Seneca Valley's Neve Miller, seen here in a game earlier this season, hit the game-ending grand slam Tuesday against Pine-Richland in the WPIAL Class 6A semifinals. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

Matthew Brown

WEXFORD — It’s a new year and Seneca Valley softball has a new leader, but the Raiders have landed in an enviable spot once again.

Abby Kalkowski allowed just a pair of runs and belted her sixth homer of the season as SV ran away with a 13-2, six-inning victory against Pine-Richland in Tuesday’s WPIAL Class 6A semifinal at North Allegheny High School.

The No. 2 Raiders will play in the title game for the fifth consecutive season. They will face defending district champion and top seed Hempfield, a 13-0 winner over Canon-McMillan on Tuesday, at California (Pa.) University’s Lilley Field at a time and date to be determined.

Seneca Valley won both regular season meetings with Pine-Richland by scores of 13-10 and 5-2.

“They can hit the ball,” Kalkowski said of the sixth-seeded Rams (9-13). “It seems like every (group) of players that comes through there can hit.”

And the Rams tallied at least one hit in every inning Tuesday, but it wasn’t until Maya Rippole’s two-run base hit in the sixth inning that they cracked the scoreboard.

The Raiders (15-5) had scored eight runs by that point, and in the bottom of the inning, Neve Miller’s grand slam ended the game via the mercy rule.

SV has hit 22 home runs this season.

“We’ve been hitting really well lately, even have some girls who have been consistent as pinch-hitters for us,” SV coach Joe DeCristoforo said.

Lexie Hames, now playing at Clemson University, led the Raiders in the circle and at the plate the last four years.

“That’s what happens. Players graduate and hopefully move on to bigger and better things,” DeCristoforo said. “But Abby has been great. I knew she would be good for us.”

Kalkowski struck out two and walked three in the win.

“I’m not a super strikeout pitcher, but I know the defense behind me is going to make the plays,” Kalkowski said.

Miller had three hits in the game. Emry Rice, Julia Valasek, Paige Volz and Hannah Hornick each had two hits.

All of the damage done by SV’s bats came against Pine-Richland pitcher Ellie Myers.

Pine-Richland 000 002 x — 2 9 2

Seneca Valley 005 125 x — 13 14 0

WP: Abby Kalkowski 6 IP (2K, 3BB)

LP: Ellie Myers 6 IP (1K, 4BB)

Pine-Richland: Catie Scholl 2-1B, Scarlett Edgerly 1B 2B R, Maya Rippole 2-1B 2RBI

Seneca Valley: Emry Rice 2-1B R, Julia Valasek 2-1B R, Abby Kalkowski HR 2RBI, Neve Miller 2-1B HR 4RBI, Paige Volz 2-1B R 2RBI, Liv Herrem 1B 2RBI, Hannah Hornick 2-1B, Riley Geyer 1B RBI

Next: Seneca Valley vs. Hempfield, WPIAL Class 6A championship game at California (Pa.) University, time/date TBD