Shaler outlasts Penn-Trafford in 11 innings in Class 5A championship classic

By: Paul Schofield
Thursday, May 29, 2025 | 7:11 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

Freshman Addison Aleski singled home junior Jayla Antomachi in the top of the 11th inning to help No. 2 Shaler defeat No. 1 Penn-Trafford, 2-1, in the WPIAL Class 5A softball championship game Thursday at North Allegheny.

It was the fourth time Shaler has won a WPIAL title and first since 2014. Penn-Trafford was looking for its first title.

Both teams qualified for the PIAA playoffs, which begin Monday. Shaler will face the District 3 fourth-place team, and Penn-Trafford faces District 6 champion Central Mountain.

“She is a phenomenal player,” Shaler coach Tom Sorce said of Aleski. “I told her to square up like we do in practice. She is a player.”

Penn-Trafford (20-3) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Cam Ponko homered deep over the left-field fence. Bella Rubbe almost made it back-to-back home runs, but her shot to center field hit the top of the fence for a double.

An error cost the Warriors a run in the second inning.

Shaler (18-5) tied the score when Aleski blooped a single over first baseman Liz Welsh’s head and got to third with no one out when an Emily Spears grounder was thrown wildly at second base. She scored on a sacrifice fly by Haley Machajewski.

“The defense has been stellar all year, and it was today,” Penn-Trafford coach Denny Little said. “We were trying to turn a double play.

“The bottom line is we have got to produce runs. I figured we would need three runs to win. We just did not execute the bunt.”

The game stayed tied, and to start the 10th inning, the international tiebreaker came into effect with each team starting with a runner at second base.

Neither team scored in the 10th, but Shaler was able to push across the winning run on Aleski’s two-out single in the top of the 11th.

Shaler junior pitcher Bria Bosiljevac struck out the side in the bottom of the inning.

She struck out 17 and allowed four hits. Penn-Trafford was the first team to score against her in the playoffs.

“We have been able to keep Bria healthy,” Sorce said. “This is the first time she has pitched 11 innings. She gutted this out and was out of gas, but when we scored, it gave her some more energy to finish the game. Bria is going to keep it close.”

Penn-Trafford pitcher Allyson Paulone gave up two unearned runs and only four hits.

“Allyson pitched her heart out,” Little said. “If we would have won, Allyson was probably the MVP.

“Bria is a hell of a pitcher. We equaled them in hits but not runs. She has good speed and a good rise ball. You must cut down on your swing against her. When you face a girl with heat, you tend to overswing.”

Sorce added: “That is a great team we beat. It is a shame anybody had to lose that game, because those kids played just as hard.”

Little hopes history from 2019 repeats itself. That year, his team lost in the WPIAL semifinals then came back to win the state title.

The Warriors lost to Armstrong in the 2022 WPIAL finals then fell to the River Hawks in the state semifinals.

“We hope to get back to Penn State again,” Little said. “Boomer (Rod Prady) told them there is only one thing better than a WPIAL title, and that’s a state championship.”

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Penn-Trafford, Shaler