What to watch for in WPIAL sports on April 15, 2025: Hempfield, Seneca Valley softball set to square off

By: Don Rebel
Monday, April 14, 2025 | 11:56 PM

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They tried to play last week, but wet and cold weather got in the way. Hopefully, Mother Nature will not be a factor again when Hempfield hosts Seneca Valley for first place in 6A softball at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

The Spartans and Raiders are the two most dominant softball programs in WPIAL Class 6A over the last decade as they hope to square off for the first of two regular season games.

Outside of Bethel Park winning it all in 2021, these two programs have won the WPIAL softball championship in the highest classification each season since 2015.

Hempfield won five straight titles between 2015-2019, and then captured gold again in 2023.

Seneca Valley is the defending champion and has captured two of the last three district 6A crowns.

Over the last three years, these two juggernauts have collided on the softball diamond eight times.

Each team has won four games and they are 1-1 against each other in the postseason.

Seneca Valley won in the 2022 semifinals on its way to a district crown and Hempfield won a showdown for gold in the 2023 finals.

Last season, the Raiders won the first game 2-0 before the Spartans bounced back in a big way to win the rematch, 15-2.

Thus far this spring, Hempfield is a perfect 9-0 overall and is alone in first place with a 5-0 record in 6A.

The Spartans have outscored their opponents in those nine wins, 100-13.

Seneca Valley won its first seven games this season and was 5-0 in 6A games until a stunning loss to Pine-Richland on Saturday, 3-2.

The Raiders bounced back Monday with a rout of Woodland Hills.

Two more for first

The big Seneca Valley at Hempfield game isn’t the only key softball contest being made up Tuesday.

Two other fights for first place will take place around the district.

In Section 1-4A, Knoch visits Derry at 4 p.m.

The Knights are 5-0 and the Trojans check in at 4-0 in section play, and both teams have one loss overall.

Knoch is 9-1 for the season and has won nine straight since losing its opener to Plum.

Derry has an overall record of 6-1 and has won five in a row since a loss in its second game of the season to North Catholic.

Two unbeaten teams in Section 3-3A will square off when South Park visits Charleroi at 4 p.m.

The Eagles are flying high at 4-0 in the section and a perfect 10 for the season.

The Cougars are 1-0 in section play and 3-4 for the season.

Neighbors begin big series

As mentioned Monday, it is a crowded top in Section 2-5A WPIAL baseball.

Going into Monday’s action, five teams were even in the section loss column with two losses and the other two teams were only two games back.

Two Section 2-5A series began Monday and conclude Tuesday. The Tuesday schedule for those four teams has Moon (2-2) visiting Chartiers Valley (2-4) at 4 p.m. and Upper St. Clair (2-2) hosting South Fayette (4-2) at 7 p.m. on Trib HSSN.

The third section series this week begins Tuesday when Peters Township (2-2) makes the short trip to face Bethel Park (4-2).

The game Tuesday at Bob Purkey Field begins at 4 p.m.

The Indians are 7-4 overall and have split their first two section series against Moon and Chartiers Valley.

The Black Hawks enter the series with an overall record of 7-3 and split their last two series against South Fayette and Trinity after sweeping their first section series against Upper St. Clair.

Clash of section unbeatens

Only one WPIAL boys volleyball section has two teams without a section loss.

That will change Tuesday.

Both Thomas Jefferson and Seton LaSalle sit atop Section 3-2A with 3-0 section records.

The two square off for first place as they finish the first half of section play.

Two other big matches set for Tuesday to wrap up the first half include Mt. Lebanon (4-0) at Upper St. Clair (3-1) in Section 1-3A and South Fayette (3-1) hosting Ambridge (4-0) in Section 4-2A.