With a pair of local teams returning home from the PIAA championships at Penn State with state titles in tow and memories to last a lifetime, the 2024 season has officially come to an end. But before we say goodbye and close the book on another unforgettable season, it’s time to hand out some hardware.
For the second year in a row, the Pittsburgh Union Progress is honoring the best of the best in Western Pennsylvania across 10 different categories, with Player and Coach of the Year still to come. Unlike the typical postseason “all-star” teams selected by other publications, though, these unique awards go beyond the surface to shine a light on a handful of the top moments, storylines, players and teams that captivated fans all across the area this spring. Think of these as the “ESPY Awards” of high school softball.
All players in the WPIAL and City League were considered, and all finalists and winners were selected by the PUP sports staff. These will likely be the final awards of their kind, so the bragging rights that go along with them will last a lifetime.
(Winners in bold)
Best Pitcher
Lexie Hames, Seneca Valley
Addy Frye, Neshannock
Sydney Gonglik, Bentworth
Skinny: There were no shortage of worthy candidates to choose from, but the towering Hames stood head and shoulders above the rest to take home her second consecutive “Best Pitcher” award. Despite missing a handful of games while dealing with shoulder/neck soreness, Hames put together another spectacular season while leading Seneca Valley to a WPIAL Class 6A title for the second time in three years. Opponents hit only .080 against the flame-throwing junior, who struck out 19 batters across eight innings of work in a 4-3 win against Norwin in the WPIAL Class 6A final. Hames finished 16-1 with an 0.56 ERA, 0.57 WHIP and 265 strikeouts to 34 walks in 111 innings pitched.
Most Feared Slugger
Lexie Hames, Seneca Valley
Lily Duffill, Chartiers Valley
Jessie Pugh, Armstrong
Skinny: Hames just keeps on collecting hardware, as the prized Clemson recruit receives her second consecutive “Most Feared Slugger” award following another monster season at the plate. Hames slashed .426/.652/1.000 while blasting nine home runs with 27 RBIs in only 54 at-bats — and although there are plenty of great power hitters in the area, nobody strikes more fear into the heart of opposing pitchers. Hames drew 34 walks in 2024, most of them intentional, after drawing 35 walks in 2023. She now has 28 career home runs in just 155 at-bats along with 81 career walks.
Best Pure Hitter
Lily Duffill, Chartiers Valley
Toryn Fulton, Franklin Regional
Julia Resnik, Elizabeth Forward
Skinny: After exploding onto the scene with a breakout freshman campaign while batting .463 with six home runs and 35 RBIs, Duffill took things to a whole new level as a sophomore. The star catcher posted a slash line of .500/.581/1.294 for an OPS of 1.876, bashing a WPIAL-leading 15 home runs and 47 RBIs while striking out only five times and powering Chartiers Valley to an 18-win season with trips to the WPIAL semifinals and PIAA quarterfinals.
Best Championship Performance
Aubrey Shaffer, Thomas Jefferson
Kylie Staudt, Seneca Valley
Madison Baker, Armstrong
Skinny: Staudt was the leader in the clubhouse for this award until the PIAA championships, when Shaffer pitched Thomas Jefferson to the PIAA Class 5A title in a dramatic 2-1 extra-innings win against District 2 champion Pittston. Going toe-to-toe with two-time Pennsylvania Class 5A Pitcher of the Year Gianna Adams, Shaffer turned in a performance for the ages while allowing only one run on seven hits and four walks with a career-high 10 strikeouts in eight stellar innings of work to lead the Jaguars to their first state title.
Best Storyline
Thomas Jefferson
Neshannock
Chartiers-Houston
Skinny: The “Road Warriors” from Thomas Jefferson ran away with this one, completing one of the most remarkable postseason runs by any team in any sport in WPIAL history with an improbable 2-1 win against Pittston in the PIAA Class 5A final. After finishing with a record of 6-4 in section play and 9-7 overall during the regular season, the Jaguars received a No. 10 seed for the WPIAL tournament before making a “Cinderella” run all the way to the title game. Following a heartbreaking 9-3 loss against top-seeded Armstrong in the WPIAL final, Thomas Jefferson kept its glass slipper on all the way through the state playoffs, traveling more than 1,000 miles across its first three games in the PIAA tournament before capping off its marathon journey with its first state title.
