Trib HSSN softball team of the week – Pine-Richland Rams
Coach: Sam Hartzberg (fourth year)
Record: Pine-Richland is tied for third place in Class 6A with a 7-3 section mark and an overall record of 8-3 with four consecutive wins, including two over previously unbeaten Seneca Valley.
#Earned: It was a torrid start to the season for Pine-Richland, outscoring Mars, Butler and Woodland Hills in three straight wins, 43-7. However, the Rams stumbled afterward, losing three of their next four Class 6A games to sit in the middle of the 6A pack at 3-3 in the classification. To make matters worse, defending champion and undefeated Seneca Valley was up next for a Saturday afternoon game in Harmony. The Raiders jumped on top with two runs in the third inning and led 2-0 heading into the fifth inning. The Rams fought back to score one in the fifth inning and two runs in the sixth, and then held on to pull off the stunner, 3-2. On Monday, Pine-Richland looked to build on the upset win as it headed north to Butler. Two big innings led the way for the Rams as they scored eight runs in the second and eight more in the fourth on their way to a 19-6 victory. On Wednesday, Pine-Richland returned home to blank winless Woodland Hills, 21-0, for a third consecutive 6A victory. The week was capped off with a miracle comeback against one of the top pitchers in the state. Trailing Seneca Valley 8-0 after 5 ½ innings, Pine-Richland scored one run in the sixth inning and eight runs in the bottom of the seventh as the Rams stunned the Raiders for a second time in six days, 9-8.
Standout performers: This past Saturday, trailing undefeated Seneca Valley 2-1 in the sixth inning, Pine-Richland junior Maya Rippole delivered the big hit, a two-run single that put the Rams up to stay. Sophomore pitcher Keelee Kalinoski was able to get the final six outs for the win in one of the biggest surprises of the season, 3-2. On Monday, Pine-Richland played a little home run derby at Butler. Junior Abbey Laurent hit a grand slam while seniors Calle Henne and Abbey Skripac also went yard with home runs in the 19-6 win. Freshman Ellie Myers doubled and tripled for the Rams. On Wednesday, Pine-Richland made it three in a row with a 21-0 win over Woodland Hills. Senior infielder Iliana Aggelou was 3 for 4 at the plate with a double, a grand slam and five RBIs while Henne homered again in the runaway victory. Skripac and junior Serafino Julio each had two RBIs for the Rams. In the incredible comeback win on Thursday against Seneca Valley, Henne had two hits, including the game-tying grand slam in the bottom of the seventh, before Aggelou singled home Laurent, who had walked and stolen second, to cap off a comeback for the ages for the Rams against the Raiders.
Last year: The 2024 regular season was an up-and-down campaign for Pine-Richland. The Rams enjoyed their best run in mid-April when they won four straight Class 6A contests over Mt. Lebanon, Canon-McMillan, Norwin and Butler. They broke records in the April 10 victory at Mt. Lebanon when they scored two weeks’ worth of runs in a wild win, 31-12. After that, they finished the regular season losing three, winning three, losing two and winning their final two games to end up in fourth place in 6A at 9-7 in the classification and 11-9 overall. However, after sweeping Norwin in the regular season by a combined score of 18-3, the Rams were stunned by the Knights, losing a 6A quarterfinal, 3-1.
Remember when: Four years ago, the Pine-Richland softball team did something no Rams team had done in over 17 years: win a WPIAL playoff game. That victory started a run of three straight years of district quarterfinals success for the Rams. In 2021, Pine-Richland defeated Mt. Lebanon in the quarters, 6-1, before losing to eventual champion Bethel Park in the semifinals. The following spring, P-R blanked Canon-McMillan in the quarterfinals, 1-0, before losing to North Allegheny in the 6A final four. Then in 2023, following a slow 2-9 start to the season, the Rams rebounded to reach the postseason where they stunned North Allegheny in the postseason, only to fall to Seneca Valley in the district semifinals.
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