Two games is a small sample size, but if it is any indication of the impact the Luft twins are going to have on Hempfield softball, opponents are in trouble.
Jayelyn and Jocelyn Luft, the twin daughters of coach Tina Madison, came out swinging at the season-opening KSA Spring Training event in Orlando, Fla., making an immediate impact for the defending WPIAL Class 6A champions.
Hempfield has a long history of high-end talent, and the sisters are ready to make their mark.
Jayelyn, a lefty pitcher with offensive power, went 4 for 4 with two RBIs, and Jocelyn doubled and drove in a pair in a 10-1 win over South Fayette. She also pitched two innings and did not allow a hit.
In the second game, Jocelyn had four hits and four RBIs as the Spartans dumped Moon, 12-2.
Quick change artist
On March 7, Southmoreland senior Zoe Murphy was on the wrestling mat competing for a PIAA championship in Hershey. She was the runner-up in the 235-pound weight class.
A few days later, she was in the batting cage smashing softballs. And last Friday, she was in the lineup for the softball season opener.
Not only was Murphy the starting pitcher, but she went 3 for 3 with a triple and three RBIs in a 16-5 loss to Connellsville.
Murphy also is a cheerleader.
Chasing 600
Jeannette senior pitcher Grace Stein opened the season with a shutout as the Jayhawks blanked East Allegheny, 6-0.
Stein, a Pitt-Greensburg commit, struck out 11 in a four-hitter. She now is 50 strikeouts away from 600 for her career.
She also doubled, tripled and drove in three runs in the win.
Low and away
Another local team made a road trip south to avoid the wacky weather of Western Pennsylvania.
Franklin Regional, led by new coach Maddie Uschock, played four games at the Ripken Experience in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. The Panthers came home 0-4.