By: Don Rebel
Tuesday, May 6, 2025 | 12:03 AM
Christopher Horner | TribLive
Seneca Valley’s Abby Kalkowski celebrates after scoring against Hempfield last season.
If it says Seneca Valley at Hempfield on the softball schedule, then you know the weather will be a factor.
The Raiders and Spartans will try for the fourth time to square off in Hempfield Township.
Rain has been a factor in the earlier postponements and the forecast is a wet one Tuesday.
If the showdown is played, the WPIAL Class 6A regular season title is at stake.
Hempfield is in first place with a 14-1 record in 6A and is 18-1 overall.
This is the Spartans’ regular season finale.
Seneca Valley is in second place with a 13-2 record in 6A, 15-2 overall.
The Raiders will wrap up their 6A schedule and have a nonsection contest against Hampton slated for Wednesday.
A Hempfield home victory would give the Spartans the outright regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the Class 6A playoffs.
However, if Seneca Valley wins, the two softball powers in the highest classification would be tied for first place and the Raiders would earn the top spot because of the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Last week, in their first meeting of the year at Seneca Valley, senior pitcher Lexie Hames struck out 17 Spartans as the Raiders handed Hempfield its only loss of the season, 2-1.
More softball implications
The top three teams in Section 4-5A collide in two games to close out the section schedule.
Coming into Tuesday, Baldwin and Thomas Jefferson are tied for first place with 9-2 section records, one game ahead of Trinity at 8-3.
All three teams have clinched a playoff berth, but the results of their game will determine if one, two or possibly three teams tie for the section crown.
Thomas Jefferson hosts Albert Gallatin (1-10) at 4:30 p.m. while Baldwin visits Trinity at 6:30 p.m.
Other key softball games on Tuesday include:
• Beaver (7-4) tries to move into a second place with Blackhawk (8-4) in Section 3-4A when it hosts Central Valley (4-7). The Warriors are in a battle for a playoff spot with North Catholic (4-6) and Western Beaver (4-7). North Catholic visits Ambridge (0-11) on Tuesday and plays Western Beaver on Wednesday.
• Ligonier Valley (4-4) visits Yough (2-6) for the fourth and final playoff spot in Section 1-3A. The Rams can clinch with a victory while the Cougars must beat the Rams twice. The game Monday at Ligonier Valley was postponed.
• A playoff berth is up for grabs in Section 1-A when Cornell (2-6) hosts Bishop Canevin (2-6) in a doubleheader at 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. If the Raiders and Crusaders split their doubleheader, both teams will qualify for the postseason.
• Jeannette (9-1) needs a win to secure at least a share of the Section 3-A title with Serra Catholic. The Jayhawks visit the Ellis School (0-9).
Baseball implications
Rain is wreaking havoc with the final days of district baseball.
Some games were postponed Monday and some were started but suspended.
Here are the games with playoff berths at stake.
• As it has been all season, it remains wild in Section 2-5A. On Tuesday, Chartiers Valley (3-7) visits Upper St. Clair (5-5) in a doubleheader at Boyce-Mayview in USC. South Fayette and Peters Township are tied in the bottom of the third inning, 1-1. The game will resume at Joe Maize Field at Peterswood Park at 5 p.m. on Trib HSSN. Trinity leads Moon in the bottom of the fourth inning, 3-0. The game will resume at Ross Memorial Field at the W&J Sports Complex on Tuesday on Trib HSSN.
• In Section 3-3A, three teams are fighting for at least two playoff spots with Deer Lakes at 7-4 while Freeport and Ligonier Valley are 6-4. Deer Lakes goes for the sweep of its section series as it visits Yough, Freeport travels to Southmoreland and Ligonier Valley finishes its suspended game Tuesday against Mt. Pleasant.
• In Section 4-3A, McGuffey battles Seton LaSalle while Keystone Oaks plays Washington in a doubleheader.
• In Section 1-2A, Chartiers-Houston hopes to wrap up a playoff berth against California Frazier looks to clinch with a game at Beth-Center.
• In Section 2-2A, Laurel looks to earn a playoff spot needing a sweep of a doubleheader against Northgate on Tuesday and either a New Birhgton loss at home to Neshannock or a Freedom loss to Shenango.
• In Section 1-A, Jeannette needs a win at Jefferson-Morgan to stay alive.
• In Section 2-A, Rochester needs a win over Aquinas Academy and a Winchester Thurston doubleheader sweep of Union to qualify.
• In Section 3-A, Clairton needs a win at Monessen to stay alive for a playoff spot.
Team track finals
The 2025 WPIAL boys and girls team track and field final are set for Tuesday.
The boys and girls Class 3A meet will be held at West Mifflin while the boys and girls 2A team finals are at Peters Township.
Boys 3A: Butler Golden Tornado vs. Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils vs. North Allegheny Tigers vs Norwin Knights
Boys 2A: Beaver Bobcats vs. Mohawk Warriors vs. Quaker Valley Quakers vs. Shenango Wilcats
Girls 3A: Butler Golden Tornado vs. North Allegheny Tigers vs Norwin Knights vs. South Fayette Lions
Girls 2A: Carlynton Cougars vs. Laurel Spartans vs. North Catholic Trojans vs. Quaker Valley Quakers
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