The Shaler Area Slow Pitch Softball Team had a very strong team this year. The girls varsity team finished the season with a strong 8-6 record, which qualified them for the playoffs. They headed into the playoffs this season as the 6th seed out of 14 teams.

During the regular season games, the Lady Titans had a six-game winning streak before their first playoff game. These wins were crucial for their placement as the 6th seed. The girls knew they needed these wins to get into the playoffs, and stepped up their game to achieve this goal.

“I felt exhilarated,” junior Abby Guiste said. “At that point we really turned our season around and I knew we had a shot at playoffs…we really came together as a team.”

The players all had a boost of confidence due to their winning streak. The Lady Titans were beginning to realize they were a force to be reckoned with, and that other teams had to be on their toes when stepping up to the plate against these girls.

During their winning streak, the girls pulled out a win against Plum, which Guiste considered to be her most unforgettable game.

“The most memorable game would be the game against Plum, when my sister and I hit back to back home runs in the first inning and we both ended up having two home runs that game,” Guiste said.

After the girls regular season games ended, the team and coaches put on their game faces and prepared to battle in the playoffs.

In round one of the playoffs, the girls shut out Baldwin in a 17-0 win. With such a solid defense and offense, the Lady Titans secured a big win to allow them to continue onto round two. The girls were feeling confident and prepared for the quarterfinals.

“It was a very exciting feeling that we got to move on,” Guiste said.

After their big win against Baldwin, the Lady Titans were ready for an intense game against Bethel Park. Shaler Area was up 4-2 in the 6th inning, but Bethel Park then scored six runs to lead 8-4. In the 7th inning Shaler Area scored 2 runs to make the score 8-6, but unfortunately the Lady Titans could not complete the comeback.

These girls started off with a 2-6 record, but ended the season 9-7. The players battled through a rough start and had their hard work pay off.

“I was very proud because my team did very well after a rough start to the season,” Guiste said.

The future for the Lady Titans is looking very bright. The junior varsity team had an overall record of 13 wins and only 1 loss.

“We will be a very successful team next year because our JV team is very good, and all of the girls will be able to play up on varsity,” Guiste said. “I think we have a better shot at making it further into the playoffs with a fresh start to the season next year because this year was very hectic due to COVID.”