Monzo’s 8th-inning home run sends Hempfield back to PIAA semifinals

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, June 7, 2018 | 7:54 PM

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This Monzo girl at Hempfield has been a mystery.

She was born Margaret.

She became Megan.

“I was named after my grandmother — it's a derivative,” the first baseman said of her name change, one that often baffles anyone who glances at a Hempfield softball roster on game day.

On Thursday, Monzo's teammates simply called her Gonzo.

The senior clubbed a solo home run to left-center with two outs in the top of the eighth inning to propel the WPIAL champion Spartans to a 2-1 victory over Baldwin in a PIAA Class 6A quarterfinal game at Latrobe's Graham-Sobota Field.

It was the first homer of the season for Monzo and just the sixth for the team in 25 games. She turned on a 1-1 pitch, and the high-fly ball landed near a group of Hempfield fans just beyond the fence.

“I was telling myself just get the ball in play; I know I have (Kelsey) Tobin coming up and (Emma) Hoffner up after me,” said Monzo, a Dickinson recruit. “My first pitch she threw me, I was a little bit too on the plate and I ripped it (foul) down third. So I backed off the plate a little bit, and it was there and I just hit it.”

With its third one-run win of the playoffs — second extra-inning game in nine days — Hempfield (22-3) advances to the state semifinals for the fourth consecutive season. It will face Nazareth (22-4) on Monday at a time and site to be determined. Nazareth blanked Hempfield's rival, Latrobe, 6-0.

Hempfield also stays on course for its third PIAA title in a row.

“I have talked about us not being a power-hitting team and what do we do? Home run,” Hempfield coach Bob Kalp said. “She is such a hard worker. She's been on the team for the four-year ride. Not many kids on the team have been on four WPIAL championship teams, two state championship teams and four straight state semis.”

Kalp gets a gleam in his eye when talking about his team's late-game heroics.

“(Home runs are) the major difference from last year's team,” he said. “We don't hit like that (27-0) group. But I will tell you this: There's no quit in this dog. When it don't look good, we're still going to come out and fight until the very end. It didn't look good in the seventh inning, but hey.”

Hey, indeed. This team — favorites, underdogs, doesn't matter — just keeps finding ways to get it done.

Baldwin (13-6) led 1-0 until the top of the seventh when Hempfield rallied to force extra innings.

Sophomore designated hitter Ashley Orischak dropped a perfect bunt single, and an error allowed speedy freshman catcher Emma Hoffner to score all the way from first to make it 1-1.

“We are capable of beating that team. It came down to making plays,” Baldwin coach Vince Sortino said. “We're bunting and popping out. They're bunting and getting on. You can't give a team like Hempfield a second chance.”

Hoffner singled to start the inning. Suddenly, Hempfield had the tiny opening it needed to manufacture another thriller.

“We just don't give up,” said Monzo, who went 2 for 3. “We have three outs left to work with, and we came together as a team in the huddle and Emma got that leadoff hit — that was a huge hit. And Ashley laid a perfect bunt down, then we just got it rolling. There is just so much fight in us.”

Left fielder Allison Podkul made a diving catch for Hempfield in the bottom of the inning, and winning pitcher Maddie Uschock, who struck out 12 and allowed five hits, got a flyout and two strikeouts in the bottom of the frame.

With two down in the eighth, Monzo delivered to put the Spartans in front for the first time.

A strikeout and two groundouts sealed it for the Spartans.

Hoffner, who has been outstanding defensively in the postseason, picked off a potential base-stealer to end the sixth.

Baldwin took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on a groundout by Adeline Tagg.

Salena Jaquay and Taylor Dadig each had two hits for the Highlanders.

Sortino was asked if Kalp's coaching had anything to do with the tying run scoring.

Kalp admitted his assistant coaches questioned Orischak bunting in the seventh. Kalp made the call and stood behind it.

“He's the most predictable coach there is,” Sortino said. “But his girls make the plays. They don't make errors and don't give you second chances.”

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

Tags: Baldwin, Hempfield Area