Hempfield softball withstands Norwin rally for Section 2 win

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, April 11, 2018 | 9:27 PM

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Senior pitcher Maddie Uschock fired a strike over the plate and froze Norwin junior Sara Russell for the game's final out to rubber-stamp another Hempfield softball victory.

But there weren't many high-fives and hip-bumps as Uschock and her teammates left the field in their chilly home opener on Wednesday. Reactions were more reserved, facial expressions stern, as the Spartans collectively exhaled and stashed away a 7-5 Section 2-6A victory over Norwin at Robert Kalp Field.

The 44th consecutive win wasn't like so many others that the No. 1-ranked Spartans (3-0, 2-0) had piled up over the last two-plus seasons. Sure, they built a 5-2 lead through four innings, hit the ball to open spots and made routine plays. But getting Norwin to make third outs — such an automatic and expected practice in the past — suddenly became taxing against the Knights (1-2, 0-2), who would not go peacefully against the three-time defending WPIAL champions.

“You know I'm spoiled when we win and I don't feel good about it,” Spartans longtime coach Bob Kalp said. “Our girls are working hard, but we have to avoid the mistakes and get out of innings. Norwin is a good club; the best we've seen so far in the four games we've played.”

After Hempfield, which is hoping to carve out a path to a third straight PIAA title, took a 7-3 advantage on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the sixth, senior Carly Cook delivered a two-out, two-run double for Norwin in the top of the seventh to make it interesting.

Uschock, though, avoided any further damage as she struck out Russell, an IUP recruit who had a two-run double in the fourth. Uschock had seven strikeouts and walked two while allowing seven hits, including two by sophomore Victoria Shimko.

Norwin, which went down in order just once, put a runner on base three times when there were two outs.

“We gave them too much slack,” Norwin coach Brian Mesich said. “We were able to draw them in, but we ran out of time. The two-out situation went both ways.”

Hempfield took a 2-0 lead in the first, on a two-out single by senior Samantha Kline and a passed ball.

In the third, Tobin and freshman catcher Emma Hoffner, a St. Francis (Pa.) recruit, had back-to-back hits to start the inning, and Tobin scored on a groundout.

Uschock singled before two errors gave Hempfield a 5-0 lead.

“If some of those things don't happen maybe it's a tie game and a different perspective,” Mesich said.

Hempfield also is seeking that early-season crispness: errors led to Norwin runs in the fifth and seventh.

“It's still early and we have a young team,” Kalp said. “Part of being a mature team is how you handle situations. It seemed like we got tentative when they had two outs. Errors happen, but if it keeps happening, you take yourself out of the realm of being a good ball club.

“It's a process.”

Hempfield left the bases loaded in the fifth, wasting a double by Tobin, who went 3 for 3.

“We try to work on making the least amount of mistakes as possible,” Tobin said. “We made some errors, but we're still happy to get the win. We're still learning, and Norwin is a good team.”

The Spartans, who had nine hits, gained some separation in the sixth. After junior Laura Fox tripled, senior Margaret Monzo singled to left to make it 6-3. Monzo had two hits and Kline drove in two runs.

Junior Jessica Persin drew the bases-loaded walk against Norwin senior starter Natalie Krzywiec, who walked six and hit two batters.

Krzywiec faced Monzo four times. The girls are future Dickinson teammates.

Hempfield, which has 32 consecutive section wins, plays a section doubleheader at home Thursday with a 3 p.m. game against Allderdice, followed by another against Penn Hills at 5:30.

Norwin travels to Fox Chapel.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Hempfield Area, Norwin