Jun 8, 2015 4 min read

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Anyone who watched the NCAA Division I Women’s College World Series saw the unique personalities of the teams.

Pitt’s players photobombed head coach Holly Aprile during televised ESPN interviews, there were grand celebrations at home plate after home runs and of course, the Michigan Wolverines’ love of pizza.

No, they didn’t eat the stuff during their run to the finals, but pizza was an ongoing joke for Michigan. When players reached base, they’d act like they were flipping dough or sprinkling cheese. Players acted like they were taking a bite of imaginary pizza and cheese when crossing the plate.

The Hillers (19-5), who face Bellwood-Antis (18-6) in the PIAA Class AAA semifinals Monday at Latrobe, have created their own tradition. Michigan has its pizza and Trinity has its sundaes. The Hillers act like they are scooping ice cream, pouring toppings and of course, eating a sundae after big plays.

Calling this team goofy would be selling them short. There are stories aplenty with the Hillers. From a mandatory postgame photo in the dugout with a selfie stick to creating a presence on Twitter, Trinity’s softball team has quite the personality.

“This team is so close. There was a talent show at the high school and the whole team went up together and sang,” Trinity assistant coach Ryan Daloia said. “The silly things have brought them together. They’re great to be around and coach.”

That easy-going approach has translated into success. Trinity has won eight of its last nine games, including an 8-4 victory over WPIAL champion Belle Vernon in the state quarterfinals. The victory was gratifying for the Hillers after losing to the Leopards in their second meeting in section play, but how it happened was a prime example of how they continue to succeed.

Yes, Trinity played its usual tough defensive, but it also showed each player’s selfless nature. Almost everyone in the batting order bunted against Belle Vernon. The clutch hits weren’t coming so head coach Shawn Gray took another approach.

Now, the Hillers are back in the PIAA semifinals for the first time since 2009.

“I’m excited for them. They are excited for everything,” Gray said. “They are starting to understand that it’s bigger than just this team. The whole school is getting behind them. Wherever they go, they are hearing from people about it. It’s a good feeling for everybody all around.”

Like the Hillers, Bellwood-Antis has won eight of its last nine games, including a 5-1 win over Bellefonte to claim the District 6 championship.

The Blue Devils are led by senior catcher Jacqueline Finn, who is batting .524 with 22 runs and 32 RBI. They are batting .335 as a team with less than a 2:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Like Belle Vernon and Trinity’s first-round opponent, Warren, Bellwood-Antis certainly has talent.

Any team in the semifinals does, but there are a few things to look out for. The game will be played on a turf field at Greater Latrobe High School. The Blue Devils don’t have much experience on the playing surface, while Trinity has practiced and played regularly on Hiller Field, which is all turf.

Bellwood-Antis has also committed 50 errors this season, which is something Warren struggled with. Like I said leading up to the Hillers’ game against the Dragons, Trinity also seems to make strong contact and will put the ball in play.

The Blue Devils are one of the few teams that use a two-pitcher system. Junior Taylor Shildt leads the staff with 97.1 innings pitched, an 11-5 record and a 1.58 ERA. Head coach Jim Payne has also sophomore Maddie Miller in relief.

Miller has seven wins in her nine start with an 1.17 ERA. The Hillers don’t have much information on an opponent that stands between them and a spot in the state championship game, but they aren’t sweating anything.

“The girls really aren’t nervous,” Trinity second baseman Madison Hornak said. “We don’t know much about this team, they don’t know much about us, and we just want to go in and play our game. I don’t think we have anything to worry about if we do that.”

The Hillers have been the talk of the town over the past week and they’re having fun doing it. Gray wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Michigan makes pizzas and they’re making sundaes,” Gray said. “We used to be a quiet group at the beginning of the season and now they are calling out the pitches. They are rolling. There isn’t too much I have to do. They all want it. They want this opportunity to shine and I think they’re going to take it.”