Softball at Pitt Greensburg

(Photo By: S.Katzman)

Season Review           

Bobcats Battle Through Injuries and Inexperience

The 2006 Pitt-Greensburg Softball Team entered the season with high expectations and hopes of returning to the conference playoffs.  But, injuries to key players and a lack of experience throughout the team proved costly as Head Coach Erica Exler and the Bobcats struggled through a disappointing 5-27 season.

The Bobcats, who started five or six freshmen all season long, lost two of their top hitters and most experienced players in midseason.  First, junior centerfielder Jaime Lindner (Midland, PA/Western Beaver) went down with a season ending knee injury just ten games into the season.  Linder, the 2004 AMCC ‘Newcomer of the Year,’ was batting .346 at the time and had smashed the team’s lone home run of the season.  Her injury was devastating to the team, as she had established herself as the team’s top outfielder and team leader.

Next, sophomore second baseman Toni Trew (Bentleyville, PA/Bentworth) suffered a concussion and was forced to miss the final 16 games with head trauma. Trew, was batting .333 at the time and was leading the team in hits and runs scored while batting leadoff.  Her injury was another costly blow to the lineup. 

The injuries were not just felt on the offensive side, as starting pitcher Megan Flower (Belle Vernon, PA/Belle Vernon) was sidelined after appearing in just eight games.  Flower suffered severe elbow tendonitis and was unable to pitch during most of the conference season.  She was the team’s leader in ERA, and had set a single-game strikeout record with nine against Northwestern College.

Despite all the injuries, the young Bobcats continued to play hard, led by freshman third baseman Kelly Welsh (Pittsburgh, PA/Oakland Catholic).  Welsh became a team-leader by midseason and was clearly the team’s top performer.  She led UPG with a .411 batting average, 39 hits, and 18 RBIs.  She also set a new single season record with 11 doubles.  For her efforts, Welsh was named to the AMCC All-Conference First-Team, becoming just the second Bobcat softball player to earn such recognition.

Other catalysts offensively included freshmen Amber Dongilli (Perryopolis, PA/Belle Vernon) and Haley Gearhart (Apollo, PA/Kiski).  Dongilli manned the catcher position for UPG and had an outstanding debut season.  Blessed with tremendous speed, Dongilli was a danger to bunt for hits at any time, while also being able to drive the ball to the gaps. She batted .298 on the season with 28 hits.  She led the team with two triples and five stolen bases. Gearhart was the shortstop for the Bobcats and was brilliant on the defensive end.  She continuously made tough plays look routine and throughout the course of the year her offense began to come around.  She finished the season strong, and ended with a .253 average and was third on the team with 23 hits.

On the mound, the Bobcats were again led by senior Ashley Gardner (Vanderbilt, PA/Geibel).  Gardner posted a 4-14 record and appeared in 23 games. She tossed over 100 innings and led the team in every statistical category.  For her career, Gardner ranks as the all-time leader in innings pitched, wins, strikeouts, and appearances.

Also aiding the pitching staff was the emergence of freshman Shannon Thomas (Dallas, PA/Dallas).  Thomas was a late addition to the team, and after the injury to Flower, really stepped up on the hill.  She started seven games, winning one, and finished with an ERA of 4.67. 

The outfield was manned by a pair of returnees in left and right field, and a freshman in center.  Leah Kaplan (Pittsburgh, PA/Taylor Allderdice) started 27 games in left for the Bobcats. She contributed 10 hits, including three doubles, and was second on the team with nine RBIs.  Katie Bondarenka (Pittsburgh, PA/Plum) earned the starting right field job, and appeared in 24 games. She batted .217 on the year and really came on strong down the stretch. Jenna Ward (Washington, PA/Washington) finalized the outfield in center. Ward, who began the year in left field, moved to center because of injuries and performed well. Ward collected 16 hits and four RBIs at the plate as well.

Rounding out the infield was freshman first baseman Ali Carr (Pittsburgh, PA/Plum), and sophomore second baseman Ranae Janosik (Monessen, PA/Monessen).  Carr started the season strong before fading off a bit down the stretch. Still, the first-year player was outstanding in the field, committing just two errors all season long. At the plate she notched 16 hits and drove in six runs. Janosik began the year in the outfield but moved to second because of injuries.  Despite being out of position, she performed well in the field. At the plate, Janosik collected 13 hits and three RBIs.

Other members of the team included senior Amy Newland (Allison Park, PA/Shaler), junior Meg Gearhart (Apollo, PA/Kiski), sophomore Brittney Giovannelli (Perryopolis, PA/Frazier), and freshmen Rikki Martin (Glen Rock, PA/Susquehannock) and Jamie Burnett (Allison Park, PA/Hampton). 

HEAD COACH - DANA LEVIERE

Dana LeViere will begin her first year as head coach during the 2007 season.

LeViere is a 2001 graduate of Bethany College (WV) where she was a four-year player on the women's softball team.  She helped lead the Bison to the 2000 NCAA Tournament and the 2001 NCAA Regional Tournament.  She garnered numerous athletic awards while at Bethany, including selections to the Presidents' Athletic Conference All-Star teams, and in 2000 she was named to the NCAA Tournament All-Tournament Team.  She was known for her versatility, as she played numerous different positions throughout her career with the Bison. 

Upon graduation, LeViere served as Bethany's pitching coach for two seasons.  She also spent five seasons coaching the Pittsburgh Spirit, a local summer traveling team.  Last season, LeViere was the head coach at Northgate High School. 

LeViere earned a degree in physical education at Bethany College.  She is employed full-time at Pitt-Greensburg, also  serving as the Assistant Women's Volleyball Coach and the senior Woman's Administrator.

ASSISTANT COACH - KEVIN CONLON

The 2006 season will be the first for Kevin Conlon as an assistant coach for the Softball team at Pitt-Greensburg. Conlon is a 2005 graduate of Pitt-Greensburg. He was a member of the Baseball team for one season.

He was also a member of the Men’s Basketball team for four seasons (2001-2005). Over the course of his playing career, Conlon garnered numerous awards. In his senior season, Conlon was selected to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District II College Division Men's Basketball Second Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the D3Hoops.com Men’s Basketball All-Great Lakes Region Third Team, The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-Great Lakes Region Second Team, and the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Men’s Basketball Southern Region Second Team. He also was named the 2005 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) ‘Player of the Year’, after being named the AMCC ‘Preseason Player of the Year’, in addition to earning his third consecutive First Team All-AMCC selection.

For his hard work in the classroom, as well as on the playing field, Conlon was the recipient of the 2004-05 AMCC Faculty Athletics Representative Award.

A native of Altoona, Conlon is a full-time employee at Pitt-Greensburg, also serving as the Sports Information Director and Assistant Women's Basketball Coach. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication.