Baseball postseason rundown: Norwin rallies to defeat rival Hempfield, advances to first WPIAL final since 2016

A bunch of teens from Norwin can bring the Knights WPIAL gold with another win, but it was not a golden child, but a Silberman that helped get them to the title game.

Nathan Silberman delivered the go-ahead, three-run double in the sixth to push No. 4 Norwin into the final for the first time since 2016 following a 7-4 win against rival Hempfield in a WPIAL Class 6A semifinal Tuesday at Boyce Mayview Park.

Hempfield (9-13), which took two of three against Norwin (14-7) in the regular season, held a 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth. That’s when Norwin loaded the bases with no outs, as Ryan Helphenstine singled, Trevor Vitsas walked and Jacob Knight reached on a bunt single. That set the stage for Silberman, whose double to center scored all three runners to give the Knights their first lead of the game. Silberman scored on a passed ball to make it 7-4.

Nathan Silberman hit the winning three-run double in Norwin’s 7-4 win over Hempfield in Tuesday’s WPIAL Class 6A semifinals. (Emily Matthews/Pittsburgh Union Progress)

Brayden Wardzinski then closed things out in the seventh, working around an error to keep Hempfield off the board and preserve the win. Wardzinski, the final of three Norwin pitchers on the day, threw the final 3⅔ innings to capture the win. He gave up an unearned run and did not allow a hit. Hempfield had only two hits in the game, but benefited from four Norwin errors.

Silberman, a senior shortstop, finished 2 for 4 with four RBIs. He also had an RBI double in the second. Vitsas registered a pair of hits and also walked twice.

Hempfield jumped on Norwin early, scoring three runs in the top of the first to push Norwin starting pitcher Caden Sivrich from the game after recording only one out. Chase Sikorski’s two-run single was the big blow. The game was then tied at 3 in the fifth when Hempfield took a 4-3 lead courtesy of a sacrifice fly by Quinn Wilkins.

Other Class 6A semifinal

• Andrew Malicky tossed a five-hit shutout and struck out nine to lead No. 3 Seneca Valley (16-6) to its first final since 2013 following a 4-0 win against No. 2 Canon-McMillan (15-7) at Boyce Mayview Park. Owen Voelp had a two-run single in the second and Micah Olayer hit a solo homer in the fourth for the Raiders, who have won eight consecutive games.

Class 5A semifinals

• Anthony Annichine’s groundout with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the fifth brought home Logan Plummer and gave No. 1 Pine-Richland (20-3) a 5-4 win over No. 4 Bethel Park (18-5) at Plum. Jake Waddell had two hits and three RBIs for the Rams, while winning pitcher Keegan Deihl gave up three hits and struck out six in seven innings of work.

• Dante DeLeonibus had a strong outing on the mound to lead No. 3 Shaler (16-6) to a 2-1 win over No. 7 Peters Township (15-8) at Plum. DeLeonibus struck out eight across seven innings. All of the scoring came in the fourth. After Peters Township took a 1-0 lead, Shaler’s Troy Leas doubled in the tying run and then scored the go-ahead run on a fielder’s choice.

Class 4A semifinals

• Winning pitcher JP Crovak pitched a four-hitter with 12 strikeouts to propel No. 3 Elizabeth Forward (16-3) into the final following a 4-1 win over No. 7 Central Valley (12-11) at Gateway. Elizabeth Forward scored all of its runs in the third, the big blow coming via Mitchell Vuick’s two-run home run. Charlie Nigut and Cy Herchelroath had two hits apiece for Elizabeth Forward.

• No. 1 Indiana (21-1), last year’s runner-up, racked up 13 hits and used a six-run third to storm into the final for the second year in a row courtesy of an 11-2 win against No. 5 Belle Vernon (16-7) at Gateway. Tim Birch and Carter Putt each went 3 for 4 with two RBIs. Rocco Cosentino added three RBIs and Sully VanHoose, the winning pitcher, also knocked in a pair of runs.

Class 3A quarterfinals

• Zach Hare fired a no-hitter and Hunter Garvin hit a walk-off grand slam to propel No. 1 Riverside (15-2) to an 11-0 five-inning win against No. 8 Burrell (13-9) at North Allegheny. Hare struck out 12 and walked two. He also drove in a run and reached base three times. Garvin went 2 for 3 with five RBIs. Drake Fox also homered. John Boswer added two RBI’s.

