PLUM — Hempfield left fielder Jordan Sterling went crashing into the wall with such force she was knocked off her feet while catching a fly ball from Seneca Valley’s Elayna Nagy.

Sterling’s catch was the final out — and the last of a plethora of outstanding defensive plays — during the Spartans’ 5-2 win in a WPIAL Class AAAA quarterfinal softball game Tuesday night at Plum High School.

On the play before Sterling’s catch, Raiders sophomore Maddie Schultz hit a sharp ground ball that Hempfield second baseman Alexa Pastor collected by sliding across the dirt before getting up to make the throw.

The top-seeded Spartans (16-2) also picked off two base runners for the third out and worked out of two bases-loaded jams.

“We had a lot of opportunities,” Seneca Valley coach George Trew said. “We scored two runs on (Hempfield pitcher Morgan Ryan) and easily could have had three or four more. We couldn’t come through with a key hit when we needed it.”

The ninth-seeded Raiders (15-4) created those opportunities by making Hempfield pitcher Morgan Ryan work.

Seneca Valley drew four walks and also had a batter hit by a pitch.

“I was definitely going to be patient. That drop-curve can get people so hard,” Raiders sophomore Katie Hickman said. “You have to be patient and make sure you’re swinging at good pitches.”

Hickman being picky helped the Raiders go up 1-0 in the second inning.

With runners on first and second, Hickman fouled off several pitches before lacing a single to center field, scoring courtesy runner Morgan Prouty.

“That was a great at-bat,” Trew said. “You give up a lot of pitches, you tire a pitcher out by the end of the game and that helps.”

Hempfield’s defense worked out of the inning when Ashley Kappeler was picked off at third base trying to head home after courtesy runner Tori Pfab got caught in a rundown.

The Spartans — who finished with 11 hits — plated all five of their runs in the third inning.

With one out, Taylor Hoffman, Jenna Osikowicz and Kelsie Hendrick reached on two singles and an error.

Michaela LeDonne then smacked a pitch from Seneca Valley’s Nikki Matz over the left-center field fence for a grand slam.

“It was supposed to be down and away. They got it up and over the plate,” Hempfield coach Bob Kalp said. “She has five or six home runs in her career for us and every one of them has been against a team from the section Seneca Valley, Shaler and NA. She likes batting against them.”

One batter later, Taylor Blevins hit a home run to stretch the lead to 5-1.

Seneca Valley loaded the bases in the fourth inning without getting a hit.

Julia Zezinka reached on an error, while Marie Marnick and Hickman drew walks. Hickman was down 0-2 in the count before reaching with two outs.

She was picked off to end the inning when Hempfield catcher Madi Stoner rifled a pick-off throw to first.

“It was really effective, they have a great catcher and she caught me off guard,” Hickman said. “I wasn’t expecting it.”

Kalp said those are the kind of plays his players look forward to.

“It’s a big plus to have that in your bag,” Kalp said. “You don’t have to say we’re in trouble, we’re not going to be able to get out of it. We have things we cant try to get out of it.”

The Raiders cut the lead to 5-2 in the fifth.

Morgan Aloi opened with a walk and moved to third when Jess Neill lined a double off the left-field fence.

Schultz followed with a hit that nailed the second base bag and rolled into the outfield, scoring Aloi.

One batter later, Matz reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases. Ryan then got Zezinka to strike out and Marnick to ground out to end the threat.

Seneca Valley 010 010 0 — 2 4 1

Hempfield 005 000 0 — 5 11 1

W: Morgan Ryan 7IP (10K, 4BB). L: Nikki Matz 6IP (3K, 0BB).

Seneca Valley (15-4): Nikki Matz 1B, Katie Hickman 1B RBI, Jessica Neill 2B, Maddie Schultz 1B RBI.

Hempfield (16-2): Kelsie Henrick 2-1B, Michaela LeDonne 1B HR 4-RBI, Taylor Hoffman 2-1B, Jenna Osikowicz 1B, Taylor Blevins 1B HR RBI, Alexa Pastor 1B, Madi Stoner 1B.