Multiple heroes have Penn-Trafford on brink of 2nd state softball title

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, June 11, 2025 | 4:59 PM

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If you hit, you play.

That is Denny Little’s mantra for the Penn-Trafford softball team, and the ninth-year coach has an abundance of talented hitters to pencil onto his lineup card.

“You take your nine best hitters, and you find a place for them,” Little said, not giving away any trade secrets to coaching the game.

The question going into Friday’s PIAA Class 5A championship at Penn State is: who in that lineup will have the greatest impact?

“You can look at almost every game, and we’ve relied on someone different to come through for us,” Little said. “We have our regulars who do their jobs, but we’ve had lower-lineup girls and pinch-hitters who have been stars.”

When the Warriors lost 2-1 to Shaler in the WPIAL championship game, hitters No. 6 through 9 were 0 for 12. In the next game, they went 7 for 12.

Penn-Trafford (23-3) will go for its second state softball title at 4 p.m. Friday when it faces Greencastle-Antrim (22-3) at Nittany Lion Softball Park.

“You think back to the Chartiers Valley game (in the WPIAL quarterfinals),” Little said. “G (Giuliana) Youngo made that game-saving catch, and she went 4 for 4 with six RBIs. Allyson Paulone pitched a one-hitter (against North Hills) in the (WPIAL) semifinals. That was her time to shine. Cam (Ponko) is Cam. Several games Rilie Moors has led off and scored the winning run. Lorryn Sepe, Bella Rubbe, so many of them.

“You look at these kids individually, and you hear people say, ‘eh.’ But together they are perfect.”

Greencastle-Antrim is the third-place team from District 3 and features big-hitting shortstop Meadow Gambacurta, a Bucknell commit.

The Blue Devils also have one state title, in 2009.

In the state postseason, Penn-Trafford nipped Central Mountain, 3-2, and Red Land, 6-5, the latter when Kylie Anthony went 4 for 4 and hit a tying homer to lead off the seventh. That set up pinch-hitter Annabell Carvajal’s walk-off RBI single.

The Warriors took care of West Allegheny, 8-2, in the state semis.

Paulone, a sophomore pitcher, doesn’t know who the hero will be Friday, but she said the Warriors can’t win it all unless they are fundamentally strong.

She wants the team to experience the state final and not let it go by quickly.

“We need to keep our defense strong, continue to selflessly hit and take the game one inning at a time,” she said. “Also, I think that it’s important regardless of the outcome that we enjoy this game, because it is an opportunity that only so many people can experience.”

Ponko, a senior third baseman and the team’s leading hitter, said the Warriors can’t be in awe when they take Beard Field.

“We have to do what we do,” she said. “It’s just another game. Do our jobs, and we’ll be all right.”

Little has been to Penn State before, but many of his players have not.

“There will be a lot of hoopla,” he said. “But it’s just a game. It’s more softball. I’m taking a Gene Hackman approach (from “Hoosiers”). The bases are still 60 feet (apart). The pitching mound is 43 feet (away from the plate).”

Ponko didn’t want the team to overthink its next opponent or venue.

“I started researching (online), but I had to stop,” she said. “We just have to go out and be ready to play, no matter who we play.”

Penn-Trafford had a year-end team banquet scheduled for this week but altered it to a dinner at Morelands at Waterworks in Greensburg.

“I’m not big on a banquet before the season is over,” Little said. “Everyone talking about their memories and all of that. We’re not finished yet.”

The team will have a more final get-together when the season is complete.

Another notable change this week: Penn-Trafford has six coaches on its staff but almost was one short for the state final.

Ron Prady had a vacation to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., planned for later this week, but he changed the dates so he can join the team in State College.

Prady was on the ’19 staff, as was assistant Mike Cleland.

Little, Prady and Cleland had state-champion daughters on that team — Emma Little, Ally Prady and Brooke Cleland.

Another assistant, Jason Keenan, was not on that staff, but he’s helped this one get back to Penn State.

Denny Little said Keenan emulated the throwing motion of Red Land’s pitcher before the teams played in the quarterfinals in Windber.

“He is a former Marine,” Little said. “He pitched and crow-hopped for an hour. He was soaked. He really had the girls prepared.”

The ’19 team also won 23 games. This team can tie the program record for wins in a season if it gets past Greencastle-Antrim. The 1990 team had 24 wins.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Penn-Trafford