After capturing its first WPIAL crown in a dozen years and the ninth overall in its storied history, Chartiers-Houston officially restored its place as one of the area’s premier programs in 2024 — and with a boatload of talented players returning from last year’s title-winning team, the Buccaneers appeared to have all the makings of a championship-caliber ballclub once again this spring.
So far, so good.
Despite bumping up from Class 1A to Class 2A, the battle-tested Bucs are living up to and perhaps even exceeding the hype, barreling toward the postseason with a full head of steam and showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
“We’re trying to finish out the regular season and hopefully finish strong. Just kind of taking things one game at a time,” said longtime Chartiers-Houston coach Tricia Alderson, winner of six WPIAL titles as a coach and two more as a player. “I think there are a lot of good teams [in Class 2A]. It’s going to be really interesting. Hopefully we can continue to play well.”
Never a team to back down from a challenge, the Bucs (15-1, 9-0) started the season with an impressive 7-5 win against Class 5A contender West Allegheny on March 14. Chartiers-Houston then secured a pair of one-sided victories against Bishop Canevin and Yough before traveling south for the Ripken Experience Tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
After encountering a trio of tough out-of-state opponents, the Bucs returned from their road trip unscathed. First, they defeated Morgantown, W.Va., 10-0, on March 27, followed by a 6-3 win over Columbiana, Ohio, and a 3-2 verdict against St. Mary’s Ryken, Md., over the next two days.
Since beginning section play, Chartiers-Houston has been nearly flawless, outscoring its first nine foes in Class 2A Section 3 by a combined score of 119-2. The only blemish on the Bucs’ resume this season is a 4-3 defeat against unbeaten Class 3A front-runner South Park on April 16.
“It was a great game,” Alderson said. “We beat them last year by one run, and they beat us this year by one run. Two really good teams with good pitching. That’s why we like to play each other. We want to see good teams.
“We just want to play, whether we win or lose. … I feel like we’re just getting going.”
An ace pitcher who made headlines when she fanned 30 batters in a 15-inning game against rival Carmichaels last spring, Meadow Ferri is already a two-time all-state selection — and the flame-throwing Kent State recruit is enjoying another terrific campaign for Chartiers-Houston as a senior.
On the season, Ferri holds a record of 13-1 with a 1.12 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 136 strikeouts to 24 walks in 69 innings pitched, giving her more than 700 strikeouts for her career. She has been equally effective at the plate, batting .452 with 2 doubles, 2 triples, 6 home runs and 22 RBIs while surpassing 100 career hits in the Bucs’ 8-1 win against Seton LaSalle on Thursday.
“I feel like this year especially, we started off pretty strong and aggressive,” Ferri said. “I know there are a lot of good teams in [Class] 2A, but we’re definitely up there with them. … I definitely think we’ll be ready for [the challenge].”
Ferri’s best friend and battery mate, Ella Richey is also a two-time all-state honoree — not to mention a three-sport athlete and a four-year varsity letter winner in basketball, soccer and softball — and Chartiers-Houston’s senior catcher is currently polishing off one of the most prolific careers of any WPIAL player in recent memory.
The reigning Pennsylvania Class 1A Player of the Year, Richey leads all active WPIAL players with 38 career home runs, and she is one of a select few players in the area with more than 100 career hits, RBIs and runs scored.
“It definitely has gone by really fast,” Richey said about her senior year. “It’s kind of still surreal. … I don’t really feel like a senior yet. I guess it will hit me once the playoffs start.”
So far this season, Richey is batting .588 with 6 doubles, 5 triples, 7 home runs, 20 RBIs and 29 runs scored, giving her an outstanding OPS of 1.930. If she maintains her current pace, Richey will finish with a batting average above .500 along with at least seven homers and 30-plus RBIs and runs scored for the fourth consecutive season.
Only two home runs away from reaching the 40-homer mark for her career, Richey has already scored more than 150 career runs, and she could soon surpass 150 career hits and RBIs before season’s end.
“I definitely think we’re a lot better than last year,” Richey said. “Everyone has another year of experience. I think playoff experience is really important. … I love this team, and I just want to go as far as we can.”
Coming off a breakout sophomore season, junior shortstop Lauren Rush is another returning all-state performer having a big year for the Bucs. Neck-and-neck with Richey at the top of the team’s batting leaderboard, Rush is hitting .577 with 6 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers and a team-high 27 RBIs to go with 28 runs scored.
