Seneca Valley softball downs rival North Allegheny behind strong day from Lexie Hames
-
Seneca Valley's Olivia Herrem (4) bats in a softball game against North Allegheny at Seneca Valley High School on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
-
Seneca Valley's Julia Valasek (12) bats in a softball game against North Allegheny at Seneca Valley High School on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
-
Seneca Valley's Paige Volz (19) and Lauren Folino (28) celebrate their first run in a softball game against North Allegheny at Seneca Valley High School on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
-
Seneca Valley's Bella Gross (8) catches a ball at first base in a softball game against North Allegheny at Seneca Valley High School on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
-
Seneca Valley's Brielle White (7) slides into third base in a softball game against North Allegheny at Seneca Valley High School on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
-
Seneca Valley's Julia Valasek (12) bats in a softball game against North Allegheny at Seneca Valley High School on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
-
Seneca Valley's Lexie Hames (44) attempts to tag out North Allegheny at home plate in a softball game at Seneca Valley High School on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
-
Seneca Valley's Abby Kalkowski (18) slides into third base in a softball game against North Allegheny at Seneca Valley High School on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
-
Seneca Valley's Lexie Hames (44) pitches in a softball game against North Allegheny at Seneca Valley High School on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
-
Seneca Valley's Lexie Hames (44) pitches in a softball game against North Allegheny at Seneca Valley High School on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
-
Seneca Valley's Lauren Folino (28) catches a pitch in a softball game against North Allegheny at Seneca Valley High School on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
-
Seneca Valley's Paige Volz (19) bats in a softball game against North Allegheny at Seneca Valley High School on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
-
Seneca Valley's Paige Volz (19) slides into home plate in a softball game against North Allegheny at Seneca Valley High School on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
-
Seneca Valley's Paige Volz (19) rounds third base on her way to home plate in a softball game against North Allegheny at Seneca Valley High School on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
-
Seneca Valley's Lexie Hames (44) is high-fived after hitting a home run in a softball game against North Allegheny at Seneca Valley High School on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
JACKSON TWP — Two-thirds of Seneca Valley’s softball talents are in place.
That’s been good enough so far.
Senior pitcher Lexie Hames struck out 15, allowed only two hits and homered Wednesday afternoon as the Raiders (5-0, 3-0) remained unbeaten with a 3-1 home win over North Allegheny.
“All we have to do is get our bats going,” Raiders coach Marlesse Hames said. “The pitching, the defense ... That’s all there. We have to work on that other phase of our game.”
Seneca Valley was limited to five hits Wednesday, but made them count. Liv Herrem delivered a run-scoring double to deep center in the second inning and Lexie Hames homered to center in the third as the Raiders built a 2-0 lead. Hames’ homer was her sixth of the season already.
She batted in the leadoff position for the second consecutive game.
“I had never hit leadoff before in my life,” Lexie said. “I kind of like it. I’m getting pitched to a lot more. It’s amazing how much better you can hit when you’re getting good pitches to hit.”
After hitting over .300 last season while being walked quite a bit, Lexie is hitting over .600 this season with 11 hits in 19 at bats.
“We’re tinkering with the lineup a little bit, seeing what works,” Coach Hames said. “I wanted to see if teams would pitch to Lexie more in the leadoff spot, rather than starting the inning wth a walk. I’m not sure yet if we’re going to continue with her in that spot.”
North Allegheny (3-4, 2-2) crept within 2-1 in the sixth inning as McKenna Rowlands hit a one-out double to deep center and came around to score on a pair of wild pitches. The Tigers didn’t threaten after that.
The run was the first allowed by pitcher Hames in 37 innings pitched this season. She has 88 strikeouts while allowing 22 walks and only 10 hits on the campaign.
The Raiders missed a chance to add on to their lead in the fifth. Lauren Folino walked to start the frame, getting to third on a pair of passed balls. Izzy Schall hit a tapper back to the pitcher and was thrown out at first. Folino was cut down trying to score on the play.
Herrem drew a bases-loaded walk for SV in the sixth, but the Raiders stranded the bases loaded after that.
“We need better pitch selection at the plate,” Coach Hames said. “We’ve been swinging at too many bad pitches, but I think our bats will come around.”
Losing pitcher Sammy Plotsko struck out five for North Allegheny.
“We’re a young team and only two girls in our lineup today had ever faced (Hames) before,” Tigers coach Bill Aguglia said. “She’s an outstanding pitcher and it was good experience for us to face someone of that quality.
“Our defense kept us in the game. We tried telling the girls to take shorter swings against her. Her pitches are so fast that the ball’s gonna go if we make contact. But saying that and doing that are two different things. And her pitches really move, too.”
Herrem had a pair of RBI ad Abby Kalkowski two singles for Seneca Valley, which is scheduled to play at Mt. Lebanon on Friday.
“I like pitching in close games like this as opposed to a 10-0 game or something like that,” Lexie said. “I have trust in my defense, my catcher ... I know they’re going to make the plays and we’re going to do what we have to do to win.”
North Allegheny 000 001 0 - 1 2 1
Seneca Valley 011 001 x - 3 5 0
WP: Lexie Hames 7IP (15so, 3bb). LP: Sammy Plotsko 7IP (5so, 2bb).
North Allegheny (3-4): McKenna Rowlands 2B, Twila Goulding 1B.
Seneca Valley (5-0): Lexie Hames HR, Abby Kalkowski 2-1B, Neve Miller 1B, Liv Herrem 2B 2 RBI.
Friday: Seneca Valley at Mt. Lebanon
