Hempfield softball team loses Hope but not hope
The injuries began to stack up early this season for the Hempfield softball team.
They lost starting catcher Alyssa Bates, they lost their best offensive player Kasey Kolick and they lost starting pitcher Hope Pehrson but despite losing Alyssa, Kasey and Hope, the Spartans did not lose hope. Hempfield went 16-4 in the regular season and shared the Section 1-AAAA crown and on Thursday, despite all the injuries, Hempfield will be playing in the program’s seventh WPIAL championship game.
“It has been a bad year for injuries,” Hempfield coach Bob Kalp said. There have been a ton of serious injuries to kids who have played for us in the past but we have overcome them.”
The injuries have forced constant lineup shuffling.
“We are in agreement from day one, you play where you are told to play and to do the best you can. If you can’t do it, we will replace you,” Kalp said.
When Pehrson went down, senior pitcher Karilynn Null stepped up. Freshman pitcher Taylor Bartlow has also pitched and she will be available in the WPIAL final. Right fielder Maddie Knizner caught for 18 games during Bates’ absence and when Bates return, Knizner returned to the outfield.
“Maddie did a good job, more than adequate,” Kalp said. “She filled in very, very well.
The Bates injury came at a tough time for Hempfield. The Spartans lost three games in a row early in the season beginning with a loss to Ligonier in the game Bates broke her finger. At the same time they also found out that Kolick’s torn labrum would mean her season was over.
“All that bad news hit at once,” Kalp said. “It put a damper on what we were trying to do but we got good players, people who can fill in, they filled in and we got on a hot streak.”
They lost starting catcher Alyssa Bates, they lost their best offensive player Kasey Kolick and they lost starting pitcher Hope Pehrson but despite losing Alyssa, Kasey and Hope, the Spartans did not lose hope. Hempfield went 16-4 in the regular season and shared the Section 1-AAAA crown and on Thursday, despite all the injuries, Hempfield will be playing in the program’s seventh WPIAL championship game.
“It has been a bad year for injuries,” Hempfield coach Bob Kalp said. There have been a ton of serious injuries to kids who have played for us in the past but we have overcome them.”
The injuries have forced constant lineup shuffling.
“We are in agreement from day one, you play where you are told to play and to do the best you can. If you can’t do it, we will replace you,” Kalp said.
When Pehrson went down, senior pitcher Karilynn Null stepped up. Freshman pitcher Taylor Bartlow has also pitched and she will be available in the WPIAL final. Right fielder Maddie Knizner caught for 18 games during Bates’ absence and when Bates return, Knizner returned to the outfield.
“Maddie did a good job, more than adequate,” Kalp said. “She filled in very, very well.
The Bates injury came at a tough time for Hempfield. The Spartans lost three games in a row early in the season beginning with a loss to Ligonier in the game Bates broke her finger. At the same time they also found out that Kolick’s torn labrum would mean her season was over.
“All that bad news hit at once,” Kalp said. “It put a damper on what we were trying to do but we got good players, people who can fill in, they filled in and we got on a hot streak.”
softball