The Tyrone and Bellwood-Antis softball teams are gearing up to start another season on the diamond. Tyrone plays in the Mountain Athletic Conference Division 2 and the B-A squad plays in Division 3.
Coach Lois Loncher leads the Tyrone Lady Eagles in her sixth campaign as head coach and is assisted by MaryAnn Volders, Jim Domenick (junior high), Danielle Wilson and Liz Kruiz (junior high).
Tyrone was 10-10 in 2004, 8-9 in the MAC.
Four-year starter Stephanie Catich was the only Eagle senior last year. Returning starters for Tyrone are: Missy Stager (2B-ss), Meghan McAllister (1B-of), Hilary McNelis (p-1B), Katie Whitby (cf-3B), Heather Stanton (1B-c), Ashley Ripka (lf-2B), Kim Cherry (c), Ashley Pennabaker (rf) and Stefani Bryan (ss-2B).
Other returnees include senior Jennifer Sherry, juniors Becky Swann and Amber Irwin, and sophomores Megan Turiano, Paige Stott and Casie Glashouser.
Newcomers are Lindsey Christine, Amanda Conrad, Brooke Garbinsky, Ashley Shultz and Stephanie Woodring.
McNelis led the Lady Eagles in hitting with a .508 batting average, that was second in Tyrone softball history to Joanie Hosband’s .537 in 1997. Whitby batted .295 and Cherry followed at .250. McNelis set the school record for hits in a season with 30, breaking the mark of Hosband and Kim Kelly (1996) both of whom had 29 hits. Whitby led the team in walks with 14, McNelis has 13 and Cherry and Missy Stager had 10 each.
“One of our weaknesses last year was too many strikeouts,” said coach Loncher. “This year we have been practicing on putting our bats on the ball. Putting the ball in play means putting more pressure on our opponents defenses.
Defensively, the Eagles played well for most of the 2004 season, but committed seven turnovers in their first round district playoff loss.
Hilary McNelis compiled a microscopic 0.77 ERA and set the school strikeout record with 117 whiffs, breaking the old mark of 88 set by Kelly Loncher in 1995. McNelis tossed a total of 136 and 2/3 innings.
“We have had very little time on the field, because of the weather this spring, but we are at the point where we need to get out and play,” said coach Loncher. “The girls have been working hard, probably harder than our team has ever worked in the preseason before. The kids are really excited. We return everyone but one person. The girls know what the competition is like after a year against tough competition. We want to put the ball in play on offense. Our three sophomores played last year as freshmen and now have a whole year of experience and we have a strong senior group as well. Hilary, who is going to St. Francis to continue her education and athletics, has really looked sharp. We are very optimistic about the 2005 softball season.”
Bellwood-Antis coach Alex Sitman has a year’s experience after his rookie year at the helm of the Lady Blue Devils. Bellwood-Antis suffered through a 2-18 season in 2004 which began the season with just two starters and one of those was out with an injury for the first part of the campaign. With a new coaching staff and almost completely new team, the Lady Blue Devils suffered through the season.
The 2005 squad, though faced with a tough schedule that has most of their opponents filled with returning starters, expects to show vast improvement.
“We expect to be more competitive this year,” explained Sitman. We need to improve just to be competitive because most of the teams we play have the majority of their kids back. It is a real challenge for the girls. Our goal is to do well enough to make the playoffs. Our pitching staff should be improved after we lost our entire staff last year and had to start all over. Freshman Kala Reider should be our number one pitcher and Christine Pfahler will get a lot of work and Heather Detwiler will be in the mix as well, but right now, Heather will be our shortstop.”
The Lady Blue Devils return three-year starter Charlie Burns (c), Christine Pfahler (p-inf), Heather Detwiler (ss-p), Kerstin Myers (inf-c), Dani Riley (inf-of) and Pam Wyant (of). Other non starters are Karli Rogers, Lindsay Carney Beth Helsel and Ashley McClellan all juniors and sophomore Amanda Mortimore.
Newcomers are Jen Stouffer, (p-of) Brianda McCaulley (of), Nikki Burns (of), Kala Reider (p-of), Nikki Houston (inf), Courtney Harner (OF), Jill McCartney (c), Ashley Whaley (inf), Jessica parson (of), Natasha Ray (inf) and Jen Bilka (inf).
Sitman is assisted by Jim Kovac, Frank Forney, Bekah Forney, Melissa Sitman, Trista Kovac and Lori Woods (JV).
“Our defense is getting solid and the girls have a good work ethic,” said Sitman. “We look to improve and get stronger as the season goes on. Our goal is competitive softball and the girls are working hard. I believe we show a lot of promise.”
Tyrone opens their 2005 season Tuesday at Bald Eagle Area and then plays Mount Union at home on Thursday Bellwood-Antis is on the road for their first two contests, playing at Northern Bedford Tuesday and Bishop Guilfoyle on Thursday. All ballgames begin at 4 p.m.
