Shearer aces tough test from Hempfield Area to help lead North Penn to PIAA-6A title

STATE COLLEGE >> Hempfield Area’s Claire Mitchell swung at the first pitch Julia Shearer threw in Thursday afternoon’s PIAA-6A championship game and knocked a ball to the right side of the infield to reach on a single.

Not exactly the way things had customarily had gone for North Penn’s stellar senior pitcher this year.

“I’m used to other teams just watching them go by like the last game they didn’t really swing the bats,” Shearer said. “So that first inning when they all came out swinging I was a little surprised.”

The District 7 champions gave Shearer one of her tougher tests, collecting four hits and putting runners on base in five of the seven innings at Nittany Lion Softball Park. But the left-hander displayed the talent and mettle that earned her back-to-back Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year honors to help the Knights complete their perfect 28-0 season.

“I knew they were going to come out swinging hard after that,” Shearer said. “I told my middle infielders after every single pitch that they’re going to come out swinging, they’re going to come out hard and they’re not going to let up. So it was something different than we’ve seen before but I mean we adjusted, we made it through.”

Shearer threw her sixth shutout of the postseason – her third in four PIAA games – and her 22nd shutout of the Knights’ campaign, making sure Sophia Orth’s RBI double in the bottom of the fourth was all North Penn needed to secure its second state title in three years with a 1-0 victory over the Spartans.

“This is one of the best teams we’ve faced this year and I guess ever in my career,” said Shearer of Hempfield Area. “They did make me work hard, especially since I don’t think I had as many strikeouts as I did before but they were a really good team.”

Shearer finished with nine strikeouts, the Maryland commit’s last three coming as she struck out the side in the top of the seventh – her 355th strikeout of the season commencing the Knights’ celebration.

“I threw a bunch of riseballs which I don’t normally do,” said Shearer of the state final. “Cause if I get them to chase out of the zone and they do happen to hit it, it’ll just be a pop up. That did happen a few times. Obviously the changeup, I went to that – even if it wasn’t a strike it kept them guessing. I was just working on mixing speeds a lot this game.”

The Trojans’ four hits pushed the total she allowed in the state tournament to nine. Shearer held Governor Mifflin to one (a home run) while striking out 18 in the 3-1 first round win. She gave up two hits and struck out eight in the five-inning 18-0 quarterfinal romp over Hazleton then allowed another two hits while striking out 15 as the Knights edged Chambersburg 1-0 in eight inning in the semifinals.

In the four games in the District 1 tournament, Shearer allowed five hits – throwing a perfect game with 16 strikeouts in the district final against Haverford.

“Hey, that’s a good team, they put the bat on the ball,” said North Penn coach Rick Torresani of Hempfield. “And when you put the ball on the ball it’s either an out or a hit and they had a couple hits. But she hung in there. Again she would not give up and went out there and she did what Julia does and that just (is) shut it down, it’s in my hands and let’s move on.”

After Mitchell’s leadoff single, Shearer got out of the first thanks to a fly out to right, a fielder’s choice – which forced Mitchell out at second – then a groundout to short.

Emily Griffith began the second with a walk then went to second on a Peyton Heisler sacrifice bunt but remained there following a groundout to short and Shearer recording her first strikeout.

“The second inning I changed my approach,” Shearer said. “I changed what pitches I was going to throw to what batters and as the game went on I got more and more comfortable throwing to each individual on that team.”

Shearer retired the Spartans in order in the third. Allison Cervola hit a one-out single to right in the fourth only for Shearer to post consecutive strikeouts.

The Knights broke the scoreless tie on back-to-back two-out doubles by Gianna Cimino and Orth in the bottom of the fourth. Hempfield, however, threatened to answer in its half of the fifth.

Mia Bandieramonte was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Catcher Sarah Sabocsik caught a popped-up bunt by the next batter but Margaret Howard proceeded to belt a double to deep center, giving the Spartans runners on second and third and one out.

“It was a changeup, it was right down the middle, I guess she just got on it,” Shearer said. “I don’t know how she hit a changeup that far cause it was probably like 40 miles-per-hour but it was a mistake on my part.”

Facing her toughest jam of the afternoon, Shearer beared down and kept the Knights in the lead – getting a pop out to second then a groundout to third to strand the pair.

“There was a lot of pressure on me on that,” Shearer said. “Annabelle Smink, she was behind me, she was talking to me after every single pitch, she really helped me get through that. My defense really helped get through this game. In those pressure situations, I get more locked in.”

In the sixth, Sarah Podkul won a lengthy battle against Shearer to lead off with a single up the middle. A Cervola sac bunt gave Hempfield a runner on second but Shearer collected a strikeout then a fly out to center.

Shearer did not give Hempfield another chance at a rally, capping her high school career by striking out the side in the seventh to seal both the Knights’ state title and a perfect season.

“I don’t know if you say she could do any more,” said Torresani of Shearer. “I mean, I don’t think you can. And not the best pitcher only at North Penn but the best pitcher that I’ve seen in 30 years in the state. I mean tell me anybody that’s done what she’s done.”