First Posted: 3/23/2015
YATESVILLE — Last year’s Pittston Area softball team was an opponent no one wanted to see on their schedule.
The very young Patriots team started the season 3-0 after finishing the 2013 campaign just 2-13. They led the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 for nearly two weeks to start the season. The team finished 2014 with a 6-9 record, but helped carry momentum into the 2015 season.
Pittston Area will be led by first-year coach Vito Quaglia. Quaglia is the principal at Wyoming Area and resides in Jenkins Township. He’s familiar with the majority of his players through Senior League and Little League softball.
“I hope we can take the next step,” Quaglia said. “I think the program is going in the right direction. They have that mental toughness and the physical ability. If you put that together we can get through those tough games.”
The Patriots lost only one player to graduation last season: Wyoming Valley Conference second-team all-star Alyssa Talerico. Everyone else is back, including starting pitcher Taylor Baloga.
Bolaga, a junior, has been a key piece in the Patriots’ rotation since she was a freshman. She already has more than 30 starts under her belt and is looking to lead the charge for Pittston Area this season.
Quaglia has seen Baloga pitch for most of her young career. He said she strives for perfection.
“She’s a power pitcher,” he said. “She constantly pushes herself to be the best she can be. We have a lot of kids that are the same way.”
Behind Baloga, the Patriots also have sophomore Dominique Quaglia and freshman Nina Cencetti to give depth to the pitching staff.
The Patriots were known for their scrappy play last season. Behind a stout defense and using small ball, Pittston Area was able to squeak out several wins throughout the season. That’s something Quaglia is looking to build on for this coming season.
“We’re always going to be defense first,” he said. “We have to be aggressive on the basepaths every chance we get.”
Defensively, the Patriots are pretty much intact from last year.
Senior Theresa Domarasky and juniors Mindina Lieback and Julie Silinskie each return to provide the Patriots speed in the outfield.
On the dirt, Pittston Area welcomes back sophomore shortstop Taryn Ashby and junior thirdbaseman Abbey Bradigan. Bradigan was a WVC second-team all-star last season. The right side of the infield will feature sophomores Shelby Gardner and Dominique Quaglia seeing time at second base, while senior Liz Cappelloni and Cencetti may split time at first.
Offensively, the Patriots will lean on senior Lauren Dragon and Bradigan to do the heavy lifting in the middle of the lineup. Dragon was a WVC first-team all-star last season. Lieback, Ashby and Silinskie are solid contact hitters for Pittston Area. Baloga will also provide some power to the lineup.
“They have to believe in themselves,” Quaglia said. “We’re going to have a core of kids that are starting now for three years. They should have that confidence.”
Quaglia’s expectations are realistic, he said. With the weather limiting practice to inside through the first month of the season, he knows it will take some time to get sharp. With that, however, he hopes his squad can develop into a very competitive team.
“If we can quickly become a strong, consistent defense, we can be competitive,” he said. “Our goal is to be in every game.”
The Wyoming Valley Conference schedule will open up on Monday, March 30 when the Patriots travel to Berwick.
