Hampton softball makes noise during historic season

By: John Grupp
Saturday, June 14, 2025 | 11:45 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

The Hampton softball players were silent, but coach Katie Hedderman got the message loud and clear.

After a 16-3 loss to North Hills dropped the Talbots to 1-3 on the season, Hedderman gathered the team for some self-reflection.

“Nobody had anything to say,” the second-year coach said. “As coaches, we asked, ‘What do you have to say?’ and no one said a word. … We had a team where everyone was looking for someone else to lead.”

Hedderman gave a mandate. From that point on, the four co-captains would speak after every practice and game.

“Something changed there,” Hedderman said.

And the Talbots ended up making a bunch of noise.

Hampton (18-5) enjoyed the best season in program history, rallying to win its first WPIAL title and adding a dramatic PIAA playoff victory, another first.

A 6-3 loss to District 10 champion Fort LeBoeuf (19-3) in the PIAA Class 4A quarterfinals June 5 ended the remarkable playoff run, but it didn’t diminish a historic season for the still-youthful Talbots.

“I’m very proud of them,” Hedderman said. “We were just trying to win the section. Quite a rebuilding year we’ve had.”

Senior co-captain Cassie Vidic was confident the Talbots, ranked No. 4 in the Trib’s WPIAL Class 4A preseason poll, could rebound from their slow start.

“I knew some of the girls were feeling a little bit of a weight on them,” said Vidic, who joined senior Aliza Michielli, sophomore ace pitcher Marissa Snyder and junior reserve Emily Maloy as co-captains. “I just tried to let them know this wasn’t going to be our whole season. I didn’t have a doubt in my mind that we could recover.”

The Talbots won 13 in a row after the humbling loss, rolling to an undefeated Section 3-4A title.

Snyder blanked Indiana and Beaver in the WPIAL playoffs to return the Talbots to the finals, where they overcame a three-run deficit to edge section rival Blackhawk, 4-3, on May 29 for their first district crown.

The Talbots were expected to take some lumps this season. One year after reaching the WPIAL title game for the first time, they were starting six sophomores and a freshman. Instead, the future looks as bright as can be.

Snyder excelled despite missing five months this offseason with an arm injury. She finished with a 2.05 ERA and 124 strikeouts and 18 walks in 85 1/3 innings. At the plate, she hit .417 and had a team-high eight stolen bases.

Other rising juniors are second baseman and team MVP Eden Lawrence (.339, team-high 23 runs), designated hitter Teresa Fritsch (.379), first baseman Addi Hanna, catcher Katelyn Dubee and center fielder Cara Ibinson.

Freshman shortstop Alena Zottola hit a team-high .424, and freshman outfielder Ashley Schick was the hero of the Talbots’ 1-0 win over District 9 champion Punxsutawney in the PIAA playoff opener June 2. Schick threw out a runner at the plate for an inning-ending double play in the top of the seventh and then hit a two-out, walk-off homer in the bottom of the inning for Hampton’s first PIAA playoff win.

“We literally carried her off the field,” Hedderman said.

Michielli, a Washington & Jefferson-bound third baseman, hit .370 with a team-best 21 RBIs, and Vidic hit .311. The Talbots also graduate outfielder Alaina Dittrich.

Vidic said the emotions ran deep as the team gathered after the season-ending loss to Fort LeBoeuf.

“At first, it was really sad,” she said. “We were in our huddle on the field at the end of the game, and coach Kate said, “Captains, say something for the last time.’ We all just looked at each other, and we all started sobbing.”

Tags: Hampton