Hempfield jumps on Norwin to take 2 of 3 in Class 6A series

By: Paul Schofield
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 | 10:21 PM

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On Tuesday, Norwin used an aggressive approach on offense to defeat Hempfield in Game 2 of their three-game WPIAL Section 2-6A baseball series.

On Wednesday, it was Hempfield that was the more aggressive team.

The Spartans defeated the Knights, 5-2, to take two of three in the series. Hempfield won Game 1 on Monday, 7-3.

Hempfield (2-1, 4-4) scored four runs, three unearned, in the top of the first inning Wednesday and never looked back.

“We definitely did not play our best game on Tuesday,” Hempfield coach Tim Buzzard said. “But we came back. That is what I wanted to see, a good response. We played well in all three phases: We pitched well, played good defense, got off to a good start. It’s important to score first.”

Hempfield senior pitchers Kevin Bender and Quinn Wilkins allowed only three singles a day after the Knights pounded out 13 hits in a 12-2 victory. The Knights went hitless over the final three innings Wednesday.

Bender worked the first five innings. He allowed two runs, one earned, striking out three and walking three. Wilkins fanned three and walked one.

“We took too many strikes,” Norwin coach Craig Spisak said. “I thought my pitchers threw great, but we gave them four runs. Hempfield played better than we played. They played a clean game.”

Hempfield started quickly. Wilkins beat out an infield single, Dylan Firmstone walked and Owen Shuglia singled home Wilkins.

Norwin starter Nate Culberton seemed to be getting out of the jam when he struck out Chase Sikorski and got Colen Polechko to line out to second baseman Colton Gounder. But Norwin third baseman Jake Knight had an errant throw to score two runs and Evan Dunlap doubled home Ian Kovalcik.

Norwin (1-2, 3-5) got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Trevor Vitsas, who singled, scored on a sacrifice fly by Nate Silberman. The Knights made it 4-2 in the third inning when Vitsas singled and Knight and Silberman drew walks to load the bases.

Brayden Wardzinski brought home a run on a sacrifice fly. Bender then enduced Ben Geissler to ground into an inning-ending double play.

“I did not have my best stuff, but I hit my spots,” Bender said. “My teammates played great behind me. Getting the lead made it easier to pitch.”

Hempfield added a fifth run in the sixth inning when Polechko scored on a double steal.

“I figured we needed to get that fifth run,” Buzzard said. “We felt that would be a good number. Kevin got into a good rhythm and was locating his pitches.”

Norwin ended up stranding eight runners.

“Hempfield made the plays it needed to make,” Spisak said. “We just had a few plays that we did not make.”

Spisak said he was pleased with how Caden Sivrich pitched in relief. He struck out six and walked one.

“That was a good step for him,” Spisak said.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Hempfield, Norwin