Franklin Regional softball gets locked in late in season

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, May 1, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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As he watched the WPIAL softball regular season wind into its final two weeks, Jim Armstrong saw a change in his team.

The Franklin Regional coach noticed a more positive vibe in the dugout.

Players were showing more emotion during big innings, more enthusiasm for fellow hitters and even more interest in gameday details at their home field like running the American flag up the pole in center field or helping with the sound system.

“It’s exciting when you look around and have to make decisions on who is going to play,” Armstrong said. “It’s a good thing when I ask them, ‘Who wants to play?’ and they make me have to decide who to play.”

Franklin Regional won four times in a six-game stretch to take over fourth place in Section 2-5A. The top four teams qualify for the WPIAL playoffs.

That came after the Panthers (8-8, 5-5) had lost four of five and began to slide.

They played section-leading Armstrong close, losing 4-3, and also fell by one run to improved Penn-Trafford, 8-7.

A 10-8 win at home over Latrobe boosted the team’s confidence with a rematch against Armstrong looming. That game ended in Armstrong’s favor, 11-3.

“We started out a little rocky, but we’ve really started to come together,” sophomore center fielder Adrianna Martz said. “We’re playing more as a team, and we’re closer together.”

The offense has relied heavily on two standouts and future Division I players in juniors Toryn Fulton and Ciara Camacho.

Fulton, who was batting .611, had four home runs, down from her pace a year ago, but the South Florida commit had been walked intentionally eight times.

When teams pitch around Fulton, they get to face cleanup hitter Camacho, a Kent State commit and standout catcher.

“I tease the girls and tell them I am the alpha of the team,” Armstrong said. “But Toryn is more of an alpha than I am. She is a gem and a joy to coach. Her and Ciara have matured so much into leaders on this team.”

The Panthers only have one senior on the roster in second baseman Iyarah Hicks. That means a young team is gaining more experience with each game, whether it equates to a win or a loss.

Opposing teams usually don’t get to a senior until the No. 7 spot in the order.

“They’re starting to come along,” Armstrong said. “Last year, our freshman class got thrown right into the fire. It’s a process.”

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

Tags: Franklin Regional