Best of Sports, Softball: Sydney Gonglik, Bentworth
When it comes to first impressions, few freshmen have had the kind of instant impact that Bentworth pitcher Sydney Gonglik did this spring.
Gonglik was a driving force, both in the circle and at the plate, behind Bentworth’s impressive softball transformation in Class 2A. She led the WPIAL in three statistical categories, two hitting and one pitching, during the regular season.
At the plate, Gonglik had a .733 batting average, which led the WPIAL, and her 43 runs were tops in the district.
In the circle, the hard-throwing righthander had 15 wins in the regular season and her 226 strikeouts led the WPIAL.
Gonglik helped Bentworth go from a 6-9-2 team in 2023 to 18-4 this year without the benefit of a senior on the roster. The Bearcats won the Section 3 championship – its first section title since 2011 – by going undefeated in league play.
In the postseason, Gonglik was outstanding. She pitched Bentworth to WPIAL playoff wins over Shenango and Laurel, striking out 29 in the process. That put Bentworth in the championship game but the Bearcats lost to eventual state champion Neshanmnock, 3-0.
Gonglik pitched Bentworth to a 4-1 win over defending state champion Everett in the first round of the PIAA playoffs before losing a rematch with Laurel in the quarterfinals.
In the five postseason games, Gonglik was even better at the plate as she went 9-for-10 and didn’t make an out until the fifth game, a contest in which she hit a three-run homer.
The respect opponents had for Gonglik’s hitting was never more apparent than in the WPIAL semifinals. Laurel had a 1-0 lead over Bentworth with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning when the Spartans chose to intentionally walk Gonglik, who represented the potential winning run. The Bearcats’ Sofia Gaussa followed with a game-winning two-run double.
HONOREES
Bailey Barnyak, sophomore, Carmichaels
Maddie Cavenaugh, junior South Fayette
Makenna Crothers, junior, McGuffey
Lily Duffill, sophomore, Chartiers Valley
Meadow Ferri, junior, Chartiers-Houston
Olivia Ford, senior, Canon-McMillan
Allie Krenzelak, sophomore, Trinity
Carys McConnell, sophomore, Carmichaels
Ella Richey, junior, Chartiers-Houston
Gracie Sokol, senior, Belle Vernon
Hanna Suhoski, junior, Trinity
Gina Tedrow, sophomore, Waynesburg