Hames dominant as SV softball returns to WPIAL final
WEXFORD — Seneca Valley’s bats were rusty. Lexie Hames was razor sharp.
Seneca Valley’s senior right-hander struck out 18, walked no one and tossed a one-hitter Wednesday evening at North Allegheny, leading the Raiders to a 7-1 WPIAL 6A softball semifinal win over Canon-McMillan.
The win sends the Raiders (20-1) to the WPIAL championship game for the third successive year.
“We hadn’t played a game in two weeks,” SV coach Marlesse Hames said. “We had a couple of scrimmages and that helped a little bit. We faced a slower pitcher today, too, and that threw our timing off.”
The way Lexie was pitching, it didn’t matter much.
Neve Miller drew a bases-loaded walk and Kara Pasquale crossed the plate on an infield out as the Raiders took a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Lexie Hames struck out the first 10 hitters she faced. But the 10th strikeout victim — Olivia Ford — reached first base when the catcher mishandled the final strike to begin the fourth inning. Morgan Doyle reached on an infield hit — the Big Macs’ only hit of the night — the runners moving up on an errant throw. Ford scored on an infield out, moving Doyle to third.
With the tying run on third and one out, Lexie struck out Kiersten Williams and Skylah Steben to end the threat.
“I bear down a little more in those situations,” Hames admitted. “I concentrate more on not throwing a wild pitch and not doing anything to allow that runner to cross the plate.”
Canon-McMillan (7-12) coach Michele Moeller lauded the pitching ability of Hames.
“You have to take your hat off to Lexie Hames,” Moeller said. “She’s just a great pitcher. You can try to prepare for her in different ways, but there’s no way you can be ready for how hard she throws and the movement on her pitches.
“We missed a chance in that (fourth) inning. No doubt about that. But that was all about their pitcher in that situation.”
Pasquale singled and eventually scored on a wild pitch for the Raiders in the fifth. They broke the game open by scoring four runs in the sixth frame. A two-run double to right-center by Abby Kalkowski and a run-scoring single up the middle by Pasquale highlighted the uprising.
“I wish this final score wasn’t what it is,” Moeller said of the 7-1 final. “This game was much closer. My freshman pitcher (Lyla Mowery) held them down pretty good. She limited North Allegheny to one run in our previous game.”
Mowery was replaced in the circle three batters into the sixth.
Seneca Valley batters struck out only twice all day.
“We were getting the bat on the ball,” Coach Hames said. “We hit some balls right at people. We finally broke through in the sixth. I’m thrilled for these girls, getting back to the WPIAL championship game.
“Most of them have been playing ball together since they were 8 or 9 years old. They want to win this thing really bad.”
The second-seeded Raiders will play No. 5 seed Norwin (10-10) — a 5-2 upset winner over top-seed Hempfield on Wednesday — in the title game next week. Seneca Valley shut Norwin out twice during the regular season, 3-0 and 2-0.
“It doesn’t matter who we play,” Lexie said. “Just get ready for the next game.”
Canon-McMillan 000 100 0 — 1 1 1
Seneca Valley 200 014 x — 7 7 2
WP: Lexie Hames 7IP (18so, 0bb). LP: Lyla Mowery 5.1IP (1so, 5bb)
Canon-McMillan (7-12): Morgan Doyle 1B, Hailey Swope RBI.
Seneca Valley (20-1): Abby Kalkowski 2B 2-RBI 2-R, Kara Pasquale 3-1B RBI 3-R, Lexie Hames 1B, Neve Miller RBI, Kylie Staudt RBI, Anna Kalkowski 2-1B
WPIAL 6A Final: Seneca Valley vs. Norwin, California (Pa.) University, date and time TBA
