After strong spring seasons, Fox Chapel athletes pick up all-section honors

By: Michael Love
Saturday, June 19, 2021 | 11:01 AM

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The Fox Chapel baseball team made a run at the Section 2-5A title this spring, challenging Plum for the championship into the final week of the regular season.

The Foxes ended up tied for second with Mars at 9-3, one game behind the Mustangs.

Fox Chapel, 11-8 overall in 2021, capped its season in the WPIAL playoffs.

Several members of the team recently were honored with selection to the Section 2 all-star teams.

Junior infielder Jacob Patterson, senior infielder Thomas Koch and senior pitcher Dante DiMatteo picked up first-team selections.

Koch led the team in hitting (.439) and drove in 14 runs, while Patterson batted .371 with 13 RBIs and a team-leading seven doubles.

Patterson also collected three pitching victories.

DiMatteo shined on the mound and at the plate, combining a .373 average and 15 RBIs with a 3-2 pitching record, a 1.95 earned-run average and 79 strikeouts in 43 innings.

Earning second-team selection were junior outfielder Vincent Reiber and senior pitcher Luke Hudic, while junior infielder Tommy Fravel and junior designated hitter Rooney McManus picked up honorable mention nods.

All-section honors also came in for members of the Foxes softball, volleyball and girls lacrosse teams.

After a grind through a competitive Section 3-5A slate, the Fox Chapel softball team entered the WPIAL playoffs as the No. 14 seed.

The Foxes proceeded to upset No. 3 Plum and No. 6 Franklin Regional before falling to No. 7 Armstrong by a 2-1 margin in the semifinals.

The Foxes, by virtue of their semifinal appearance, clinched a spot in the state playoffs for the first time in program history.

Helping in that cause were Section 3 second-team selections in junior shortstop Brynn Palmer, senior center fielder Neena Pietropaolo and junior pitcher Mackenzie Borkovich.

Pietropaolo hit .344 and collected three home runs. She homered in both WPIAL playoff victories, including the game-winner against Plum.

Palmer added three home runs, drove in 15 runs and batted .302, while Borkovich collected a .329 batting average and also struck out 252 batters in 140.2 innings.

Sophomore shortstop Hunter Taylor and junior catcher Amelia Herzer were honorable mention selections.

Eli Yofan’s power was on display this spring for the Fox Chapel boys volleyball team, and the 6-foot-3 junior right side hitter garnered Section 2-AAA first-team laurels after helping the Foxes to fourth place in a challenging section that included WPIAL and PIAA champion North Allegheny, WPIAL runner-up and state semifinalist Seneca Valley and WPIAL quarterfinalist Butler.

Fox Chapel earned the No. 7 seed for the WPIAL tournament and advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to Seneca Valley, 3-0.

Also honored were second-team pick Arda Akinci, a senior outside hitter/middle hitter.

Senior middle hitter Kaya Akinci and senior outside hitter Brendan Gladwin earned third-team honors.

The Fox Chapel girls lacrosse team’s hopes for a run in the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs were dashed with a 9-8 overtime loss to Peters Township in the first round.

But there were numerous season positives for the Foxes, who finished 7-7 overall and went 6-4 in Section 2.

Freshman midfielder Sydney Schutzman had a breakout season with a team-best 41 goals, and she was selected to the all-section first team along with senior goalie Hanna Humes (133 saves, 7.5 goals-against average, .547 save percentage).

Sophomore attacker/midfielder Lindsay Scheffler and junior defender Mira Tramontina were second-team selections, while junior defender Alden March earned honorable-mention recognition.

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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