2025 WPIAL Class 5A softball championship breakdown: Penn-Trafford vs. Shaler
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Tuesday, May 27, 2025 | 8:07 PM
Penn-Trafford’s Cam Ponko, an IUP commit, leads the team with a .474 batting average, seven home runs, 33 RBIs and 31 runs.
WPIAL Class 5A softball final
No. 1 Penn-Trafford vs. No. 2 Shaler
3:30 p.m. Thursday at North Allegheny
On the air: Audio: Trib HSSN; Video: NFHS Network
WPIAL titles: Penn-Trafford 0; Shaler 3 (2014, ’05, 1982)
Penn-Trafford (20-2)
Coach: Denny Little
Projected starting lineup
18, Rilie Moors, LF, Jr.
32, Lorryn Sepe, CF, Sr.
17, Cam Ponko, 3B, Sr.
88, Bella Rubbe, DP, Sr.
55, Giuliana Youngo, RF, Sr.
5, Kylie Anthony, SS, Sr.
22, Ella Mains, 2B, Jr.
21, Liz Welsh, 1B, Jr.
23, Mackenzie Cox, C, Jr.
10, Allyson Paulone, P/Flex, So.
How they got here: Penn-Trafford defeated Moon, 5-3, in the first round; Chartiers Valley, 14-11, in the quarterfinals; and North Hills, 7-0, in the semifinals
Notable: Penn-Trafford will go for its first WPIAL championship after one of its strongest regular seasons. Pitcher Allyson Paulone bounced back from a rough outing against Chartiers Valley in the quarters to toss a one-hit shutout in the semis. The Warriors are 19-1 since an opening-day loss to Hempfield, 8-3. They defeated Shaler earlier in the season, 11-1, but did not face Titans’ ace Bria Bosiljevac in that game. Cam Ponko, an IUP commit, leads the team with a .474 batting average, seven home runs, 33 RBIs and 31 runs. Rilie Moors, another IUP recruit, is hitting .441 with a team-high 30 hits and eight doubles to go with 28 runs, while Rubbe, Giuliana Youngo and Sepe all have 20 or more RBIs. Ella Mains has 10 stolen bases. Paulone is 14-2 with a 2.31 ERA in her second varsity season. Little is in his ninth season. The former Pitt baseball player led the softball Warriors to a PIAA title in 2019. Former Warriors standouts Amber Watson and Hannah Dobrinak are on the coaching staff this season, alongside Little, Ron Prady, Mike Cleland and Jason Keenan.
Shaler (17-4)
Coach: Tom Sorce
Projected starting lineup
12 Jayla Antomachi SS Jr.
2 Ellie Nichel 2B So.
45 Alyssa Schaffold C Jr.
10 Addison Aleski 1B Fr.
25 Emily Spears RF, Sr.
3 Haley Machajewski DP Jr.
27 Olivia Sachs 3B Sr.
8 Olivia Gieraltowski LF So.
13 Ella Nash CF Sr.
21 Bria Bosiljevac P Jr. (flex)
How they got here: Shaler defeated Connellsville, 8-0, in the first round; Trinity, 9-0, in the quarterfinals; and West Allegheny, 4-0, in the semifinals.
Extra bases: Shaler has seven straight wins, including five via shutout. The Titans have outscored three playoff opponents 21-0. Antomachi is batting .556 with 28 runs and 24 RBIs, while Addison Aleski has a .471 average, 26 RBIs and 21 runs, and Alyssa Schaffold bats .455 with five homers and 28 RBIs. The Titans have 24 home runs. Bosijevac is 12-2 with a 0.75 ERA and 143 Ks in 75 innings pitched. She is an Indiana (Bloomington) commit. Shaler is allowing just 2.2 runs a game. The most runs it allowed was 13 to Franklin Regional. Again, Bosijevac did not pitch that game. Sorce is in his seventh season leading the Titans. He is 98-37 with 81 wins coming in the last five years.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: Penn-Trafford, Shaler
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