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Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Week

3 min read
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Name: Alayna Astuto

School: Canon-McMillan

Class: Senior

Sport: Softball

Astuto’s week: Astuto was spectacular in a pair of playoff wins for the Big Macs, the most recent a perfect game in the WPIAL Class AAAA semifinals.

In that game, which was postponed and then delayed because of rain, Astuto needed just 93 pitches to sit down all 21 Hempfield batters, striking out seven and navigating a 20-minute rain delay in the middle of the sixth.

This came three days after Astuto allowed two hits, no walks and struck out eight to shut down Penn-Trafford, 6-0, in the WPIAL quarterfinals.

“I’m peaking in the postseason,” said Astuto, whose team will play No. 3 North Allegheny for the WPIAL Class AAAA title at 7 tonight at California University’s Lilley Field. “I’ve been working on hitting my spots, and that has been more effective than just throwing the pitch.”

Magic bus: Big Macs coach Michele Moeller had a message for her team before facing Hempfield.

“I talked to them on the bus beforehand and I said, ‘We can’t expect Alayna to strike everyone out. There are going to be hits; they’re going to happen.'”

Usually, that’s true.

Just not on this night, as Astuto improved to 20-0 with a 1.33 earned-run average. She has a .157 opponents’ batting average and has struck out 104 in 105 innings.

Following her perfect game, Astuto walked back on the bus to a standing ovation.

“It sunk in when I walked on the bus because my team gave me a standing ovation,” said Astuto, who will pitch for Waynesburg University next season. “I realized, ‘Wow, that just happened.'”

Though Canon-Mac still has the opportunity to defend its WPIAL title, Astuto said this year has been more difficult – and not because of losing shortstop Veronica Rothka to injury and missing catcher Giorgiana Zeremenko at times.

“Our mindset has changed a little bit,” Astuto said. “It’s 10 times harder repeating than going to get it. We were the underdogs last year. Now, we’re expected to win it.”

Interesting perspective: Astuto thinks that since the pitching rubber was moved back three feet two years ago, those who follow softball should reconsider the way they view pitchers.

Sure, perfect games are still incredibly rare – good luck naming the last seven-inning perfecto for a local softball pitcher in the WPIAL playoffs – but Astuto thinks soft outs should get more credence.

“The game has changed,” said Astuto, who also plays clarinet in the band and is a member of the flag corps. “It’s more of a hitting game. My freshman year you would see very high strikeout totals. Now, they’re lower.

“A dominant pitcher should be someone who can get strikeouts but also force you to hit ground balls and popups.”

– Compiled by Jason Mackey

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