The Saint Vincent softball team has been tabbed as the team to beat in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference on a vote by the conference’s nine coaches.
The Bearcats were 22-10 overall and 12-5 in the PAC in 2018 and qualified for a fourth consecutive PAC tournament.
Saint Vincent returns two of its top three pitchers in sophomores Riley Assalone and Alona Sleith (Yough). The Bearcats also return three of their top five hitters in Sleith (.416), Lauren Miller (.381) and Shae Robson (.342).
Saint Vincent won its first PAC softball title in 2016. The Bearcats collected 78 total points and six of the league’s nine first-place votes in this year’s poll. Westminster finished second and collected the other three first-place votes and 72 points. Washington & Jefferson finished third with 59 points followed by Geneva with 51, Thiel with 47, Bethany at 35, Grove City with 27, Waynesburg with 21 and Chatham with 15.
Here is a list of Western Pennsylvania players listed on a watch list:
Saint Vincent: Sleith, Miller (Shaler), senior infielder Kelly Flaherty (Brashear) and Assalone
Bethany: junior pitcher Erica Amoroso (Belle Vernon)
Chatham: freshman infielder Alexis Butler (Keystone Oaks)
Geneva: sophomore third baseman Marina Manuppelli (Mars), senior outfielder Haley Sinato (Mohawk) and sophomore second baseman Madison Schultz (Seneca Valley)
Grove City: junior infielder Jen Kondracki (Beaver) and junior catcher Liz Scherer (North Allegheny)
Thiel: junior infielder Vanessa Falce (McKeesport) and senior first baseman Bailey Hoover (Uniontown)
W&J: senior pitcher Taylor Andres (Bethel Park) and sophomore utility player Addy Helffrich (Avonworth)
Waynesburg: senior first baseman Alex Lawrence (Chartiers Valley) and junior catcher Rachel Skon (Brashear)
Westminster: freshman pitcher Krystyna Burdelski (Fox Chapel).