Rookie of the Year
Sydney Gonglik, Bentworth
Irelyn Fisher, Union
Aubrey Shaffer, Thomas Jefferson
Skinny: With all due respect to the other deserving finalists, this category was an absolute no-brainer. Gonglik took the WPIAL by storm while compiling mind-boggling numbers in the circle and the batter’s box for Bentworth, leading the Bearcats to an 18-win season along with their first WPIAL championship appearance. “Syd the Kid” authored several signature performances along the way — none more impressive than a complete-game gem with 14 strikeouts in a 4-1 win over defending state champion Everett in the first round of the PIAA Class 2A tournament. Gonglik finished the season with a WPIAL-leading .764 batting average to go with 10 home runs, 26 RBIs, 47 runs scored and 18 stolen bases, and she pitched six no-hitters and three perfect games while posting a record of 18-3 with a 1.03 ERA, 0.56 WHIP and 282 strikeouts to 13 walks in 122 innings.
Best Leadoff Hitter
Miley Anderson, Neshannock
Emma Paul, Armstrong
Ella Richey, Chartiers-Houston
Skinny: Filling in seamlessly at the top of Neshannock’s lineup after the graduation of Neleh and Aaralyn Nogay, Anderson emerged as one of 2024’s biggest breakout stars after sitting out her entire sophomore season due to PIAA transfer rules. The speedy sparkplug batted .466 with a team-leading 34 hits and 16 walks while causing havoc on the basepaths all season long. A Kent State recruit, Anderson also tallied a team-high 31 stolen bases and 40 runs scored for the undefeated WPIAL and PIAA Class 2A champions.
Best Playoff Performer
Addy Frye, Neshannock
Shelby Telegdy, Elizabeth Forward
Meadow Ferri, Chartiers-Houston
Skinny: This was a two-horse race leading up to the PIAA championships, with two-way stars Frye and Telegdy neck-and-neck after leading their respective teams to WPIAL titles with a string of memorable performances. But while Elizabeth Forward came up just short in its bid for its first state title, Frye saved her best for last in leading Neshannock to its second perfect season in the past three years. The Providence recruit posted five consecutive playoff shutouts leading up to the PIAA Class 2A championship game against District 4 champion South Williamsport, then “The Great 8” went 2 for 2 with a walk and a sky-scraping go-ahead two-run homer to power the Lancers to a 12-2 mercy-rule triumph, improving her career record to 57-1 in three years as a starting pitcher.
Most Well-Rounded Player
Julia Resnik, Elizabeth Forward
Emma Paul, Armstrong
Jaidon Nogay, Neshannock
Skinny: After taking home Rookie of the Year honors in 2023, Resnik rose to a new tier as a sophomore during Elizabeth Forward’s run to the WPIAL Class 4A title and PIAA championship game. The sweet-swinging shortstop wowed crowds with both her bat and her glove, making tremendous plays in the field look routine while showcasing her much-improved power at the plate. Resnik finished the season batting .526 with a team-leading 1.648 OPS to go with 6 doubles, 6 triples, 7 home runs, 27 RBIs and 45 runs scored.
Best Interview
Liv Hare, Mohawk
Miley Anderson, Neshannock
Aubrey Shaffer, Thomas Jefferson
Skinny: This one requires no further explanation for anybody who witnessed Hare’s postgame interview following Mohawk’s 9-2 win against South Park in the WPIAL Class 3A championship game. And for anybody who hasn’t seen it, just watch and listen:
Check back Monday and Tuesday, when we reveal the PUP softball Player of the Year and Coach of the Year for the 2024 season. The finalists are listed below.
Player of the Year
Addy Frye, Neshannock
Lexie Hames, Seneca Valley
Shelby Telegdy, Elizabeth Forward
Coach of the Year
Tricia Alderson, Chartiers-Houston
Heidi Karcher, Thomas Jefferson
Jackie Lash, Neshannock
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
