Blackhawk softball no-hit in WPIAL playoff loss to Hampton

McCANDLESS — The bus to take the Blackhawk High School softball team to its WPIAL Class 4A semifinal game at North Allegheny against Hampton was on time.

After that, everything went downhill for the Cougars as they lost to the section rival Talbots 10-0 in five innings without recording a hit. Hampton had defeated Blackhawk twice in the regular season and will now advance to the championship game with a 16-4 record.

“Hampton is a very good team and we knew that from playing them,” said head coach Jim Riggio. “I don’t know if playing them twice already had affected us but we knew we’d have to probably play a perfect game to beat them.

“We didn’t – we probably played our worst.”

Hampton scored in all four innings it batted. The Talbots benefitted from nine hits – including a home run off the scoreboard by Charlotte Lomb – plus four walks and three batters hit by pitch.

Luckily for the Cougars, now 10-8, the season isn’t over. They will play a third-place game next week with the winner advancing to the PIAA playoffs. That site and time has yet to be determined.

“This team deserves to play another game,” said Riggio. “We made the playoffs as an 11th seed and won a playoff game for the first time in something like 35 years at Blackhawk.

“We won two playoff games to get this far, defeating Belle Vernon, the defending champion, and Indiana, who had been undefeated in their section. Indiana was a very good team and it was an accomplishment just to get here.

“No team wants to end their season with a 10-0 loss. These kids deserve another chance.”

Now, they’ll get that chance.