2025 WPIAL Class 6A softball championship breakdown: Hempfield vs. Seneca Valley

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 | 3:36 PM

Purchase Photo Options

WPIAL Class 6A softball final

No. 1 Hempfield vs. No. 2 Seneca Valley

11 a.m. Thursday at Norwin

On the air: Audio: Trib HSSN; Video: NFHS Network

WPIAL titles: Hempfield 8 (2023, ‘19, ‘18, ‘17, ‘16, ‘15, ‘09, 1998); Seneca Valley 4 (2024, ’22, 1999, ’92)

Hempfield (20-1)

Coach: Tina Madison

Projected starting lineup

20, Claire Mitchell, OF, Jr.

1, Abigail Magill, DP, So.

27, Lauren Howard, 2B, Jr.

29, Allie Cervola, SS, Sr.

22, Ella Berkebile, C, Jr.

8, Reagan Reamer, LF, Jr.

5, Morgan Walt, RF, Sr.

16, Emily Bozek, 1B, Jr.

24, Josephine Cline, 3B, So.

How they got here: Hempfield defeated Canon-McMillan, 8-2, in quarterfinals

Notable: This will be the teams’ 11th meeting since 2022 and both are 5-5. Hempfield edged the Raiders, 2-1 in 8 innings to win the ’23 title. They split this season with Seneca Valley winning 2-1 and Hempfield posting a 1-0 victory. Hempfield only has two hits in those games and the teams have combined for just seven hits against one another. Miller, a Kent State commit who has four career wins against the Warriors, is 16-1 with a 0.46 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 92 1/3 innings. Lauren Howard, a Virginia commit, is hitting .655 (38 for 58) with 32 runs and 36 RBIs, while Claire Mitchell, a Maryland Baltimore County recruit, bats .476 with a team-high six home runs, Allie Cervola (Ohio) hits .415 with 27 runs, and Ella Berkebile (Bucknell) has 23 RBIs. The Spartans are hitting .404 as a team. Their eight WPIAL titles are third behind Baldwin (10), Sto-Rox (10) and Chartiers-Houston (9). Madison and Marlesse Hames both won WPIAL titles as players.

Seneca Valley (16-3)

Coach: Marlesse Hames

44, Lexie Hames, P, Sr.

6, Emry Rice, 2B, Jr.

18, Abby Kalkowski, LF, Jr.

8, Bella Gross, 1B, Sr.

4, Olivia Herrem, CF, So.

20, Neve Miller, 3B, Jr.

28, Lauren Folino, C, Sr.

19, Paige Volz, RF, Jr.

14, Maci Milosicevic, DP, Fr.

How they got here: Seneca Valley defeated Norwin, 6-1, in quarterfinals

Notable: Seneca Valley is chasing a third title in four years and title No. 5 overall. Lexie Hames, a Clemson commit, is 16-2 with a 0.47 ERA and a WPIAL-best 254 strikeouts in 103 2/3 innings. She has allowed seven earned runs and 30 hits, but just one for extra bases. Hames, who has 931 career strikeouts, is 142 away from the WPIAL career record for Ks held by Amy Aloi of Riverside. Hames also has a .500 batting average with seven homers and 18 RBIs. She has been walked 35 times this season. Liv Herrem leads the team with 25 RBIs and eight doubles, while Abby Kalkowski has driven in 22. The Raiders have 20 home runs. Only the WPIAL champion will advance to the PIAA playoffs.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Hempfield, Seneca Valley