COACH TALK: RHS Softball Building On Success, Baseball Looks To Continue Playoff Streak

Riverside baseball and softball teams both earned playoff berths last season, albeit in the short form of opening round defeats, but this year each program will look to continue to build on their successes

RIVERSIDE SOFTBALL:

Head coach Gerilynn Cummings has high expectations for her softball squad this year, with a little bit of fine tuning in order.

“Now that we’ve gone through the rebuilding process, we’re looking to fine tune the girls,” says Cummings. “The majority have Varsity experience. We’re looking to put the best nine players on the field to give us the best chance to win.”

Riverside will field a team with six returning starters and look for continued success this year to build on a 2021 campaign that saw the Lady Panthers earn a playoff berth for the first time since 2017.

The Panthers finished with a 7-5 record in Section 4-2A (8-6 Overall) last season. The team finished fourth in a strong section, and fell to Frazier in the first round of the WPIAL Playoffs.

“[This year] we are looking to win playoff games,” says Cummings. “We know we have the toughest section in the WPIAL so we’ll be ready for tough competition.”

Laurel captured the WPIAL Class 2A championship for the third straight season last year with victory over Shenango. Both of which are Section 4 foes for the Panthers.

This year, the team will lean heavily on Senior Captain Sydney Hale, a first baseman/outfielder, Junior Samantha Rosenberger along with Aliya Ottaviani and Mia Williams.

Hale is also one of the WPIAL’s top throwers in track and field – garnering D1 interest. Rosenberger also has several teams interested in her according to Cummings.

Both will bring strength to the line-up.

“We’re excited about the consistency in our battery positions,” says Cummings.

The head coach expects solid, competitive play from an improving team. Defense may be a point of focus in improving according to Cummings.

“We’re expecting to perform better on the left side of the field.”

Wild winter weather late in March may force some rescheduling but as currently comprised, the softball team is scheduled to have its home opener on Tuesday, March 29 versus New Brighton. The Panthers will travel to face rival Ellwood City on Friday.

Riverside will host defending WPIAL Champion Laurel on Friday, April 8.

RIVERSIDE BASEBALL:

Longtime Riverside coach Dan Oliastro enters his 54th season hoping to guide a young Panthers squad to improvements over its 5-5 Section 2-2A (9-10 Overall) record last year.

The Panthers earned a playoff berth for the 10th consecutive year but were shutout by Chartiers Houston in the opening round of the WPIAL Playoffs.

For Riverside to earn yet another playoff berth, the team must grow up – and quick.

“We are focusing on evaluating our players to find the right players for the right positions,” says Oliastro. “Both the 9th and 10th grade classes are large and talented. We expect them to push our veteran players.”

The group of veteran Panthers returning includes Seton Hill recruit Madden Boehm and the team will show its strengths on the pitching mound and on defense.

“A possible weakness would be experience,” adds Oliastro.

The team features only two seniors.

For the head coach with decades of coaching experience, Oliastro sees no concern over te freshness of the program.

“Each year we have new players and we add new practice drills that fit our program,” says Oliastro. “No two seasons are identical.”

The head coach tied the WPIAL wins mark with the team’s 14-1 victory last Friday and will look to set the mark this week and pass Hopewell legend Joe Colella for the most victories (655) in WPIAL history when the Panthers host New Brighton on Wednesday.

In Friday’s victory, Bo Fornataro recorded two hits and drove in two runs, while Mitch Garvin drove in three runs. Freshman Hunter Garvin recorded his first win of his career, striking out seven hitters in his varsity debut.

Section 2 features the likes of Aliquippa, Laurel, Neshannock, Shenango, South Side, Summit Academy, along with Riverside.

The WPIAL champion Shenango Wildcats rode a 21-game winning streak into the PIAA title game, where it lost to Schuylkill Haven in its first appearance in a state title game.

Riverside travels to face rival Ellwood City on Friday and will later host the Wolverines on Thursday, April 14th. The regular season finale will be against defending champion Shenango on May 10, 2022.