Hempfield East blanks Hopewell; qualifies for Great Lakes Regional

Hempfield East American Legion baseball team continues to make history.

Thanks to their win against Hopewell and Swoyersville’s 3-2 victory against South Parkland, Hempfield East has qualified for the Great Lakes Regional tournament in Charleston, Ill. on Aug. 7.

Hempfield East bounced back from a tough loss on Monday to defeat Hopewell, 6-0, on Tuesday at the Pennsylvania American Legion state tournament at Showers Field in DuBois.

Now Hempfield East will attempt to become the first team from Westmoreland County since Lower Burrell in 1965 to win a state title. Hempfield East will have to defeat Swoyersville twice Wednesday. The first game is at 3:45 p.m.

Matt Wicker tossed a shutout, Hempfield East’s third consecutive complete game, and used a four-run fifth inning to break opened a close game.

“We’re the first team from Region 7 and District 31 to advance to the regionals,” Hempfield East coach Scott Smith said. “We’ve played well the entire tournament and the players are loose. It’s been great for the players.”

Some of the Hempfield East players got a taste of the state tournament in 2018. But East were missing some players because of vacations.

This year the team dedicated the season to winning the state title.

Hempfield East took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Reid Hipps walked and scored on a single by Jack McBride.

In the fifth inning, Hipps walked, Noah Sweeney singled and Dom Carrera singled to load the bases.

Hipps scored on McBride’s ground out, Sweeney scored on Dajauhn Hertzog’s single, Carrera scored on Andrew Rosenberg’s hit and McBride scored when Hunter Eperesi was hit with a pitch.

The sixth run came in the sixth inning when Hipps tripled and scored on a squeeze but by Carrera.

Wicker allowed five hits and struck out only one. Hertzog had three hits for Hempfield East.

“Having three consecutive complete games in this tournament is unusual,” Smith said.

Losing pitcher Josh Miklos had three hits for Hopewell.