Stallions softball: One Pileri graduates and another emerges, returning vets lead young cast

STERLING HEIGHTS — By all accounts, Sterling Heights softball put on a showcase last year in the Macomb Area Conference Silver, winning the league with a perfect 14-0 record and earning the school its first league title since 2008.

Senior Aisalynn Pileri was dominant on the mound as the ace of the rotation, and junior catcher/utility Ella Hyatt was an all-league honoree last year for the Stallions, but last year’s success has quickly become this year’s acclimation to life as defending league champions.

Pileri has since graduated, Hyatt is now a senior captain leading the 2024 squad, and with five seniors graduating last year there’s plenty of voids for young ballplayers to fill, with eight underclassmen — five freshmen and three sophomores — on the roster.

“Coming in, it was, obviously, different from last year,” Hyatt said. “It’s tough losing five seniors, but we have a lot of freshmen that came in and have really been pulling their weight.”

The rotation was a point of emphasis for the Stallions last year with Pileri taking the circle any chance she could get, tallying numerous no-hitters throughout her high school career.

Replacing production like Pileri’s doesn’t just come every year, but the emergence of senior Stella Juncaj, a first-year player, has softened the blow for the Stallions.

“We lost a pitcher (Pileri) who pitched for us for four years, and out comes Stella (Juncaj) who pitches too,” Sterling Heights head coach Dale Erickson said. “We were very fortunate there to have her come, but replacing Aisalynn, who had nine or 10 no-hitters in her career, is kind of hard to do.”

Juncaj is on everyone’s radar as a breakout candidate this year in the MAC Silver, but how about another Pileri coming into the fold?

Freshman Alina Pileri, younger sister of Aisalynn Pileri, is slated to lead the Stallions rotation alongside Juncaj, picking up right where her sister left off as a lethal arm ready to take over the league.

Both Pileris are their own individuals, so let’s hold the comparisons for the moment, but Alina Pileri has the talent to be an ace for Sterling Heights this year, especially with her older sister serving as an assistant coach on the staff.

“When I look at her (Alina) and I watch her throw, she’s very intent on throwing strikes,” Erickson said. “She’s a very, very focused person. Out on the mound, she’s a focused person and very competitive. She doesn’t accept less than perfection, and sometimes that needs to be settled down.”

With the Stallions’ rotation shored up, the lineup shows some veteran presence with Hyatt, senior outfielder Makalia Perkins and junior captain Chloe Taylor pacing the offense alongside a core of underclassmen looking to break out.

Sophomore Liza Galley, a speedy, left-handed hitter, headlines the young Stallions group with sophomore Elizabeth Galadik, freshman shortstop Rachel Reimer, and freshman Alexandra Horvath all expected to consistently contribute this season.

Hyatt is the type of veteran hitter any coach would dream of having in their lineup around their younger players, for she puts together productive at-bats and hits the ball just about as well as anyone in the MAC.

Sterling Heights’ batting order will sport a completely new look without the production of Aisalynn Pileri, Julia Heilman, Lilian Furman, Chloe Papesh and Elizabeth Tymoszek, but Taylor said the team’s ability to help one another will be pivotal in the growth of their younger teammates.

“It’s just easy to communicate with each other,” Taylor said. “We’re not holding back, because we’re all comfortable with each other.”

Sterling Heights, which is currently 0-1 with a season-opening loss to MAC Gold’s Madison Heights Lamphere, will look to defend its league title this season while progressing each game before districts rolls around.

The Stallions have struggled in district play, suffering shutout losses in their last three appearances, to Warren Regina twice and Fraser once.

If their veterans can continue to produce and the underclassmen grow as ballplayers throughout the season, there’s no telling the potential for Sterling Heights softball this year.

Either way, Erickson said, the main thing he wants to see is his squad playing as a cohesive unit.

“They’re doing everything for everyone,” Erickson said. “It’s not a ‘me, me’ or ‘I, I.’ It’s a very team-oriented environment, and that’s not something we want. It’s something we expect. We tell them all the time, ‘You win as a team and you lose as a team.’”