2025 PUP softball Player of the Year: Neshannock’s Addy Frye

Over the course of her celebrated four-year career at Neshannock, Addy Frye has accomplished just about everything a high school softball player can dream of, but there still was one prestigious accolade missing from her sparkling resume.

Not anymore.

One of the WPIAL’s most talented two-way players in recent memory, Frye capped her incredible career by leading the Lancers to a fourth consecutive WPIAL title and third PIAA crown in four years — and now, for the first time, she is the Pittsburgh Union Progress softball Player of the Year. All players in the WPIAL and City League were considered for the award.

As a senior, “The Great 8” posted a record of 24-0 with a 0.77 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and 232 strikeouts while racking up 16 doubles, 9 home runs and 44 RBIs. Frye finished with a slash line of .544/.644/1.176 (batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage) for an 1.821 OPS, drawing 21 walks on the year while only striking out twice.

With the flame-throwing Frye mowing down batters and clubbing monstrous home runs ever since arriving onto the scene as a freshman, Neshannock cemented its place as the premier softball dynasty in WPIAL history by compiling a pristine record of 100-1 over the past four seasons. Frye finished her career with a record of 81-1 in the circle along with a 0.65 ERA and 767 strikeouts, not to mention 30 home runs, 143 hits and 166 RBIs.

Although this is an individual award, it is important to remember that team success does factor into the equation when deciding on the winner — and that certainly helps Frye’s case in this scenario. After completing back-to-back undefeated seasons, the Lancers now own the two longest winning streaks in WPIAL history, including an active 52-game win streak that is believed to be a PIAA record.

A humble superstar who is as shy and quiet as any player you will find, Frye never shows up her opponents and is always quick to defer the credit to her teammates. Despite receiving interest from several Power Four programs over the past year, Frye has remained firmly committed to playing for Providence at the next level, where she is expected to make an immediate impact at the plate and on the rubber.

After returning home from Penn State, the PUP caught up with Frye for one last conversation to reflect on her remarkable journey to becoming one of the WPIAL’s all-time greats while looking ahead to her increasingly bright future.

Q: You were a finalist a year ago, but how does it feel to win your first PUP Player of the Year award?

A: It feels good, all the hard work paying off, but I really couldn’t do any of this without my team, so I give all the credit to my team.

Q: What have you been up to since getting back home Thursday from the PIAA championship?

A: I’ve actually been sleeping a lot, just catching up on my sleep.

Q: Did you and the team do anything to celebrate together after the game?

A: We stopped to eat in DuBois at Luigi’s, the same restaurant we stopped at last year. Then we did have a police escort home, and there were a bunch of people at the school. Then we all went to Gabby Quinn’s house afterward just to celebrate one more time as a team.

Q: Have you rewatched the state championship game yet?

A: I did watch it [Saturday].

Q: Was it stressful to watch even though you knew the result, or were you able to just relax and enjoy it?

A: A little bit of both. There were times it was relaxing to watch it and see how well the team was doing, but there were times with the one ground ball where I was like, “I really could have fielded that.”

Q: How did this state championship compare to the first two?

A: I think this one was definitely a little more special, just because it was my last one. This group of girls became so close. I think this is the closest I have been with any of the teams. We were all best friends. We hung out off the field all the time. And just getting to end it with Gabby Quinn behind the plate was really special for me.

Q: Was this one a little bit sweeter considering the fact that you had to come from behind in the state final for the first time?

A: Yeah, I think it really showed the fight of our team and how we face adversity. I think everyone was very shocked to see us in a deficit, but I think it was just great to see the fight of our team and the fight of our underclassmen to step up in the big spotlight. It was great to come from behind.

Q: Are you already going straight into travel ball, or will you take any time off?

A: My Providence coach told me I had to take a few days off and told me I had to rest. So I’ll start travel ball next weekend.

Q: Have you taken any time to reflect on what you and your teammates accomplished over the past four seasons?

A: I really haven’t. I think it just hasn’t really set in yet that my high school career is over. But I think it’s going to start setting in soon, and then I’ll start to reflect on everything.

Q: What do you think was the best moment of your career?

A: Personally, myself, I would probably say throwing a perfect game against Laurel [in April 2024].

Q: Even though you won every game you played against them, is it safe to say Laurel was your biggest rival and toughest competition in the WPIAL?

