By Hayden Schultz, New Castle News

The Mohawk Area School District’s new softball field saved Laurel and Neshannock a long bus ride for their Monday state semifinal game.

With Mohawk’s field acting as a neutral location, Laurel was deemed home but it was the Lady Lancers who came away with a 1-0 win to advance to Friday’s PIAA Class 2A title game.

The dual turfing project for Mohawk’s baseball and softball fields saw costs of approximately $2.24 million. The softball field renovation received everything from an entirely new artificial turf playing surface to dugouts and backstop netting. The baseball field received a new turf infield and similar amenities, but the outfield remains grass.

“I think it absolutely was the hope to build something that would allow us to do this,” Mohawk Athletic Director Matt LaPorte said. “We would love to have our team play this Monday obviously,” he added, but also said the school district “couldn’t be happier in year one” to have won the WPIAL Class 3A championship in addition to hosting the PIAAL 2A semifinal.

Mohawk softball’s season ended in the first round of the PIAA Class 3A playoffs after winning its program’s first softball WPIAL championship.

Neshannock and Laurel met in the 2022 state semifinals in a game that was played at Westminster College.

The new turf surface played a role in determining the outcome of the 2A semifinal, according to Laurel coach Frank Duddy, after a drizzle began during warmups and continued throughout the game.

“I fully believe the wet turf got us in the first inning,” he said. 

The drizzle lasted for around an hour before the sun intermittently broke through the clouds in the last two innings.

Throughout the game, pitchers on both sides could be seen wiping their hands between throws and a plethora of dry softballs were kept in rotation between pitches. Players were also occasionally sliding over bases due to the slickness of the wet, newly set turf.

Mohawk’s baseball field is currently under construction and a final end date is not known, according to LaPorte. He said it should be ready for next season.

Hayden Schultz is a student at Slippery Rock University and one of 10 Pittsburgh Media Partnership summer interns. Hayden is interning with the New Castle News.