Parshall eyes title at Belle Vernon

Parshall’s goal for her senior year is clear.

“It’s definitely great to say, but overall I’m just concerned about my team winning games,” Parshall said.

Belle Vernon fell in the PIAA quarterfinals in 2015 and 2017.

The Leopards lost their No. 1 hitter from last season, Megan Christner, and their No. 2 hitter, Lexi Church. But with talented freshmen entering the lineup and Parshall returning for her curtain call, Belle Vernon believes this could be its year to go further than it has before, according to coach Tom Rodriguez.

“Bailey’s a big part of that,” Rodriguez, in his 17th year as coach, said. “The team feels like this could be our year to be something special.”

Parshall has been playing fast-pitch softball since she was 7. It wasn’t long after that Rodriguez recognized her talent.

“When she was 10, I could tell,” Rodriguez said. “She worked hard all the time. Even at 10, she was really above a lot of the 10-year-old pitchers. I could tell in middle school for sure. She works all year round.”

Her work ethic is what makes Parshall the player she is, Rodriguez said.

“During practice, she’s always doing something if she’s not pitching,” Rodriguez said. “She’s not one to sit back and talk... She’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever had.”

Parshall’s not bad at the plate, either, hitting .551 with 12 doubles in 78 at-bats last season.

This year, though, she’ll have a new catcher in junior Ally Pacak.

“We’re actually best friends, not just on the field but off the field, and I think that bond really helps,” Pacak said. “We just communicate really well.”

Her senior season is also a chance to continue to develop her other pitches, though her curveball is her specialty.

“This year I feel like I’m going to have a lot more opportunity to throw different pitches and work my way in counts rather than throwing same sequence over and over again,” Parshall said. “That will help defensively.”

After winning WPIAL titles two out of the past three years, the Leopards hope to take the next step, senior shortstop Kourtney Gavatorta said.

“This is our year,” Gavatorta said. “I think the past couple years, we’ve developed more and more. The older we get the more responsibility we have and we’re able to give that to the freshmen.”

“We’re very confident. We’ve been practicing the same as we have been the past few years and working for the same goals. It’s the same routine and we hope it pays off.”