Battery power fuels Hempfield softball on electric run to state finals

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 | 12:15 PM

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If Hempfield wins a fifth PIAA softball championship Thursday at Penn State, it will likely happen in an electric atmosphere. But a win will probably be battery powered.

If its four previous state titles are any indication, the pitcher-catcher combo will play a key role for the Spartans (21-3) in the Class 6A final against District 1 champion North Penn (27-0) beginning at 4 p.m. at Beard Field at Nittany Lion Softball Park.

Sophomore pitcher Riley Miller and freshman catcher Ella Berkebile have formed a strong bond, working in tandem to cut down scoring threats.

They have already helped guide the Spartans to their eighth WPIAL title. Now comes the encore.

“We were (travel) teammates for five years, so we know each other really well,” said Berkebile, who moved behind the dish early in the season when sophomore Allie Cervola moved to shortstop and freshman Lauren Howard moved to third. “Riley’s speed has gotten a lot faster as the season has gone on.”

Miller (19-3), who has struck out 172 and walked 25 in 134 innings while boasting a 1.25 ERA, knows how important the battery will be in the final.

Two of the younger players on the team, Miller and Berkebile talk like they are seasoned veterans. They have teamed up for two shutouts in the PIAA playoffs, where Hempfield has outscored three opponents, 13-1.

They go together like cereal and milk.

“We have played together for so long, we can read each other,” Miller said. “If I am missing spots or one of us doesn’t do well at the plate, we talk it out and see what we can do better.”

Miller pitched a three-hit shutout in the first round against Mifflin County and gave up three more hits in a quarterfinal victory against Downingtown East. In the latter win, Hempfield had 17 ground-ball outs.

Cumberland Valley had seven hits, all singles, in the semifinals.

When Tina Madison was hired before last season to replace legendary coach Bob Kalp, who retired after 25 seasons, one of the first things she did was hire Rick Shaheen as her top assistant — and pitching coach.

Shaheen has a deep background in working with pitchers, some on teams he’s helped coach and others through personal instruction.

He sees something special in Miller and Berkebile.

“I know their pulse,” Shaheen said. “They communicate with me about what they’re seeing with the strike zone and we make adjustments. Riley is very good at hitting spots and keeping the ball down. Knees and corners — I preach it until the cows come home. Her placement is superb, with Ella framing.

“Ella made our defense better.”

A lot of attention has been given to Hempfield’s defense, with its sure-handed infield and ground-covering outfield.

But Miller is the key to giving the unit chances.

Pitching, as Shaheen will tell you, is not all speed and strikeouts. While Miller has velocity and power, many outs are by design.

“With her drop-curve, Riley gets the groundouts to shortstop or first, and the defense makes the plays,” said Shaheen, who won a PIAA Class 4A title as an assistant at Mt. Pleasant in 2017 when his daughter, Lauren, was the head coach.

Lauren Shaheen (Armanious) also was a standout pitcher at Hempfield.

Madison knows about the importance of pitcher-catcher rapport.

When she won a PIAA 4A title in 1999 as a sophomore (Tina Skelly), she teamed with Rhonda Sheleheda for 2.1 innings in the state final before Danielle Resovich came on to finish as Hempfield edged past Williamsport, 2-1, for its first PIAA title.

“Riley is so competitive, and she likes being a leader,” Madison said. “Ella is so smart back there. When she isn’t playing, I always see her reading a book.”

Hempfield’s other power batteries also brought home gold medals during a historic run of succession. The Spartans won three straight PIAA titles from 2016-18.

All-timer Morgan Ryan dominated in the circle, with Madie Stoner catching her glove-popping deliveries for state wins in ‘16 and ‘17.

Ryan, who is Miller’s personal favorite Spartans’ great, went on to pitch at Notre Dame before playing a grad season at Seton Hill.

In 2018, Hempfield was somewhat of an underdog because of so many graduation losses, but that didn’t seem to bother Maddie Uschock, who pitched the Spartans to another state win, with standout catcher Emma Hoffner behind the dish.

That team became known for its late-inning drama, winning a number of playoff games by one run.

Rick Shaheen also has coached in West Point Little League, where he began to develop arms. He is a throwback coach but has changed with the game like the pitching rubber, which was moved from 40 to 43 feet in 2011.

Instead of catchers using hand signs, Shaheen has taken a liking to calling out numbers, with players wearing coded wristbands that show the progression of pitch calls.

But, there are occasions when hand signs are stil the way to go.

“Sometimes, you have to go old-school,” Shaheen said. “Like when we play Norwin.”

Madison said she had so much fun playing at Hempfield, she wanted to come back and be a coach.

Her WPIAL title win in 1998 and subsequent state trophy run in ‘99 are lasting memories for the Penn State alum.

“This is only the fifth time in 42 years that a team from Hempfield made it (to the state finals),” Madison said. “They don’t just come along. You don’t know what is going to happen down the road. This could be their only shot. Enjoy it and make the most of it.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

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