Sisterly love: Warwick ekes out win over rival Hempfield for spot in District 3 Class 6A softball semifinals

Sam Shaak is, perhaps, her younger sister Kate’s biggest fan.

From her spot at first base, Sam gets a front-row seat to witness Kate doing her thing in the pitching circle and usually getting the well-deserved attention for it.

Kate, on the other hand, sits near the backstop when Warwick is batting and gets to see Sam taking swings against the opposing pitcher.

On Thursday afternoon, little sister saw her big sister come up with a fifth-inning, run-scoring double that proved to be the game-winner as the Warriors edged Lancaster-Lebanon League Section One rival Hempfield 2-1 in a District Three Class 6A softball quarterfinal at Landisville.

Hempfield vs. Warwick - District 3 Class 6A softball quarterfinals [photos]

“As a big sister, I always like to see her thrive,” said Sam, a senior, of her sophomore sibling. “When she’s doing good and getting attention, it’s something she deserves. I’m living in her shadow, just doing what she can’t with hitting.”

The win propels the Warriors (21-4) into a semifinal on Tuesday at top-seeded Cumberland Valley — a 6-1 winner over Central York in another quarterfinal Thursday — and clinches a berth in the PIAA Tournament.

“We wanted it bad,” Sam said. “I haven’t been to states since my freshman year so it meant a lot to go back.”

In their fourth meeting between the teams this season, the Knights (16-5) grabbed a 1-0 lead when Kali Peifer led off the second with a home run to left field off Kate Shaak.

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It stayed that way until the fourth when Sam Shaak led off with a single to right, the first of her two hits (she also was hit by a pitch). She came around to score from second when Brooklyn Nolt legged out an infield single.

Aside from the homer, Hempfield only had one runner reach second base in the game and that was in the fifth.

Kate Shaak allowed four hits, all in the first three innings.

“Kate has our number when it comes to hitting,” said Hempfied coach Chris Landis, who has faced the Warwick lefty eight times over the last two seasons. “She’s tough.”

With two outs in the fifth and Katie Heisey at second following a leadoff double, Sam Shaak laced a 2-2 pitch from Carley Ernst into the gap in right-center to score Heisey.

“I knew I needed a hit,” Sam said. “I knew I had to do something, I couldn’t strike out. It was an outside pitch, which I’ve been struggling with all season, so I’m just glad I waited for it and took it to right field.”

Kate Shaak had four strikeouts, including the 300th of her career, and she walked two before retiring the final seven batters in order.

“We wanted it really bad,” Kate said. “I just took a deep breath and knew we just needed outs. I just had to pitch like I always do.”

Much to her big sister’s delight.

Roundup

Third-seeded Central Dauphin scored three runs in the first inning and held off 11th-seeded Manheim Township in a District Three Class 6A softball quarterfinal Thursday at Harrisburg. The Rams (14-3) led 4-0 after two innings. The Blue Streaks (11-12) scored a run in the third and two in the fifth to get within 4-3, but that was as close as they would get. In Class 4A quarterfinals, Kennard-Dale defeated Elco 12-3 and Northern Lebanon beat Middletown 11-1.