A: Yeah, definitely in our section. Every time we had to play Laurel, it [required] lots of preparation. … I think they definitely gave us our toughest games.

Q: What are you most looking forward to about playing at Providence, and why did you choose to play for the Friars?

A: I just liked the environment, and they had a brand-new coaching staff when I went on my visit, so I actually have a personal connection. My pitching coach now, his daughter is the pitching coach at Providence. Even from the first time I went to him, she said, “This girl has a lot of potential.” Just knowing that she has always had confidence in me and that the whole coaching staff is trying to change the program, it was something that I really wanted to be a part of.

Q: Have you decided which field you want to major in?

A: I’m majoring in health science and going into radiology.

Q: What made you decide to choose that field?

A: My mom does ultrasounds, so when I did my job shadows, I shadowed the radiologist nurse practitioner. It was just something I found interest in. I got to go follow her during the procedures and stuff. It was just really cool to me.

Q: Are you better at hitting or pitching?

A: I would probably say pitching. I just have more confidence in myself pitching, and I work a lot more on pitching, I would say, just because you kind of have to.

Q: Do you plan on doing both at Providence?

A: Yeah, the coach already told me that as long as I want to be, I will be in the lineup.

Q: Do you ever think about the one loss in your high school career, or do you believe it was actually a blessing in disguise?

A: No, that one really hurts, especially because it was just a very uncharacteristic game for us. I felt like we could have been four-time state champions. … Me and Coach Jackie [Lash] tried to put it in the past, but it still comes to my head a lot.

Q: Did you ever imagine you would help lay the foundation for one of the WPIAL’s greatest dynasties when you began your high school career?

A: No. When I came in as a freshman, I knew we were going to be good, just from our practices. But I didn’t think we were going to go 100-1 and create such a big legacy. But it does make the one loss hurt a lot more.

Q: Do you believe the loss still benefited you and the team in the long run?

A: Yeah, I think it definitely motivated us a lot more. … A big thing we told the freshmen was, “Just because you have ‘Neshannock’ on your shirt, it doesn’t mean you’re going to win.”

Q: What are your favorite things to do when you’re not playing softball?

A: Gabby [Quinn], Miley [Anderson] and I like to go eat at this Hibachi place [Yamato] close to us. Just going to do stuff with the two of them and my other teammates, and just being with my family. We do lots of stuff as a family, so that’s stuff I really like to do. And helping the younger girls. I love going to help the younger teams [in the Neshannock youth program].

Q: What was it like growing up as the youngest of seven siblings?

A: Very competitive. I have a very competitive family. We fight over everything. We could have a competition over who sneezes the loudest. I was the baby, so I always got picked on.

Q: Do you think you have bragging rights secured over all of them now as the best athlete in the family?

A: Yeah, they all were here yesterday for Father’s Day, so I did a lot of messing around with them yesterday. They all just kept saying, “Well, you still have a loss.”

Q: How much credit do you give to your older siblings for helping you become the player you are today?

A: They definitely are a big part of the reason I don’t show any emotion on the field. They always taught me, “You have to work for what you want. It won’t just be handed to you.” That was a big part of growing up. And whenever I was a freshman, I knew I really had to work for a starting spot. It wasn’t just going to be handed to me. So they are a big reason why I am very competitive and hate to fail.

Q: Did you have a friendly competition with Gabby Quinn to see who would finish with more career home runs?

A: We never actually said anything to each other. Our parents always joked about it, like, if I hit one, then she would hit one, and if Gabby hit one, then I would hit one. So our parents always joked about it, but we never really talked about it.

Q: How would you describe your friendship with her and what it was like playing together these past four years?

A: She is definitely my best friend. Just playing softball together has made our bond so much tighter. This year, especially having her catch and knowing she is going to tell me whether my pitches are spinning or not — she was never afraid to say, “Hey, that pitch [stunk].” Just having her as one of my best friends — she was the first person I met when I moved. She has always been there for me. She is one of my greatest friends.

Q: What was that moment like when the two of you embraced in the infield after the final out of the state championship?

A: I think that was really special for both of us. Knowing that we’re never going to play together ever again — we have been playing together for a long time now. We started travel ball together at 10 years old. Just getting to share a final high school moment together was really special for the both of us.