For a team with a tradition as rich as Hempfield, making it to the WPIAL softball semifinals simply isn’t good enough.
Most teams would consider that a successful season, or at least something to build upon for the future — especially after finishing with an overall record of 18-2 — but not the Spartans. At Hempfield, it’s championship or bust — and the start of a new season couldn’t have come soon enough for the Spartans.
“It was shocking,” Spartans coach Tina Madison said about last year’s WPIAL semifinal loss to Norwin. “That’s the thing — a lot of these girls are used to playing travel ball, where the next tournament is the next week. In high school, you have to wait a whole year.
“We’re using that [loss] as fuel. But we don’t really focus on it as much anymore.”
In the first week of their 2025 campaign, the Spartans took on a trio of top-notch opponents from Class 5A, turning away all three foes on their way to an impressive 3-0 start.
First, Hempfield opened things up on the road last Friday with an 8-3 win against Penn-Trafford, which won 15 games last year on its way to the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals. The next day, the Spartans traveled to West Allegheny and posted a 5-0 win against the Indians, with Hempfield ace Riley Miller twirling a complete-game shutout with 15 strikeouts.
“Obviously, we were supposed to play Seneca in the championship [last year],” Miller said. “I think that [WPIAL semifinal loss] is really going to help us get through this year. … It’s definitely a big motivation. I feel like we needed that.”
With the wind back in their sails and a newfound confidence after the pair of season-opening victories, the Spartans hosted Shaler earlier this week for an intriguing clash in its home opener on Tuesday. Both teams are two years removed from a trip to the state title game, and both figure to be in the thick of the WPIAL championship chase once again this season.
For the Titans, junior pitcher Bria Bosiljevac is an Indiana recruit who didn’t allow a single run in six starts last season, posting mind-boggling numbers before a hand injury cut her sophomore season short. On Tuesday, Bosiljevac made her highly anticipated return to the circle for Shaler’s season opener in a marquee matchup against Miller and the Spartans.
By the time the dust settled, Hempfield had scratched across four runs in four innings against Bosiljevac, while Miller and junior closer Julia Varhola combined to shut the Titans down for a 5-1 win. Junior catcher and Bucknell recruit Ella Berkebile drove in a pair, while junior second baseman and Virginia recruit Lauren Howard scored twice in the win.
“We had a lot of girls graduate last year, so we have a lot of new players. But we have a lot of staples up the middle,” Madison said. “We’re playing a good schedule and trying to get better. … We like to challenge them early and try to see the best pitching we can find early in the season.
“We’re off to a good start.”
With Miller as their No. 1 starting pitcher, the Spartans already have a built-in edge against almost every opponent they come across. But with a James Madison recruit coming out of the bullpen in Varhola, Madison has an embarrassment of riches at her disposal — and that’s without even delving into Hempfield’s loaded lineup.
“I think our pitching is going to be the backbone [of the team],” Madison said. “Julia would start at pretty much any other WPIAL school. She is very, very talented. We’re going to try to get her as many innings as possible. … It’s just that Riley is really good.”
At the top of their lineup, the Spartans have a UMBC recruit leading off in junior center fielder Clair Mitchell, followed by senior shortstop Allie Cervola. An Ohio recruit known for flashing the leather as one of the top defensive infielders in the area, Cervola is batting .500 so far this season as she continues to refine her all-around game.
Already established as an impact player since her freshman year, Howard has shifted from third base to second base while sliding into the No. 3 hole in the lineup as a junior. With Mitchell, Cervola and Howard setting the table, Berkebile brings the lumber from the cleanup spot, and several key contributors have been making noise in the bottom half of the lineup.
“[Cervola] is off to an outstanding start,” Madison said. “Between [Cervola and Howard] in the middle, they’re both very, very talented. … Our 1-2-3-4 [hitters] are all committed to play Division-I softball.”
Over the past three years, Seneca Valley and Hempfield have alternated WPIAL Class 6A titles, with the Raiders claiming the crown in 2022 and 2024 and the Spartans capturing the 2023 title. During that span, Miller’s career has intertwined with that of Seneca Valley senior Lexie Hames, as the two have ranked among the top pitchers in the WPIAL since bursting onto the scene as freshmen in 2021.
The presence of Hames alone likely makes the Raiders the team to beat, but remember, Miller is the only pitcher in the WPIAL to defeat Hames since her freshman year — and she has done it twice.
“We’re honestly just trying to take it game by game this year instead of looking far into the future, but obviously winning it all would be really nice,” Miller said. “I’m just super excited to play with my best friends for [one more] year.”
Neshannock climbing national rankings
Despite its status as a Class 2A school, Neshannock has developed a reputation for taking on all comers in recent years while earning a handful of notable wins against top-tier teams in Class 5A and Class 6A.
New year, same story.
The three-time defending WPIAL Class 2A champion and reigning state champion Lancers kicked off their 2025 campaign last Friday by hosting Chartiers Valley. Led by power-hitting junior catcher Lily Duffill, a Penn State recruit with 21 career home runs, the Colts boast one of the most explosive offenses in Class 5A — but Chartiers Valley’s bats fell flat against Neshannock ace Addy Frye, who fired a no-hitter with 17 strikeouts in a 4-0 win.
Now holding a record of 75-1 since the start of the 2022 season, the Lancers are moving on up in the national rankings after their impressive season opener. The only team in Pennsylvania listed in the MaxPreps Top 25, Neshannock moved up four spots last week from No. 23 to No. 19 in the nation.
The Neshannock softball team (unbeaten Class 2A state champs last season) is ranked No. 19 nationally by MaxPreps. Star pitcher Addy Frye (second-team All-American in 2024) tossed a no-hitter with 17 Ks in a season-opening win against Class 5A Chartiers Valley.
— Brad Everett (@BREAL412) March 19, 2025pic.twitter.com/wdg8qVNwMt
Seneca Valley star authors another signature showing
As a two-time WPIAL champion, two-time PUP Player of the Year and last year’s Pennsylvania Overall Player of the Year, there isn’t much left for Seneca Valley senior Lexie Hames to accomplish — but that isn’t going to stop her from trying.
In a season-opening showdown at reigning WPIAL Class 5A champion Armstrong on Friday, Hames delivered another vintage performance to remind the rest of the WPIAL why she is considered one of the best two-way players in the nation.
A Clemson recruit who entered the season with 672 career strikeouts and 28 career home runs, Hames went 3 for 5 while mashing a pair of homers and driving in four runs in a commanding 12-1 victory. In the circle, the flame-throwing righty allowed only one unearned run on one hit and three walks while striking out 20 to shut down the high-powered River Hawks.
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
