Anyone sitting beyond the outfield fence at a Shaler softball game should be prepared to pick up their chairs and move. The Titans are built to send balls screaming over the fence.
During Shaler’s 8-1 start, the Titans have smashed 15 home runs. Shaler’s power is coming from all throughout the lineup.
Alyssa Schaffold and Addison Aleski are tied with three round trippers apiece. But the Titans also have had five or six other players hit homers as well.
“We specifically wanted to have more power,” Shaler coach Tom Sorce said. “We wanted to drive the ball more and have more doubles. We added a few things to what we usually do. We lifted weights specifically to be stronger.”
The Titans’ power has led to strong results for the defending WPIAL champions. Shaler most recently beat Mars, 15-0, in three innings to improve to 6-0 in Section 1-5A play.
The Titans have won five straight since losing to defending PIAA Penn-Trafford, which Shaler beat in the district final last year.
Sorce isn’t ready to raise any banners.
“I think going into the season leading a team that there was a lot of speculation from the outside that we would be good is a harder kind of team to coach,” Sorce said. “We expected to win a lot of games if we did the right things. It’s worked out so far.”
Shaler has outscored its opponents by a cumulative score of 75-8 so far this season, including a 62-1 advantage in section contests. The Titans’ bats have been supported by pitcher Bria Bosiljevac, who has been piling up strikeouts inside the circle.
Sorce collected his 100th win as coach of the program during Shaler’s season-opening win over North Allegheny. He is now 107-38 during his tenure.
Sorce said he was close with previous coach Skip Palmer, who led the Titans to 199 wins. Palmer, who recommended Sorce replace him, retired in 2017 and died suddenly a few months later.
“He was like a mentor,” Sorce said. “I’m sure there are plenty of coaches who have more than 100 wins. I’ve had a lot of good players and I’m grateful.”
Shaler had a second matchup with a surging Fox Chapel program scheduled for April 8. Results from that game were too late for this edition.
The Titans won the first meeting between the teams, but the Foxes rebounded with five consecutive wins.
“I don’t want them to be satisfied,” Sorce said.
“I’m not going to let them get satisfied. We approach playing everyone the same, whether they have 11 wins or zero wins. It’s all about the structure of what we are doing.”