Norwin softball team reflects on special season

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

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The Norwin softball team belted out its last rendition of the school alma mater as the team bus climbed the steep hill to reach campus following the Knights’ WPIAL Class 6A quarterfinal loss to North Allegheny.

Sure, it might not have been the best sounding one of the season. For some players, it marked the last time they’ll be singing the school song wearing their navy blue and Vegas gold uniforms. And for the younger players, it signified a moment that the future of the program was in their hands.

“Coaching isn’t all about wins and losses,” Norwin coach Brian Mesich said. “It’s the life lessons that hopefully these girls are taking away that are the key factors for their success as young ladies.”

Despite getting knocked out of the playoffs in the quarterfinals for the second straight season, there is still plenty for the Knights to hang their shields on.

After the WPIAL’s most recent reclassification, Norwin (13-8, 10-4) was lumped into the most difficult section in Class 6A: Section 2. Section 2 consisted of 2019 Class 6A runner-up North Allegheny and reigning four-time WPIAL champion Hempfield.

“Our nemesis this year was North Allegheny, ” Mesich said. “This new section was very difficult.”

It might have been difficult, but the Knights were up to the challenge. Norwin finished in a three-way tie for first place with North Allegheny (15-7, 10-4) and Hempfield (16-6, 10-4). Even though Norwin fell short of reaching the title game, the Knights did do something that hasn’t been done in a long while. Norwin pulled off a regular-season sweep of rival Hempfield — a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since 2014.

The new section alignment had another challenge to overcome. Outside of neighboring Hempfield, all of Norwin’s road games started out on winding on ramps of the Pa. Turnpike heading west. Butler, Seneca Valley, Pine-Richland, North Hills, Fox Chapel and North Allegheny all ran up the Knights’ E-Z Pass bill.

“Almost every game was almost an hour-long travel,” Mesich said. “On the bus, the girls definitely enjoyed the wins and riding the bus for sure. The girls like to sing. They’re actually pretty good. They were pleasant to listen to.”

The Knights earned the No. 5 seed in the WPIAL playoffs. The strength of the regular-season schedule became obvious right away in the postseason when Norwin knocked off No. 4 Bethel Park, 15-6, to open the postseason.

The win set the stage for another rematch with rival North Allegheny in the quarterfinals. The Knights fell short again to the Tigers, losing 8-4.

“Stuff just didn’t go our way,” Mesich said. “The way the playoff bracket is set, you play and then you have a week off. We set the bar high trying to get the the WPIAL finals, so we were just short of that.”

Despite the tough playoff loss, there was plenty to celebrate. In a top-heavy section that included a total of eight teams, Norwin was able to land two players on the all-Section 2 first team in senior shortstop Hailee Culbertson and sophomore pitcher Sydney Lokay. Third baseman Victoria Shimko and center fielder Alexandra Dillner, both juniors, along with sophomore right fielder Bailee Bertani pulled in second-team all-section honors.

“Having eight section teams, that’s pretty substantial,” Mesich said.

The Knights outscored their opponents 149-62. Shimko led the Knights in hits (28), doubles (10), RBIs (23) and batting average (.406). Bertani led Norwin in homers (3) and Culbertson in runs scored with 24.

“Next year, I am excited,” Mesich said. “Our infield, this will be their fourth year, other than (Culbertson). We’ll have a ton of experience and pitching.”

William Whalen is a freelance writer.

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