Hempfield softball team appreciates challenge of close calls
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Saturday, June 7, 2025 | 5:45 PM
Hempfield’s Lauren Howard scores the winning run against State College in the first round of the PIAA playoffs.
Hempfield’s Emily Bozek stretches for the throw on the final out of the game against State College in the first round of the PIAA playoffs.
Hempfield has scored 205 runs this softball season and allowed 23. The Spartans have been an offensive machine, sending runners through the turnstiles with the rapidity of a marathon finish line.
They have 10-runned their opponents 11 times.
So what’s up with these tight games in the playoffs?
The team has three straight one-run wins, but nobody in the Spartans’ camp seems to be panicking.
It’s more like, relax, we got this.
“You’re going to have games like this,” Spartans senior shortstop Allie Cervola said after Thursday’s 4-3 PIAA 6A quarterfinal win over Chambersburg in Windber. “There aren’t going to be many (mercy-ruled) wins from here, I can tell you that. These kinds of games actually help us a lot.”
Hempfield (22-3), which will play Nazareth (21-4) in the semifinals at 4 p.m. Monday at Norlo Park Softball Complex in Fayetteville, has not trailed in the playoffs and has only fallen behind three times all season: against Shaler, Butler and Seneca Valley (their lone loss).
While the competition increases with each victory, Hempfield is content with getting timely hits and playing sound defense behind senior ace Riley Miller — as long as they have one more run than the other team.
“When we get up, the defense shuts them down,” Miller said. “I thought maybe one (run) would be enough (Thursday), but we kept hitting.”
Coach Tina Madison likes the pressure that comes with close finishes. Against State College in the PIAA first round, Hempfield scored twice in the bottom of the sixth, then held off the visitors for a 2-1 win.
The Spartans had a 4-0 lead against Chambersburg going to the sixth before hanging on for victory.
“Hempfield is a great hitting team,” Chambersburg coach Chris Skultety said. “They have six Division I girls, and they are big D-I programs. You can see why they are this good.”
The Spartans edged rival Seneca Valley, 1-0, in the WPIAL final to win their ninth district championship.
Madison said Thursday’s game was “awesome” because it tested her girls.
“It’s good for us,” Madison said. “Every round is going to be hard. Everyone has standout players. There are only four out of 100 left (in the tournament). A little pressure is good.”
Junior Lauren Howard, Cervola and Miller had two hits apiece in the quarterfinals. Cervola and Miller each had two RBIs.
Miller (19-1) struck out six and scattered five hits. She moved into second place on the Spartans’ all-time pitching wins list with No. 62.
Howard achieved a milestone, reaching 100 career hits. She now has 101 with the rest of this season and next to play. The program record is 109 set by Laura Fox (2016-19).
If Hempfield wins, it will advance to Thursday’s 4 p.m. championship game at Penn State.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: Hempfield
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