UNIVERSITY PARK — Bria Bosiljevac has seen the photo plenty of times.
It’s her, standing next to her best friend and Shaler catcher Alyssa Schaffold, crying after a painful loss against Northern York in the 2023 PIAA Class 5A championship at Penn State’s Beard Field.
After a 10-0 win in five innings against Abington Heights on Thursday afternoon, Bosiljevic will be looking at a different photo. Now, instead of tears, it’ll be smiles — ear to ear — holding a championship trophy.
“I remember it was devastating,” said Bosiljevic, a standout senior pitcher committed to Indiana. “We were just bawling our eyes out. It was just a very devastating moment.”
Shaler set the tone from the very beginning Thursday, only allowing three batters to take the plate in the top of the first. Abington Heights’ Eva Kane led off with a single, but was picked off trying to steal second base.
“It’s tremendous, because it shows them ‘Don’t run on us,’” Shaler coach Tom Sorce said. “Alyssa (Schaffold) needed to stay into the game, and that gets her into the game more. When she’s into the game, nobody is going to run on her. It’s a big play, keeping them off the bases.”
Bosiljevac began the Titans’ run in the second, getting on base with a single. Then, Shaler batted around, with all nine in the order coming to the plate. RBIs from Olivia Gieraltowski and Jayla Antomachi contributed to the strong offensive inning and a 4-0 lead.
“It was pretty great,” Bosilijevac said. “I mean, people said I started it. I was the first on base, but then again, all you need to do is get on base, walk, hit, hit by pitch, doesn’t matter. You just got to get on base and then your team will go ahead and lead you from there.”
The Shaler defense put together a three up, three down inning in the third to pair with an offensive outbreak in the second. The Titans only allowed four at-bats in the fourth.
While Shaler’s defense stood tall in the third and fourth, the offense stayed steady, scoring a run in each of the innings, completing a goal of Sorce’s to score at least one run in every inning.
Sorce talked to his players heading into the fifth inning with a 6-0 lead.
“I did say to them before we came out to hit, ‘Let’s get four, wrap up,” Sorce said. “Little did I know they would do it.”
Colamarino led off the inning with a walk, followed by walks to Taylor London and Ellie Nickel.
With three on and one out, Haley Machajewski came up to the plate. Admittedly, she said she has struggled with popping the ball up in the air recently.
Instead, she finished off the final game of her high school career with a grand slam, sending the second pitch of her at-bat over the right-center field fence.
“I just wanted to get the ball on the ground somewhere and just get a base hit,” Machajewski said. “Or a line drive. Either one, I just wanted to cash in an RBI there and somehow get on base, no matter what.
“I was just so happy. With these girls, it just means everything.”
It was Shaler’s third PIAA softball championship for Shaler, and first since 2006. The Titans also won in 2004.
“It really means everything,” said Machajewski, a Chatham recruit. “This program has given me so much, whether it’s life lessons, amazing coaches, great teammates, everything. This program has been with me for a while, and to finally come back (to Penn State), win it for the school, win it for the fans, win it for my team, it just feels great.”