Trib HSSN softball player of the week for April 15, 2024

By: Don Rebel
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 | 12:42 AM

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Trib HSSN softball player of the week – Lexie Hames

School: Seneca Valley

Class: Junior

Position: Pitcher

#Earned: Players in the lineup for either Mt. Lebanon or Hempfield last week had to be content with a whole lot of nothing. Sensational junior Lexie Hames threw two no-hitters as the Raiders took control of first place in Class 6A with wins of 8-0 over the Blue Devils and 2-0 over the defending champion Spartans. Against Mt. Lebanon, Hames pitched six innings and yielded no hits and one walk while striking out 17 of the 19 batters she faced. Then in the rematch of the 2023 WPIAL championship game, she again yielded no hits, walked one and struck out 18 of the 22 batters she went up against. Offensively, she was 1 for 2 in the two games and was walked four times and was hit by a pitch once.

What coach/mom says: “Her ability to remain focused no matter what is happening,” Seneca Valley coach and Lexie’s mom, Marlesse Hames, said of her daughter’s strengths on the diamond. “She does not let things get to her or bother her. She stays locked in on her job as a pitcher.”

“She was locked in for sure against Hempfield. As she becomes more experienced, she is learning how to read the batter and know what she wants to throw. Also, her spin was really working and she was hitting her spots. Lexie has a ton of speed, and she has really worked to create spin and make the ball move. Speed and spin together are really hard to manage as a batter.”

“She is learning how to manage that spin. Not only is she spinning the ball in different spots, but she is learning how to throw spins at different speeds. She also continues to work on her speed as her goal is to hit 70 before she graduates.”

Background: Hames has been a dominant force in the WPIAL since midway through her freshman season when she took over in the circle and led Seneca Valley to a WPIAL Class 6A championship, the program’s first since 1999. Hames earned Trib HSSN Player of the Year honors as a sophomore when she ended up with a record of 17-2 with a 0.45 ERA and a 0.48 WHIP. In 122 innings pitched, she faced 445 batters and struck out 269 of them. She allowed 30 walks and 25 hits and opposing hitters batted .066 against her. She has already committed to playing her college ball at Clemson.

2024 Trib HSSN Softball Players of the Week:

Week 1 – Sydney Sekely, South Park

Tags: Seneca Valley