South Allegheny is a perfect 4-0 against Shady Side Academy since March of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Gladiators will host the Bulldogs at 4:00 p.m. The timing is sure in South Allegheny's favor as the squad sits on four straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Shady Side Academy has been banged up by six consecutive losses on the road also dating back to last season.
South Allegheny is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 21-1 margin over Springdale on Wednesday. While the Gladiators didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-10), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Carrera Conley
| 04/09/25 @ Springdale | 8 |
| 04/02/25 vs Serra Catholic | 7 |
| 03/19/24 @ East Allegheny | 6 |
| 03/19/25 vs Oakland Catholic | 4 |
| 05/01/24 vs Keystone Oaks | 3 |
Carrera Conley made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Those eight strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, one triple, and one double. That triple marked the first that she hit this season.
In other batting news, South Allegheny got a massive performance out of Cadence McBride, who scored four runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Those stolen bases marked the first that McBride snagged this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Emma Jackson, who scored four runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4.
South Allegheny always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .719. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Shady Side Academy never got on the board in their matchup on Monday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Brentwood last Wednesday. They walked away with a 15-11 win over the Spartans.
Like South Allegheny, Shady Side Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Becca Schriver. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up just one earned (and six unearned) runs off three hits. Schriver has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 3-for-5.
In other batting news, Shady Side Academy let Abbey Castman and Rylie Al-Anazi run wild. Castman went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple, while Al-Anazi scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-5. Anna Litster was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-5.
South Allegheny's victory bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Shady Side Academy, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.
Shady Side Academy's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: South Allegheny hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .435. It's a different story for Shady Side Academy, though, as they've only averaged .168. Will they be able to contain South Allegheny's hitters?
South Allegheny took their victory against Shady Side Academy in their previous matchup back in April of 2023 by a conclusive 18-1 score. Do the Gladiators have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bulldogs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
