Freshman pitcher Shelby Novak helps Burrell softball lock up 18th straight playoff appearance

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, May 1, 2024 | 3:52 PM

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Shelby Novak said she wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue pitching.

She had battled in the circle since she was 7 and was there in junior high and travel softball.

“I wanted to quit pitching and just be an outfielder because I was thinking down the road for college, but I decided to stick with it,” said Novak, a freshman and starting pitcher for the Burrell team that finished Section 1-3A play Monday with a 5-3 win over rival Deer Lakes at Bon Air Elementary and clinched a playoff berth for the 18th straight season.

“Coach (Dave) Ferres and my travel coach talked with me and convinced me to keep pitching. We figured out how to meet in the middle, and it’s worked out.”

Novak competed with junior Sabrina Hoover and sophomore Tina Gural at the start of the season to see who would step into the big shoes left by two-time Valley News Dispatch Player of the Year Katie Armstrong, now a freshman at Gannon.

Novak settled into the starter’s role and has responded with several strong pitching performances to put the team in no worse than second in the section and in position for a good seed for the upcoming WPIAL playoffs.

“Sabrina, Tina and I were in other spots on the field and in the lineup, and we all gave it a shot (in the circle). We just wanted to do our part and help the team win,” Novak said.

“There was some pressure (taking over for Armstrong), but I had a lot of support and encouragement from my teammates and coaches to go out there and do what I could do. The defense behind me has helped a lot with making the routine plays and some other tough plays. I have been able to get pretty comfortable and confident the more I have pitched.”

Perhaps her best two-game stretch of the season came in back-to-back section wins over Freeport and Deer Lakes on April 10 and April 15.

In a 3-1 win over the Yellowjackets, she scattered five hits and walked three while striking out six. At the plate, she singled and walked twice.

At Deer Lakes, she held the potent Lancers lineup to six hits and two runs with three strikeouts and one walk as the Bucs held off a late rally for a 4-2 win.

She added a single in two plate appearances.

“Confidence has been the key for Shelby,” Ferres said. “It has been growing game by game, especially with the pitch calling. The one thing Shelby has that is different from some of the other pitchers she’s going up against is she is simply pitching. The others have speed and power to their pitching. While she might not have that as much, she’s throwing changeups, screwballs and fastballs, and she’s hitting spots. That is the fun part. She might not strike out a ton of batters, but that is OK.”

Novak said the strong defense, anchored by juniors Pyper Ferres at short and Braelyn Jones at third, is key for her success as she is more of a pitch-to-contact hurler as opposed to some of her counterparts.

She again matched up with Deer Lakes senior Maddie Kee on Monday, and she again prevailed.

While Kee struck out 13, Novak got run support from Ferres, Jones and junior catcher Bella Stewart, who went a combined 6 for 7 with two home runs, two doubles, five RBIs and five runs scored.

Novak struck out five, surrendered six hits and four walks in the complete game win as Burrell held off another late Lancers rally.

“It was a huge win. We had lost to Freeport and Avonworth in two games before that, so that win was a big booster for us,” Novak said.

Jones’ three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth extended Burrell’s lead to 5-1.

“That gave me confidence and some breathing room in the circle to keep going after their hitters,” Novak said.

“It wasn’t as tight of a game at that point.”

Novak, who doesn’t play any other high school sports, said good offseason work in the weight room and on the field has helped the youthful Bucs, who have no seniors.

Stewart, Novak said, has helped lift her first varsity season in the circle.

“Bella is such a calming presence for me,” Novak said.

“She knows when to take a timeout and come to the circle. She knows the right words to say. She really helps me get back on track. She’s also really smart (behind the plate). She keeps things positive and everyone else positive.”

Stewart threw out a Deer Lakes runner trying to steal second in the top of the seventh Monday to slow the Lancers’ rally attempt.

Novak said she’s also gained strength from the continued support of older sister Cassidy, a 2023 Burrell grad and standout for the Bucs from 2021 through last year.

“I talk to her almost every day, and she watches the games when she can from college. Growing up, we always battled back and forth and were really competitive. She’s always supported me and challenged me.”

Novak said she’s learned a lot from watching her pitching opponents such as Kee, Freeport senior Sydney Selker and Avonworth senior Alivia Lantzy.

“I have taken some things from each one and how they pitch,” Novak said.

“Maddie Kee pitches outside, and Alivia Lantzy pitches inside a lot. I can see their different spins and where their placements are.”

Burrell will see where it fits into the playoff mix May 9 when the WPIAL softball committee releases the tournament brackets.

“For being a younger team and having no seniors, we’re excited for what we’ve built throughout this season and how we can continue to build into next year, too,” Novak said.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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