Westmoreland WPIAL playoff softball capsule: Games for Wednesday, May 25, 2022

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Tuesday, May 24, 2022 | 4:27 PM

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Class 6A

Semifinals

4-Seneca Valley (11-6) vs. 1-Hempfield (13-3)

4 p.m. Wednesday at Fox Chapel

Winner plays: Winner of 7-North Allegheny (12-9) vs. 3-Pine-Richland (12-4) on June 1 in championship (time TBD) at Cal (Pa.)

Players to watch: Lexie Hames, Seneca Valley; Hannah Uhrinek, Hempfield

On the air: Broadcast | Trib HSSN (triblive.com)

Extra bases: It’s a rubber match between Section 2 teams as the Raiders and Spartans square off again having split their series. Both teams won at home (Hempfield 7-2; Seneca Valley 2-1). All of the semifinalists are from Section 2. Seneca Valley clobbered Bethel Park, 17-1, in four innings, forcing the mercy rule with a nine-run fourth. Hames went 3 for 3 with two doubles, a home run and five RBIs. She also was the winning pitcher with eight strikeouts and allowed one hit. Maddie Gross homered twice and also drove in five, and Lina Chardella and Lilly Hicks had three hits each for the Raiders, who did not make the playoffs last year. They lost to Hempfield, 3-0, in the 2019 semifinals. They last reached the finals in 2011 and lost to Latrobe in the Class AAAA championship. … Hempfield advanced to the semifinals for the sixth time in seven seasons with a thrilling 5-4 win over Norwin in the quarterfinals. Sophomore Maggie Howard’s fielder’s choice scored freshman catcher Allie Cervola in the seventh for the walk-off win. Hempfield issued four intentional walks, allowing Norwin to load the bases three times, but came away unscathed. Junior Mia Bandieramonte and Cervola had two hits each, with Bandieramonte blasting a two-run home run. Freshman Riley Miller had an RBI in addition to earning the win. Miller has a broken bone in her foot and is out for the season. The quarterfinal victory was coach Tina Madison’s first as head coach.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review Staff Writer. You can contact Bill by email at bbeckner@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Tags: Hempfield