As Hempfield softball coach Tina Madison tries to suss out a game plan to beat Seneca Valley again, she can’t help but circle back to her team’s responsibility.
“It’s about us performing,” Madison said. “The Canon-Mac (WPIAL semifinal) game was the best offensive game we’ve had all year. We have to hit the ball. We have to prepare for offense.”
No. 1-seeded Hempfield (20-1), the defending WPIAL 6A softball champion, has won 14 times by nine or more runs this season. But three games were close: a 2-1 loss to Class 5A No. 1 Shaler and a pair of section wins over Seneca Valley, 5-2 and 4-3.
“If we have to score runs with small ball, then we will,” Madison said. “That’s always the plan first. They have some good hitters in that lineup, and Abby Kalkowski is a good pitcher. (Rachael) Dunmire, too. She pitched against us last time.”
The teams will meet for the third time in the finals in four years. Hempfield edged the Raiders, 1-0, in last year’s championship, and won 2-1 in eight innings in 2023.
Seneca Valley has four titles, the last two coming in 2024 and ‘22.
Hempfield is gunning for its 10th WPIAL title, which would tie Sto-Rox and Baldwin for the most ever.
Hempfield brings back seven girls who played in last year’s final, while Seneca Valley has five players with that distinction.
Someone will be missing from the heavy-hitting matchup, though, arguably the centerpiece of a postseason-grown rivalry in Seneca Valley pitcher Lexie Hames.
The flame-throwing strikeout stacker is now at Clemson. Hempfield used to power up a pitching machine to 70-plus mph to prepare for Hames. Now, they are trusting their timing and focusing on fundamentals.
“Keep it simple and don’t beat ourselves,” Madison said. “I am so glad we don’t have to prepare to face Lexie again.”
Championship games are often tight and come down to which team plays more cleanly.
Even teams with screaming bats coming in can go quiet.
“I expect this game to be close with the winner being who capitalizes on opportunities,” Seneca Valley first-year coach Joe DiCristoforo said. “Defensively, there can’t be any errors. With pitching and catching, very few walks, wild pitches or passed balls. Baserunning: take advantage of opportunities and don’t get picked off. Hitting: put balls in play and capitalize with runners in scoring position.”
Hempfield was cruising along in the second game against Seneca Valley this year. The Spartans had a 4-1 lead after five innings before the Raiders rallied and forced a pitching change.
Julia Varhola, whose velocity was up to the tune of 11 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings, earned the win. But not before freshman Jayelyn Luft came in with the bases loaded and escaped the jam and pitched a 1-2-3 seventh for her first save in the 4-3 win.
Hempfield had just five singles against Dunmire, relying on bunts and small ball with its trio of slap hitters. Emily Bozek went 2 for 3 with two RBIs in the win.
Julia Valasek went 2 for 3 with two doubles, and Paige Volz added two hits for Seneca Valley.
“We have to take it one inning at a time,” Hempfield senior catcher Ella Berkebile said. “We need to come out hot.”
In the first meeting, Claire Mitchell and Bozek each had two hits, including a double apiece, and Varhola fanned nine.
Neve Miller had two hits for the Raiders.
Hempfield erupted for 13 runs — eight in one inning — in a 13-0, run-rule semifinal win over No. 4 Canon-McMillan.
Seneca Valley also mercy-ruled its way through the semis, beating No. 6 Pine-Richland, 13-2, in six innings.
DiCristoforo was an assistant last year with the coach he replaced, Marlesse Hames. Hempfield scored its lone run in the first inning of last year’s final, which was played at Norwin.
“The girls and coaches can’t be nervous,” he said. “I know it’s not one, but you have to treat it like a regular-season game. Be focused and capitalize on opportunities.”