Ava Wamsley and her Fox Chapel teammates spent the past several seasons trying to defeat North Hills and Shaler in section play.
Now, Wamsley, a senior catcher, will have the opportunity to win with Shaler standouts Bria Bosiljevac, Alyssa Schaffold and Jayla Antomachi; and North Hills star Abby Sutton when they come together on Team Black for Tuesday’s Western PA Softball All-Star Game.
Liana Yusko from section rival Plum and others from Team Gold will try to put up a stiff challenge.
The third annual all-star showcase game between top seniors stars from the WPIAL and City League will be at 7:15 p.m. at Plum High School.
“This is a nice way to give the kids one last chance to wear their uniform and celebrate their high school careers,” said DiLonardo, the lead organizer of the all-star games and a coach of Team Gold with Peters Township’s Jenna Muncie.
A total of 41 seniors, many of whom will continue their softball careers at Division I, II or III colleges, will be on the rosters.
More than 100 seniors were nominated by their coaches, selected by a committee and accepted an invitational to play.
“It is a lot of fun to get all of these talented kids together. It’s not easy to put them together. There were so many worthy players who we considered. We want the players to be in the positions that they play. You can’t pick 17 center fielders or 17 shortstops. We try to balance it out by the positions that they play. That does make it challenging at some points along the line. But over the past three years, we’ve developed a system that, I think, works pretty well. Hopefully, it will lead to a competitive game.”
Former Franklin Regional coach Jim Armstrong and Shaler’s Tom Sorce will coach Team Black.
South Florida standout freshman outfielder Toryn Fulton, a Franklin Regional alum, will be an honorary coach for the Black team.
“The talent level for this game is awesome, and it is so much fun to get to coach all of them and let them go out and put their talents on display,” Armstrong said. “It’s so special to see all of these great players on one field.
“It will be nice to have Toryn there in the dugout with us. That will be nice for those girls who are going on to college to see someone who has been successful in college. She’s also just a wonderful person.”
The weather is expected to be near perfect with no rain and temperatures in the low to mid-70s at the start of the game.
“The last two years, it’s been the hottest day in June,” DiLonardo said. “It was something like 95 degrees last year and the year before. I am looking forward to not sweating this time. It will be very comfortable for everyone.”
DiLonardo said the game will be eight innings with a cap of three or four runs per half inning to keep the game moving.
“It’s an exhibition of their skill, not necessarily how many runs you can score,” DiLonardo said.
The high school softball season ended Thursday and Friday with the PIAA championship games at Penn State. The WPIAL was well represented in those games with Union (1A), Laurel (2A), Shaler (5A), and Hempfield (6A) claiming championship gold and Chartiers-Houston (2A) and Blackhawk (4A) earning silver medals.
Seven from those teams are on the rosters for Tuesday’s game.
“There is strategy about getting everyone in the game and making sure they have their chance to shine, but with the game, the girls aren’t moping around that they aren’t in the game at a certain point,” Armstrong said.
“They are enjoying their opportunity to be in the dugout, getting to hang out with each other and getting to know each other.”
The game will have a local flair: In addition to Wamsley and Yusko the Alle-Kiski Valley will be represented at Plum by Freeport’s Addyson Caruso (Team Gold), Kiski Area’s Alyssa Perona (Team Gold), Knoch’s Marlee Fraser, Lindsey Wise and Alena Tekely (Team Black) and Deer Lakes’ Sienna Plummer (Team Black).
Westmoreland players are Jeannette’s Grace Stein (Team Gold), Norwin’s Abbie Telli (Team Black), Hempfield’s Emily Bozek (Team Black), South Allegheny’s Lina Laguardia (Team Black), Penn-Trafford’s Torrie Destafano (Team Black) and Yough’s Anna Linder (Team Black).
“Phil and Jenna just do a tremendous job leading the way for this game from sending out the emails to coordinating everything,” Armstrong said.
“This is Phil’s thing, and I think it is awesome. He and Jenna work so hard at it. I really appreciate what they do.”
In the past, organizers have given out four $250 scholarships, two for each team, for offensive and defensive MVPs.
The Black team is 2-0 in the event.
“This is a fun game and evening after all the stresses and pressure of the season is over,” DiLonardo said.
“But these kids are competitive regardless. They all will want to win this game, but there is no pressure to win. That’s the way it was the first two years, and I can’t see that changing this year.”
Western Pennsylvania Softball All-Star Game
Tuesday
7:15 p.m.
Plum High School
Rosters – Subject to Change
TEAM BLACK
Brooklyn Kemp, Upper St. Clair
Marlee Fraser, Knoch
Bria Bosiljevac, Shaler
Abby Sutton, North Hills
Abbie Telli, Norwin
Alyssa Schaffold, Shaler
Ava Wamsley, Fox Chapel
Olivia Benedict, Union
Emily Bozek, Hempfield
Lindsey Wise, Knoch
Lina Laguardia, South Allegheny
Niyah Walden, Carrick
Brianna Aluisia, Shenango
Jayla Antomachi, Shaler
Rebecca Davis, Mt. Lebanon
Torrie Destafano, Penn-Trafford
Alena Tekely, Knoch
Serafina Julio, Pine-Richland
Anna Linder, Yough
Sienna Plummer, Deer Lakes
TEAM GOLD
Bailey Barnyak, Carmichaels
Abby Kalkowski, Seneca Valley
Sydney Sekely, South Park
Grace Stein, Jeannette
Liana Yusko, Plum
Lily Duffill, Chartiers Valley
Neve Miller, Seneca Valley
Addy Nigut, Elizabeth Forward
Grace Kempton, South Park
Seanna Riggle, Chartiers-Houston
Bella Colatriano, Western Beaver
Addyson Caruso, Freeport
Alyssa Perona, Kiski Area
Carys McConnell, Carmichaels
Lauren Rush, Chartiers-Houston
Julia Resnik, Elizabeth Forward
Hannah Evans, Elizabeth Forward
Paige Volz, Seneca Valley
Makenzie Bowen, Baldwin
Reese Temme, Baldwin
Ally Krenzelak, Trinity