Pitcher Alle Scarpa, Greensburg Salem pass test against Mt. Pleasant

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, March 27, 2025 | 10:07 PM

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Alle Scarpa was called for an illegal pitch in the fifth inning Thursday, but that wasn’t the only bout of adversity the pitcher from Greensburg Salem faced at Mt. Pleasant.

“I had some trouble adjusting to the mound because there was a hole (in front of the rubber),” the southpaw said. “After the illegal pitch, (Mt. Pleasant) tried to test me.”

Scarpa made sure the Vikings failed.

The crafty junior wasn’t fazed then and only flinched slightly later when Mt. Pleasant finally got to her in the bottom of the seventh inning. But she and the Golden Lions held on to remain undefeated with a 4-2 nonsection softball victory.

Scarpa struck out 15 and took a 4-0 lead — and a one-hitter — into the final frame for the Golden Lions (4-0) before the Vikings (2-1) took her to a pair of full counts and scored twice.

“In the seventh inning, it was just one pitch at a time,” said Scarpa (4-0), who has 68 strikeouts this season and is nearing 300 strikeouts for her career. “Every game up to today we hadn’t been put in a stressful situation like that. It was good to see how we responded.”

Greensburg Salem backed its pitcher with the long ball.

Scarpa, who had zero walks, helped her cause with a solo home run in the top of the first, and sophomore Cate Waugaman added a three-run blast in the fourth to build a 4-0 lead.

“Alle has put herself into a mental approach that is paying off,” Greensburg Salem coach Bill Wright said. “The team is following her leadership. She is on top of her game right now.”

Greensburg Salem has outscored its opponents 26-2.

“The girls have confidence in each other,” Wright said, “and it’s showing.”

The Golden Lions threatened again in the sixth as Scarpa and freshman Hannah Olbeter singled. But Mt. Pleasant shrugged off the challenge with an inning-ending double play.

Mt. Pleasant looked primed for a rally in the seventh. Sophomore Dani Trainer, the losing pitcher despite 13 strikeouts and one walk, singled and senior Gianna Stanek reached on a fielder’s choice.

The runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, but Scarpa settled in. She used one of her freeze-framing changeups to get junior Gracie Etling looking for her 14th punchout.

Sophomore Kendra Brunson, though, followed with a bases-clearing, two-out double to cut the deficit in half at 4-2.

“I had to tell myself I’m in control of the game, take a deep breath and relax,” Scarpa said.

Sophomore Kendall Waters came up next and worked Scarpa to a full count, but the pitcher won the final battle when Waters’ check swing was appealed and determined to be the third strike to end it.

“Too little, too late,” Mt. Pleasant first-year coach Paul Reho said. “(Scarpa) was throwing well. We needed to make an adjustment the second time around, and we didn’t do that. You can’t wait until the seventh inning to start hitting.”

Sophomore Talia Reho, the coach’s daughter, had the Vikings’ first hit.

Olbeter finished 2 for 3. Greensburg Salem had five hits.

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

Tags: Greensburg Salem, Mt. Pleasant