Hempfield mourned the death of legendary coach Bob Kalp last week, even giving him one last stop at his eponymous field.
After the funeral service at Barnhart Funeral Home in Greensburg, a 21-vehicle procession made a stop before taking Kalp to his final resting place, Sacred Heart Cemetary in Jeannette.
Hempfield athletic director Brandon Rapp suggested the cavalcade drive through the school campus and stop at Robert D. Kalp Field.
The plan was for the procession to pass the school, but Rapp wanted to give the family a surprise — one last stop for the late coach at one of his favorite places.
It made for a touching final tribute to the hall of fame coach.
The vehicles drove slowly up the hill above Spartan Stadium, turned into the parking lot and pulled alongside the softball field, with the hearse stopping near the third base line where Kalp coached the Spartans to so many wins.
“I thought it was a nice tribute to make a stop by the school as part of the procession,” Rapp said. “When we heard that was being considered, we thought, ‘Why not include a trip by the field one last time?’ We were humbled to assist in honoring coach Kalp in that way.”
Hempfield’s team went to the viewing, in their uniforms, to pay their respects to Kalp, who won seven WPIAL titles and four PIAA championships over a 25-year career as head coach.
Kalp, a WPIAL Hall of Famer who went 431-111-1 leading the team, was 80.
Work of Art
Longtime Yough coach Art “Dutch” Harvey reached a milestone as his team played in a spring training event in Tennessee.
Harvey reached his 150th win when the Cougars (5-2) mercy-ruled Martin County, Ky., 10-0, in five innings.
Harvey coached the Cougars for six years and resigned in 2019 but quickly returned and has led the team ever since.
Harvey guided the Cougars to a PIAA championship in 2016.
Harvey is 152-65 in 12 seasons.
Kugler’s big blast
Norwin and Pine-Richland were tied 4-4 going to the eighth inning, but it wouldn’t have been that way had it not been for Norwin’s Maddy Kugler.
Kugler cranked a three-run homer in the top of the seventh and Norwin went on to push past the host Rams, 8-5.
Kugler finished 3 for 5 with five RBIs, adding a double in the win.
Diem Wardzinski added a solo homer for Norwin.
Training day
Hempfield has a new routine on Saturday mornings. The Spartans have begun training with former WPIAL star athlete Todd Thomas, who was a two-sport standout at Beaver Falls (football, basketball) before playing football at Pitt and spending a short time in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“We are using him to get the girls up and moving and working hard to be champions,” Hempfield coach Tina Madison said. “He brings great energy in a way that is different from regular softball practice. The girls are working on fast-twitch movements needed for softball.”
Madison met Thomas through travel softball with Team Pennsylvania.
Uschock wins
Franklin Regional snapped a five-game losing streak to open the season by blanking McKeesport, 10-0, in six innings.
The win was the first for first-year Panthers coach Maddie Uschock, the former Hempfield ace pitcher.
Another win followed as the Panthers roughed up Gateway, 14-3.
Games to watch
While there used to never be games on Good Friday, there is a full slate of them this season.
Local games to watch Friday include Armstrong at Franklin Regional and McKeesport at Latrobe in Section 1-5A; Valley at Greensburg Salem in Section 1-4A; and Southmoreland at Mt. Pleasant and Yough at Ligonier Valley in Section 1-3A.
Numbers game
16 – Strikeouts for Derry ace Haylee Myers in an 8-0 shutout of Highlands.
2021 – The last time Hempfield won at Seneca Valley before a 5-2 victory Monday to break a four-game losing streak in Jackson Township.
11.2 – Runs per game for Ligonier Valley.
10.5 – Runs allowed per game by Ligonier Valley.
28 – Combined runs for Belle Vernon and Ringgold in a 16-12 Belle Vernon win.
27 – Combined hits in Belle Vernon’s win.
35 – Combined runs for Yough in its last three games.
4 – Runs Jeannette (4-0) has allowed in four games.