• Todd Kagle scored on a wild pitch with two outs in the seventh to lift No. 7 Quaker Valley (14-6) to a 1-0 upset of No. 2 and defending champion Avonworth (18-4) at Burkett Park. Ryan Finamore threw the final 2⅔ innings to earn the win. Avonworth starter Carson Franc gave up two hits and struck out 10 in 6⅓ innings before being relieved by Cooper Scharding.

• Kam O’Lare hit a two-run single in the fourth and Vinny Pezzuolo added a homer in the sixth to help No. 11 Mohawk (12-9) avenge two regular-season losses by beating No. 3 Ellwood City (15-6), 3-1, at Neshannock. Ellwood City had just two hits. Briar Crawford pitched the final four innings to earn the win. Ellwood City defeated Mohawk by scores of 5-4 and 8-7 in section play.

• Bryce Berzansky drove in three runs, Troy Miller knocked in two and Ryan Spitznagel homered to power No. 5 South Park (14-6) to an 11-1 five-inning win against No. 4 Waynesburg (16-4) at Peterswood Park. South Park scored three in the second, two in the third and six in the fourth. Winning pitcher Cooper Hochendoner allowed two hits in four scoreless innings.

Class 2A quarterfinals

• Iseia Schulz threw a three-hitter and struck out 10 to march No. 2 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (14-7) into the semifinals for the second year in a row following an 8-0 win against No. 10 New Brighton (10-9) at North Allegheny. Freshman Dean Douglass went 3 for 3 with three RBIs for the Chargers, who have now registered shutouts in five of their past eight games.

• After splitting a pair of matchups in the regular season, No. 8 Freedom (13-7) knocked off No. 1 Neshannock (16-5), 3-0, at Seneca Valley. Mason O’Donnell had an RBI double and Anthony Taddeo an RBI triple for Freedom, which ended Neshannock’s seven-game win streak. Boden Hilliard picked up the pitching win, going the distance while giving up four hits.

• Rece Stempfer’s two-run double in the fourth was the difference as No. 6 Riverview (14-6) defeated No. 3 Burgettstown (12-5), 2-1, at North Allegheny. Both starting pitchers — Riverview’s Lukas Duncan and Burgettstown’s Matt Bredel — went seven innings while giving up four hits. Duncan struck out nine. Brian Charles had an RBI double for Burgettstown.

• After falling to No. 4 Shenango (15-6) twice in the regular season, No. 12 Laurel (10-10) turned the tables and blanked the Wildcats, 6-0, at Neshannock. Winning pitcher Luca Santini allowed two hits and fanned nine in six innings. Santini opened the scoring with a two-run single in the third. Tyler Shearer also drove in two runs and Kolton Carlson collected a pair of hits.

Class 1A quarterfinals

• There will be no three-peat for No. 4 Bishop Canevin (11-7), which was hammered by No. 5 Greensburg Central Catholic (17-2), 16-1, in four innings at West Mifflin. The Centurions scored eight runs in both the first and fourth innings to claim their 10th straight win. Jackson McMullen had three RBIs and winning pitcher Tyler Samide didn’t give up a hit in four innings.

• Matt McNeal went 3 for 3 with two RBIs to drive No. 1 Serra Catholic (18-3) to an 11-1 six-inning win against No. 8 Jefferson-Morgan (14-4) at Peterswood Park. Chris Johnson added three hits and Jake Holmes knocked in a pair of runs for the Eagles, while winning pitcher Owen Dumbroski gave up just one hit in four innings and also reached base four times.

• Noah Emswiler tossed a two-hit shutout while striking out 12 and walking one to help No. 2 Eden Christian (15-4) eliminate No. 10 Avella (11-8) for the second year in a row, 6-0, at Burkett Park. Emswiler and Josh Tilden each had two hits for the Warriors, a finalist last season who scored three runs in the first and fifth innings. Brady Hull’s RBI triple opened the scoring.

• No. 6 Carmichaels (14-4) struck for four runs in the first inning before holding on to defeat No. 3 Leechburg (15-4), 6-3, at West Mifflin. Colin Andrews drove in two runs for the Mighty Mikes while Robbie Wilson-Jones and Parker Hewitt each had two hits. Jake Cummings went 2 for 4 with two RBIs for Leechburg, which scored two runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.

Scores

Class 6A semifinals

Norwin 7, Hempfield 4

Seneca Valley 4, Canon-McMillan 0

Class 5A semifinals

Pine-Richland 5, Bethel Park 4

Shaler 2, Peters Township 1

Class 4A semifinals

Elizabeth Forward 4, Central Valley 1

Indiana 11, Belle Vernon 2

Class 3A quarterfinals

Mohawk 3, Ellwood City 1