Trib HSSN softball player of the week – Haley Machajewski

School – Shaler

Class – Senior

Position – Right field

#Earned – The Shaler softball program had one of the most dominant seasons in program history that led to its second straight and fifth WPIAL championship as well as third PIAA crown.

Five seniors and some talented underclassmen blended together to contribute big plays at key times during the season and especially in the state postseason.

In the District 7 playoffs, Shaler won four games by an average margin of 9.75 runs per game.

While the Titans won their first-round game and the championship game in the PIAA playoffs by 10-0 scores, they won by only one run over Baldwin in the quarterfinals and by two runs in an 11-inning marathon victory over Thomas Jefferson in the state semifinals.

Perhaps the biggest play for Shaler in Monday’s semifinal win over TJ came in the bottom of the eighth inning with Zoie DeCostro at first base and two outs of the Jaguars.

Camdyn Noderer, who earlier had homered to tie the game at 3-3, crushed a line drive off the base of the right field fence.

Senior Haley Machajewski played the carom perfectly, and then threw a strike to second baseman Ellie Nickel, who in turn made a perfect throw to catcher Alyssa Schaffold for the season-saving out at the plate.

Machajewski said the team had just practiced playing the ball off the fence and relay throws a few days earlier.

In the top of the 11th inning, with Olivia Gieraltowski at first and one out for the Titans, Machajewski beat out an infield single. She later scored on a Schaffold two-run single.

In the Class 5A state finals at Penn State, Shaler jumped out on Abington Heights with four runs in the second inning, and then added on a run in the third and fourth innings.

Following three straight walks that loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning, Machajewski came to the plate and took ball one low.

After three walks and a first pitch ball, most hitters would be taking all the way.

Not Machajewski. She took an inside pitch and crushed it over the left-center field fence at Nittany Lion Softball Park for a mercy-rule, gold-medal-clinching walk-off grand slam.

For the season, she batted .407 with four home runs, eight doubles, a triple, 40 runs scored and 23 RBIs.

Machajewski has great speed and has been the Titans’ leadoff hitter all season.

She played basketball up through the end of middle school before focusing on softball in high school.

Machajewski will continue her academic and softball career in the fall at Chatham University where she plans to study to be a physical therapist.

2026 Trib HSSN Softball Players of the Week

Week 10 – Adalina Bracco, Thomas Jefferson

Week 9 – Lauren Howard, Hempfield

Week 8 – Irelyn Fisher, Union

Week 7 – Abby Sutton, North Hills

Week 6 – Bria Bosiljevac, Shaler

Week 5 – Sydney Gonglik, Bentworth

Week 4 – Bailey Barnyak, Carmichaels

Week 3 – Sydney Sekely, South Park

Week 2 – Emma Herb, Shenango

Week 1 – Addyson Nigut, Elizabeth Forward