two on base,” Rodriguez said. “That way, we can manufacture runs with the middle of our lineup.”