Season turns out unforgettable for Bailey Snowberger, Norwin softball team

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, June 1, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Leadoff hitter Bailey Snowberger doubled to open the WPIAL 6A softball championship Friday at Cal (Pa.).

After she scored the game’s first run, a teammate said, “congratulations” as Snowberger returned to the dugout.

“I’m like, what do you mean?” Snowberger said. “I didn’t know what she was talking about.”

The praise was for a milestone.

Snowberger’s hit was the 100th of her impressive high school career, and the Holy Cross commit finished right at that number in a 4-3 loss to Seneca Valley in eight innings.

Norwin, which played in the championship game for the first time, finished a season of unforeseen highlights at 10-11.

Upsets of No. 4 seed Pine-Richland and No. 1 Hempfield vaulted the No. 5 Knights into the title game.

The loss brought end an end to Snowberger’s career at Norwin, one filled with dagger defensive putouts, gap shots and steady leadership.

“Norwin means so much to me,” the sure-gloved shortstop said, tugging at the silver-medal ribbon around her neck. “I don’t know if I could ask anything more from this team after what we did.”

Snowberger, who made a terrific tagout to rob Seneca Valley of a stolen base in the seventh inning, taking a throw from sophomore catcher Lily Holtzman to end a threat, was doing a postgame interview when coach Brian Mesich doused her with ice from the water cooler.

It was like a nonverbal thank you.

(He courteously missed a notepad-wielding reporter.)

She didn’t see that coming, either.

“Bailey had the highest softball IQ,” Mesich said. “I mean it’s off the charts. She’s the point of our sword. I told her (before the championship), you’ll start this off for us.”

Snowberger said she feels blessed to have played in two WPIAL championship games in her senior year. She was the point guard for the Knights girls basketball team that won a WPIAL 6A title in the winter.

Seneca Valley intentionally walked Snowberger with a runner on in the top of the second inning, as much a sign of respect as it was a risk.

“It backfired,” Raiders coach Marlesse Hames said.

Freshman Diem Wardzinski smacked a two-run single to give Norwin a 3-0 lead.

Norwin softball will lose two other seniors in third baseman Josey Michalski and pitcher Brookelyn Kotch.

That means six starters will return in 2025.

“They felt (the loss),” Mesich said. “Lots of eyes were sweating. They fought until the end.”

Mesich promised the team he would cook them a hibachi dinner if they upset Hempfield in the semifinals. That dinner will happen Wednesday, he said, at his house. Dessert was the bonus if the Knights knocked off Seneca Valley. Odds are Mesich still will put on his chef’s hat and bake up a sweet dish like his team did for him this postseason.

He had cookies and brownies ready after the title game, and the girls enjoyed them before boarding the bus to return to North Huntingdon.

He said this team will be memorable.

Wardzinski emerged as a future building block. A dependable right fielder, she turned a 9-3 double play in the fourth inning Friday.

Sophomore pitcher Abbie Telli is set to claim the circle, and juniors Rachel Minteer and Izzy Deering, and sophomores Addison Grimes and Holtzman also show promise.

Freshman Maddy Kugler doubled in the WPIAL final.

“We had some freshmen and sophomores who didn’t look like freshmen and sophomores,” he said. “I said at the beginning of the year this would be a scrappy team, let’s make the playoffs and see what happens. We didn’t play as well at home. We probably could have had three or four more wins at home.

“I really appreciate my staff. They have been outstanding. I feel like we did as much as we could.”

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

Tags: Norwin