Franklin Regional softball vows to be back in contention next season

By: William Whalen
Friday, May 31, 2019 | 9:03 PM

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Last Tuesday was a wild day. Torrential downpours, lightning and even tornado warnings all made the day much more unpredictable. Another thing that seemed a little off was the Franklin Regional softball team’s bus ride from the Murrysville campus to Seton Hill — the site of the WPIAL Class 5A third-place consolation game.

The bus was unusually quiet. The mood was what one would expect on the way home from a loss, not on the way to battle for a spot in the PIAA playoffs.

“We were just kind of all laid back; it kind of made me more nervous,” said senior pitcher Angalee Beall, a Point Park recruit. “It was one of those bus rides where you could feel everybody’s nerves.”

But it wasn’t just any other game. Franklin Regional (13-9) was on its way to face Section-1 rival Penn-Trafford, a team the Panthers knew well and had lost to 7-1 and 4-0 during the regular season.

“I think we all knew we could beat them, but in the same sense, I think we were intimidated because it was Penn-Trafford,” Beall said.

The Panthers fell short. The Warriors put up three runs in the first inning on the way to a 6-2 win, denying Franklin Regional its first PIAA playoff berth since 2009.

“They’re a good team, and they can hit,” Franklin Regional coach Jim Armstrong said. “We tried to claw our way back. We were hitting (the ball) a couple of times, but it seemed like we were hitting it right at people.”

The loss marked an unflattering ending to an impressive season for the Panthers. Franklin Regional competed in one of, if not, the toughest sections in the WPIAL.

They finished tied for second place with Class 5A finalist Connellsville (16-6) at 10-4 and were four games back from section champ Penn-Trafford (19-2, 14-0).

“Our section was probably the toughest section in the WPIAL,” Armstrong said. “Coming into the season, our goal was to play the best we could and see where we end up. We ended up in second place with Connellsville, which was above our expectations. We did well. I’m very proud of ourselves.”

The Panthers arrived back north from Vero Beach, Fla. and Historic Dodgertown with a 1-2 record.

Franklin Regional immediately went into section play and rattled off wins over Armstrong, Connellsville and Laurel Highlands. The Panthers put together their longest winning streak of the season by closing out April on a four-game roll. But Armstrong and his Panthers don’t get too caught up in streaks.

“We’re an even-(keeled) team, and we kind of just flow along,” Armstrong said. “I tell the girls, ‘We are who we are.’”

The Panthers battled the injury bug for most of the season which tested depth. Second base seemed cursed as injuries stacked up, forcing players into unfamiliar roles. If there was one glaring flaw, it was depth.

“I think our depth is what we missed,” Armstrong said. “We’re very thin on the bench. We had some good players on the bench, don’t get me wrong.”

Franklin Regional will lose four seniors from this year’s team. One of the players Armstrong said he’s going to miss is first baseman Mallory Halleck. Halleck, a Saint Vincent recruit, was the consummate leader on the field and in the dugout; she started every game since her freshman season.

“I’m expecting us to be pretty good again next year, and we’ll see what we can do,” Armstrong said. “We’ll be back.”

William Whalen is a freelance writer.

Tags: Franklin Regional