The Hempfield Black Knights are heading to the PIAA State Baseball Semi-finals.

Click on above photo for game highlights.

Their starting pitcher Brody Gebhard threw a No-hitter to put Hempfield into the State Semi-finals.

Final score was 3-0 Hempfield over McDowell.

Their record for the year is now 20-6. And they are two wins away from the state title in baseball. Something they have never reached.

Click on the photo below for the final pitch.

Photo of Brody Gebhard The No-Hit Knight.

After one of the most memorable mornings in the history of Hempfield Baseball, it was the undeterred and unphased Hempfield – the Black Knights – who defeated the District 10 Champion McDowell High School, from Erie, by a 3-0 score at sunny Showers Field in historic DuBois, Pennsylvania. The win advances Hempfield to the PIAA 6A State Semi-Finals for the third time in school history. The 2024 Black Knights join the 2004 and 2008 teams who also made it to the 4A State Semi-Finals.

A relaxed and poised Brody Gebhard took the ball for the Black Knights. The right hander turned in a pitching performance that will be remembered for years: complete game shut out; twenty four batters faced; four strikeouts, zero walks, zero hits allowed, zero McDowell runners reached third base and only one reached second base; one hit batsman; 86 pitches. The first batter of the game reached after being hit by a pitch. After that, Gebhard retired thirteen Trojan batters in a row. Despite committing an uncharacteristic four errors, the Hempfield defense did a fine job behind Gebhard – ten outs were recorded on infield assists and the Black Knight outfield of Hostetter-Sheerer-Ryan Jackson canvassed the turf to record six fly ball putouts.

Offensively, Hempfield had solid contact over the first two innings but nothing to show for their efforts. In the third inning, Dylan Jackson patiently worked a lead off walk and was sacrificed to second base by Logan Dougherty. After a McDowell miscue in the outfield allowed Jackson to advance to third and put Charles Sheerer at first, Josh Toole dug in while Brayden Hostetter waited on deck. Back-to-back singles from Toole and Hostetter scored Jackson and Sheerer to give Hempfield a two run lead after three innings.

Hempfield threated again in the fifth inning as Sheerer, Toole and Hostetter all singled to reach base. Unfortunately, Drew Benchich’s line drive to shortstop was an inning ending double play, and McDowell escaped further damage. The Black Knights were able to add an insurance run in the sixth when Camden Hulock doubled to left to lead off the inning. Connor Maisano, running for Hulcok, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Dylan Jackson’s deftly placed single to right.

With the win, Hempfield is 22-6 on the season and 12-3 in Section One play. It is the 869th win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.

Below is a photo of the battery – Brady Gebhard and his catcher, Josh Toole, who was a star at the plate offensively and defensively.

More info later on this game.

Hempfield won the District 3, Class 6A baseball title last week.

They are on a run!!

Here is a photo of team after winning Districts:

Here are the brackets for the District 3 Title: