Seneca Valley's Paige Volz had a key two-RBI triple in the first inning to power the Raiders to a WPIAL Class 6A semifinal win over Norwin. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips

O’HARA TWP — Saying “cheese” is a pretty sure way to prompt smiles.

Scoring five runs in the first inning has that effect, too, especially after an anxiety-inducing break that lasted nearly two weeks.

In large part because of the effort its first time up to bat, second-seeded Seneca Valley downed No. 6 Norwin 6-1 in the WPIAL Class 6A softball semifinals Tuesday at Fox Chapel High School.

“It definitely helped. We want to score a lot of runs,” said junior Paige Volz, who capped the scoring in that frame with a two-out, two-RBI, stand-up triple. “But it definitely helps take the pressure off. You get to have fun with it. ... We scream cheeses (from the dugout) for some reason, but it’s so fun and it gets the pressure off of us.

“That run lead definitely helped. We say, ‘Cheddar! Swiss! Gouda!’”

The Raiders (16-2) will face No. 1 Hempfield Area, which beat No. 4 Canon-McMillan 8-2, in the district final at California (Pa.)’s Lilley Field on May 28 or 29. It marks Seneca Valley’s fourth straight trip to that stage as it seeks a third title in four years and fifth overall.

Raiders senior standout Lexie Hames began the home first with a bloop base knock, tailed by bunt singles by juniors Emry Rice and Abby Kalkowski. The former prompted a Knights (10-12) throwing error, which scored Hames’ courtesy runner, senior Addie Winkle.

Senior Bella Gross brought Rice around on a fielder’s choice before sophomore Liv Herrem worked a walk and junior Neve Miller reached on a fielder’s choice.

Senior Lauren Folino’s grounder skipped by the shortstop’s glove, plating Herrem to make it a 5-0 game.

Hames tossed a 118-pitch complete game, permitting three hits. She said there were nerves entering the game. It had been 13 days since Seneca Valley played. They’d scrimmaged once, but, as useful as live pitching is in practice, she said real-game situations “you get a little out of touch with.”

The scoring outburst quickly snapped them back into it.

“Especially with going into the circle the following inning, it was really easy to just settle in and trust my pitches,” Hames said. “Trust the process, trust the game and all that stuff. I think it helped all of us settle in.”

The lone run Hames allowed came in the sixth inning. She gave up a one-out walk before a fielder’s choice put runners at first and second. A throw-out attempt plunked Rachel Minteer, who’d laid down a bunt, and the ball dribbled away to allow Madelyn Kugler to score.

Raiders coach Marlesse Hames, Lexie’s mother, visited the mound afterward.

“I went in, and I told them, ‘They’ve got one run. We’re still up five runs and we’re still fine,’” the elder Hames said. “I told Lexie, I said, ‘Speed your whole body up and throw faster.’ And they all started laughing. They were like, ‘Yeah, Lexie, throw faster.’

“I said, ‘You know that’s a joke.’ But it was just kind of lightening the mood.”

“I gave her a little side-eye look, and we just kind of laughed it off, helped me focus a little better,” the younger Hames said.

Volz, who’d had to take a few days off during the layover due to shoulder pain, made an impressive sliding catch on a foul pop-up by the bleachers on the first-base line. There was no fence past the dugout on that side.

“I was literally envisioning the whole game, ‘That is going to happen,’” Volz said. “I don’t even remember if I called the ball, but I might’ve said ‘Ball!’ and then I started sliding. And I heard someone on the sideline say, ‘You’ve got room.’”

Gross had an RBI single in the bottom second and the Raiders led 6-0 until the top sixth.

Norwin 000 001 0 — 1 3 2

Seneca Valley 510 000 x — 6 7 1

WP: Lexie Hames 7IP (16K, 3BB). LP: Abbie Telli 6IP (4K, 2BB).

Norwin (10-12): Madelyn Kugler R, Diem Wardzinski 2-1B, Rachel Minteer 1B.

Seneca Valley (16-3): Lexie Hames 1B, Addie Winkle R, Emry Rice 2-1B 2R, Abby Kalkowski 1B, Bella Gross 1B 2RBI, Liv Herrem R, Neve Miller R, Lauren Folino 1B, Brielle White R, Paige Volz 3B 2RBI.