Down by one run in the top of the fifth inning, Hempfield Area was in a prime position to tie or take the lead.

A double by Maggie Howard put runners at second and third with one out against North Penn ace pitcher Julia Shearer. But in only four pitches, Shearer retired Claire Mitchell on an infield pop up and got Lauren Howard to ground out to third to end the threat. It would be the closest the Spartans would get to cracking the two-time Gatorade Player of the Year.

Shearer tossed her 23rd shutout of the season leading the District 1 champion Knights to their fifth PIAA championship beating the Spartans 1-0 at Penn State's Beard Field Thursday.

As expected, the game featured a pitchers duel between Shearer and Hempfield Area sophomore Riley Miller who was also razor sharp.

The only blemish against Miller came in the fourth inning. After retiring the first two batters, Gianna Cimino smacked a double to right-center field and Sophia Orth followed with a double to nearly the same spot to drive in Cimino and give North Penn a 1-0 advantage.

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The Spartans (21-4) had a runner at second base in the second and sixth innings but couldn't come up with the big hit against Shearer who finished with nine strikeouts. The Maryland commit closes her unbelievable senior season with a 0.21 ERA allowing only five earned runs in 166 innings.

“We had opportunities,” Hempfield Area head coach Tina Madison said. “All year long, we came through. She is an excellent pitcher. Not many pitchers can shut us down.”

Miller whiffed three batters and walked two while allowing seven hits in a tough luck loss. She surrendered just two runs in four PIAA playoff contests.

Mitchell, Sarah Podkul, Allison Cervola and Maggie Howard accounted for the four Hempfield Area hits.

North Penn (28-0) wins its second PIAA title in three years.

The Spartans, denied their fifth PIAA title, expect to be contenders again next year as they lose only three seniors to graduation.