Elsewhere, junior second baseman Seanna Riggle and sophomore third baseman Taryne Drilak are each emerging as key pieces in Chartiers-Houston’s lineup, and speedy sophomore outfielder Aubree Randolph is taking on a larger role after providing a major spark on the basepaths as a freshman.
“I just think everyone from last year has improved,” Alderson said. “We’re really pleased with the progress, but we still have a long way to go.”
All in all, the Bucs certainly appear to be built for another deep playoff run, with a chance to match Baldwin and Sto-Rox as the only teams to win 10 WPIAL titles. Of course, that will be no easy task with three-time defending WPIAL Class 2A champion Neshannock standing in their way. In the midst of one of the WPIAL’s all-time greatest dynasties, the Lancers have lost only one game in the past four seasons, and they have not been defeated by a WPIAL foe since 2021.
Then again, if any team can compete with a powerhouse like Neshannock and give the Lancers a run for their money, it’s Chartiers-Houston.
“That’s what makes sports fun,” Richey said. “It’s more fun to win a close game than to win a 15-0 game. We definitely know we’re going to be challenged [in the playoffs], but I think everyone is up for the challenge. … We’re not going to overlook anyone.
“Overall, I really just want to soak it in, because I know it has to come to an end eventually.”
Several local standouts join 100-hit club
Accumulating 100 career hits is one of the most exclusive milestones a high school softball player can achieve, one that requires an elite combination of consistency, durability and skill. In recent weeks, though, a surplus of local stars have surpassed the 100-hit plateau — and many of them are doing so in style.
When West Allegheny catcher and Ohio recruit Ava Henke hammered a home run during a 10-4 loss at Chartiers Valley on April 14, she joined teammate Aubrey Police as the Indians’ newest member of the 100-hit club. A Villanova recruit, Police already surpassed the 100-hit milestone as a junior last spring, but she is out for the season while recovering from a torn ACL.
Despite playing without Police, West Allegheny (10-4, 6-1) is still locked in a dead heat with the Colts (8-4, 6-1) for the top spot in the Class 5A Section 3 standings — thanks in large part to Henke’s powerful bat, along with her presence as a trusted backstop behind the plate.
A little more than one week after Henke’s feat, South Fayette senior and Slippery Rock recruit Maddie Cavenaugh also reached the mark against Chartiers Valley, recording a triple for career hit No. 100 during the Lions’ 9-5 win against the Colts on April 22. On the very same day, Thomas Jefferson senior and Robert Morris recruit Morgan Alisesky joined the 100-hit club with a single during the Jaguars’ 12-8 triumph against Trinity.
Not to be outdone, Hillers senior shortstop Hanna Suhoski swatted a solo home run the following day for her 100th career hit in a 10-0 win April 23 at Peters Township. A two-time all-state selection for Trinity, Suhoski is now batting .426 with 21 home runs, 97 RBIs and 90 runs scored for her career.
Hames hands Hempfield first loss in long-awaited duel
Following a trio of weather-related postponements, Class 6A championship front-runners Hempfield and Seneca Valley finally met for the first of two regular-season clashes on Monday — and this anticipated showdown more than lived up to the hype.
The surging Spartans entered the game with a perfect record of 14-0, including 10-0 in section play, while the defending WPIAL champion Raiders (12-2, 10-2) sat in second place in the Class 6A standings following a pair of narrow defeats against Pine-Richland. Star seniors Lexie Hames and Riley Miller authored another memorable pitcher’s duel in Monday’s matchup, but in the end, it was Hames who helped host Seneca Valley pull out a nail-biting 2-1 victory.
A Clemson recruit and two-time PUP Player of the Year, Hames struck out 18 batters while allowing one run on only one hit in a complete-game victory for the Raiders. Hempfield coach Tina Madison chose to intentionally walk Hames in each of her three trips to the plate, but her Seneca Valley teammates provided just enough run support to hand the Spartans (14-1, 10-1) their first loss of the season.
For Hempfield, Miller allowed two runs on four hits while striking out five, surpassing 500 strikeouts for her career in the defeat. A Kent State recruit, Miller is batting .487 with four home runs and 19 RBIs on the season, boasting a record of 14-1 with an 0.64 ERA and 121 strikeouts to 10 walks in 76⅓ innings pitched.
As for Hames, the 2024 Pennsylvania Player of the Year is now batting .556 with seven home runs and 14 RBIs on the year, holding a record of 11-1 and 0.65 ERA to go with 185 strikeouts and 39 walks in 75 innings pitched. For her career, Hames is now up to 35 home runs along with 857 strikeouts.
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
