WEXFORD — A loss by the Seneca Valley softball team on Tuesday would have meant the end of Nikki Matz's high school career, but that was an outcome that never crossed the senior pitcher's mind.

Matz limited Fox Chapel to one run on five hits, helping the Raiders earn a 6-1 victory in a WPIAL Class AAAA first-round playoff game at North Allegheny.

“I didn't have the attitude that we could lose this game,” said Matz, who struck out seven and did not walk a batter. “I was confident we would win and just pitched my game.”

Matz's game includes squeezing out of the vast majority of jams she gets in and she proved it early on.

With one out in the bottom of the first inning, she hit Alyssa Guzzie with a pitch and gave up a single to Kelsey Feeney.

Tawnya Holbren's groundout advanced both runners, but they were left at second and third when Matz got Sam Olbrich to ground out to end the inning.

“When you can get out of a jam like that, especially early on, it can make them (Foxes) think that they can't get runs against you,” said Seneca Valley coach George Trew. “That's exactly what we wanted them to think. Nikki shut them down several times today.”

Matz stranded three more runners in the game, all of them in scoring position. Fox Chapel's only run came on Feeney's solo home run to lead off the bottom of the sixth frame, cutting SV's lead to 3-1.

“That run didn't matter to me,” said Matz. “We still had the lead.”

Matz pitched two scoreless innings in Seneca's 8-7 win at Fox Chapel April 20, but Foxes' coach Tom Wamsley knew of Matz long before that.

“They were in our section the last couple of years,” he said. “We knew if Nikki was on her game, she would be a tough pitcher to beat.”

The Raiders' best showing at the plate came in the top of the seventh when Matz received three insurance runs, but the team scrapped its way to an early lead.

With Julia Zezinka on second base and two outs in the second, Marie Marnik reached on an infield single. Fox Chapel pitcher Callie Zmenkowski fielded the slow grounder to the right of the pitching circle and threw underhand in an attempt to force Marnik out at first base. But the lob was too high for first baseman Holbren and Zezinka raced home for the game's initial run.

Seneca (15-3) pushed its lead to 2-0 in the next inning when Ashley Kappeler singled before courtesy runner Jodi Frontino took second on a wild pitch. She scored on Jess Neill's base hit.

“We weren't seeing the ball as well early on, but we scored a couple of runs,” said Trew. “I thought we started hitting the ball much better late in the game.”

Five of the Raiders' 10 hits came in the final two frames.

Matz doubled to begin the sixth, leading to Marnik's RBI-single with two outs. The latter then singled home Zezinka in the seventh for Seneca's final run.

Marnik ended the game with four singles and a pair of RBI.

“We're playing well as a team right now,” said Trew. “Everybody is making substantial contributions.”

The Foxes (11-6) won a section title this year for the first time since 2004.

“We also won as many games this season as any Fox Chapel team had the last 20 years,” Wamsley said. “It was a great season for the girls.”

Seneca will face Hempfield (15-2), which received a first-round bye, in the quarterfinals Monday at a site and time to be determined.

Seneca Valley 011 001 3 — 6 10 1

Fox Chapel 000 001 0 — 1 5 2

W: Nikki Matz 7 IP (7K, 0BB). L: Callie Zmenkowski 7 IP (3K, 3BB).

Seneca Valley (15-3): Jess Neill 1B RBI, Maddie Schultz 2B R, Elayna Nagy 1B R, Nikki Matz 1B 2B, Julia Zezinka 2R, Marie Marnik 4-1B 2RBI, Ashley Kappeler 2-1B, Jodi Frontino R, Morgan Prouty R

Fox Chapel (11-6): Kelsey Feeney 1B 2B HR, Tawnya Holbren 1B, Kat Nestel 2B

Monday: Seneca Valley vs. Hempfield, WPIAL Class AAAA quarterfinal, site and time TBD