Westmoreland County softball notebook: Hempfield wins with pair of aces
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Wednesday, March 19, 2025 | 11:01 AM
It is not often that a WPIAL softball team can say it has two Division I-level pitchers on the same staff.
Opponents might get to see both of them in the same game.
Hempfield features a high-level duo in senior Riley Miller and junior Julia Varhola, who bring a combination of speed, control and creativity to the circle.
Miller is a Kent State commit, and Varhola is headed to James Madison.
Hempfield coach Tina Madison, whose Spartans begin the season ranked No. 2 in WPIAL Class 6A, said she will use both pitchers generously, sometimes in the same game to mix things up.
Both should see a mix of starts.
“Riley brings that calmness,” Madison said. “Julia has that speed. A team sees her come in and goes, ‘What’s this?’ ”
Miller went four innings, striking out eight and allowing one run, and Varhola finished the game with five strikeouts, two hits and two runs in an 8-3 win over Penn-Trafford in the season opener.
Miller went the distance in a 5-0 win over Class 5A No. 2 West Allegheny, striking out 15 and walking nine.
“We’re going to count on both of them,” Madison said. “They both can affect games.”
Pins and putouts
Southmoreland has a WPIAL champion wrestler on its softball team, and she is showing she can be just as tough an out on the diamond as she is on the mat.
Junior Zoey Murphy, Southmoreland’s first female wrestling champion (235-pound division) and a PIAA qualifier, has hit two home runs and also pitches for the Scotties, who began the season ranked No. 4 in WPIAL 3A.
When the Scotties fell to Connellsville, 18-8, Murphy homered and drove in two runs.
In the WPIAL quarterfinals in 2023, Murphy earned a win in relief of standout Maddie Brown in a wild, 15-14 triumph over Yough.
Hail Mighty Leps
Belle Vernon, still chock full of offensive weapons, rallied to win its season opener 13-12 over Waynesburg.
The Raiders led 12-10 in the bottom of the seventh before the Leopards rallied.
Taylor Beech tied it with a two-run hit before Katie Sokol ripped a walk-off single with the bases loaded for the winner.
Moors commits
Penn-Trafford senior outfielder Rilie Moors announced a commitment to Division II Seton Hill.
Moors, who also can play catcher, is a natural slap-hitter but has deceptive power.
She went 3 for 3 with two doubles in an 8-3 loss to Hempfield to open the season.
Touch ‘em all
Yough has been busy scoring runs early in the season. The Cougars have outscored their first two opponents 23-3. The bulk of the offense came in a 19-0 win over Greens Farm Academy (Conn.).
Yough also had a close game, edging past Lake Gibson (Fla.), 4-3.
Section play
Two county teams are scheduled to open section play Monday. No. 5-ranked Norwin will host Canon-McMillan, and No. 2 Hempfield travels to No. 4 North Allegheny in Section 1-6A.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: Hempfield, Penn-Trafford, Southmoreland, Yough
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