Freshmen playing key roles in postseason for Westmoreland County softball teams

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, June 5, 2018 | 7:06 PM

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Hempfield freshman Emma Hoffner peered through the fence near the backstop at Seton Hill last week and held up a posterboard. A day after celebrating a fourth straight WPIAL softball title with teammates — her first, obviously — she morphed into a fan, cheering on travel ball friends in the WPIAL Class 3A championship.

Hoffner gives those same summer teammates a reason to urge her on, too.

Displaying signs and making noise behind the plate have become a regular thing for the first-year catcher who has helped power Hempfield (21-3) into the PIAA Class 6A quarterfinals.

The Spartans are chasing a third consecutive PIAA championship.

“Emma has gotten better and better every single practice,” Hempfield coach Bob Kalp said. “She takes a real delight in what she does. She really works. She is an example that you can win games with great defense, even when you don't have the best offense.”

Hoffner already has committed to St. Francis (Pa.). She leads a talented crop of freshmen players from Westmoreland County, a few of whom are proving why they are Division I college prospects at such a young age.

• Mt. Pleasant has a pair of ninth graders who have helped guide the defending state champion Vikings (18-1) into the PIAA Class 4A quarterfinals. Haylie Brunson and Courtney Poulich have been key starters all season. Brunson committed to Lousiana-Lafayette, Poulich to Liberty.

Mt. Pleasant earned a WPIAL semifinal rematch with Belle Vernon (22-3).

• Jordan Tallman and Jordan Novak have played important roles for Latrobe (13-4), the WPIAL Class 6A runner-up. Tallman, the team's No. 2 pitcher, had a two-run single in Monday's 4-2 win over Central Dauphin. Novak is the starting third baseman.

• Southmoreland (11-7) starts freshman Jess Matheny in the pitchers' circle. The on-the-rise lefty is 7-3 this season, all while delaying knee surgery until after the playoffs. The Scotties won their first WPIAL championship (3A) and their first PIAA playoff game, 10-7, over Central Martinsburg. Freshman Emily Eutsey starts at third for the Scotties.

• Two-time defending WPIAL Class 4A champion Belle Vernon trots out three freshmen: left fielder Vanessa Porter, right fielder Casey Weightman and DH Sophia Godzak.

• Outfielder Sydney Caterino and utility player Hannah Yorty are key freshmen for Monessen (16-4), which also advanced to the state quarterfinals, in Class A.

Hoffner was brilliant defensively in Monday's state playoff opener, a 7-0 win over District 3 Warwick at Latrobe. She helped the Spartans wipe the bases clean several times to thwart potential scoring situations. She had a laser-beam pickoff, then fronted a no-nonsense double play that went 2-6-4, grabbing a chopper in front of the plate and firing to second, all in one motion.

She later made a split-second reaction to a short popup near the plate and swiped it out of the air like she owned the softball itself.

“We work on those kinds of plays every practice,” Hoffner said. “They came true in that game. My teammates have really accepted me and have made me feel like an upperclassman.”

Hoffner went 3 for 4 in the WPIAL championship, a 2-1, 10-inning win over rival Latrobe, also showing her speed on the base paths.

She grew up watching standout Madi Stoner catch for Hempfield and hoped to fill Stoner's spot with the same field leadership and think-ahead skills.

“I had big shoes to fill,” Hoffner said. “I have known Madi for a long time, and she taught me a lot.”

Hempfield and Mt. Pleasant have more in common than playoff games that were subjected to the Internatonal Tiebreaker Rule.

Brunson homered and was walked intentionally in Mt. Pleasant's state-opening, 4-2 win over Slippery Rock in 11 innings.

“Haylie and Courtney have become important components to our team,” Mt. Pleasant coach Lauren Armanious said. “They have really stepped up and proven themselves as indispensable. They come through in clutch situations and are very aggressive and dedicated individuals. We are proud to have them on our team.”

Hoffner has been honing her skills for years, hitting in the batting cage her father built in the family's backyard.

Her in-game skills seem two parts natural, one part learned.

“Her mental game is most impressive to me,” Hempfield senior pitcher Maddie Uschock said of Hoffner. “Obviously, she is quick and has a rocket arm, but she is a smart player. She's always heads-up, and makes plays that most catchers don't even think about.”

Uschock said she and Hoffner quickly developed chemistry, perhaps a rarity for a senior-freshman combo. The pair has made it work quite well.

“She is so positive, whether we are winning or losing,” Uschock said. “She wants to win badly. It was particularly impressive to me in the Latrobe game (WPIAL final). When they scored on us in the ninth, she came out to the mound and was like, ‘Maddie we are still going to win this.' I said, ‘Heck yeah, we are.' And we did. I love her attitude and her effort.”

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, Hempfield Area, Latrobe, Monessen, Mt. Pleasant, Southmoreland