Hempfield moves to title game

Orischak homers in Class 6A semi

Ashley Orischak leads the Hempfield softball team in home runs, so she should have the trot down pat. But her latest homer resulted in a sprint.

With the Spartans locked in a scoreless tie, Orischak turned on a low and inside fastball in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Spartans a 2-0 victory against Nazareth in a PIAA Class 6A semifinal at Norlo Park in Fayetteville.

Two-time defending state champion Hempfield (23-3) will face District 11 winner Parkland at 4 p.m. Friday at Penn State.

After Kelsey Tobin singled to lead off the inning, Orischak lifted a shot to leftcenter field.

“I wasn’t even looking at it,” said Orischak. “I was just running and running.”

Until Orischak’s lategame heroics, the clash was a chess match throughout, with neither team committing an error and relying on defense and pitching.

Hempfield pitcher Maddie Uschock was stellar, mixing her pitches, striking out eight and scattering four hits.

Hempfield coach Bob Kalp said that after Nazareth defeated Latrobe and hardthrowing Kiley Myers in the quarterfinals, he figured that Uschock could trouble their hitters with her blend of fastballs, curveballs and changeups.

“We knew they were really good after they dispatched Latrobe,” Kalp said. “We knew Maddie might give them some problems because she gives them offspeed stuff.”

Now, the Spartans are back in familiar territory playing for a state title. The past two teams to make it there were expected to. This year’s squad was more of a surprise after graduating seven seniors and returning only three starters.

“After doing it the past two years and graduating seven seniors, you think, ‘No, not this year,’” said Kalp.

The goal was to compete for a section title and make some noise in the WPIAL playoffs.

“Well, as it turns out, we were able to win our section and win the WPIAL,” chuckled Kalp. “Once that transpired, I told the girls anything that can happen.”