Mike Vukovcan Hopewell coach Morgan Singletary has a luxury that not many teams in the entire WPIAL have and that’s true  quality depth at starting pitching.
The reality is that most teams in the WPIAL have an ace and after maybe another pitcher that can provide quality innings from time to time.
Hopewell softball and youth baseball is sponsored by Lisa McCoy, your neighborhood State Farm agent.
This 2026 Hopewell team has a lot more than that as they have two aces in senior Kingston Krotec and Ben McDonald. Fortunately for Hopewell it doesn’t end there.
Senior right-hander Payton Korker is someone that without a doubt would be the at the very least, the No. 2 pitcher in nearly all rotations and possibly the ace.
Because of Krotec and McDonald, Korker is Hopewell’s #3 pitcher and it’s a role that he’s been exceptional at this season and that continued tonight.
Korker got the start tonight for Hopewell as they closed out the regular season with a non-section game against West Allegheny at Washington Wild Things Park.
In a game that he’ll remember forever, ‘PK’ completely shut down West Allegheny in a 4-0 victory.
Korker went 6.2 innings, allowing just 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 walk and struck out 9 batters. In a classy move, Singletary brought in senior James Gill with 2 outs to close things out, which he did.
“Tonight’s game felt amazing,” Korker tells Vikings Sports Now. “It meant so much to me to pitch this game. It has become a Hopewell tradition to go to the Wild Things stadium for Senior Night. Last year, David Medich pitched and pitched very, very well, so I just wanted to do the same. I went into the game wanting to make my mark, and I did just that. That is definitely an all-time game for me and a game I will never forget.”
The win improved Hopewell’s overall record to 14-5, their most wins since winning 14 games in their WPIAL championship season of 2023.
The other impressive aspect to this win was that it was over a very solid 5A program in West Allegheny, that finished in second place in their section. This season, Hopewell has non-section wins over Avonworth, Montour, Shaler, Shenango and now West Allegheny That’s something the WPIAL Baseball playoff committee should keep in mind when seeding Hopewell tomorrow.
HOPEWELL/WEST ALLEGHENY GAME RECAP-
Bottom of 1st: Korker strikes out the side (2 swinging, 1 looking)
Hopewell senior pitcher Payton Korker
Bottom of 2nd: 1 on and 1 out, the inning ends on an unassisted double play to shortstop Drew Donovan.
Bottom of 3rd: Korker records two more strikeouts and an inning ending groundball to Donovan.
Top of 4th: Charlie Smetana leads off with a single to center field, one of two hits tonight for Smetana. Logan Triscila followed with a single to right field. Javion Lindsey (who pinch ran for Smetana) and Triscila moved up on a wild pitch and Lindsey would score on an RBI single by Gill. Triscila, who advanced to third base on Gill’s hit, would then score on another wild pitch. Hopewell led 2-0.
Bottom of 4th: Another 1-2-3 inning for Korker as out #1 came on a strike out, out #2 on a flyout to James Armstrong in left field and the inning ended on a groundout to Donovan at short. Hopewell up 2-0.
Top of 5th: Armstrong started things with a walk. Kingston Krotec came to the plate and hit a line drive to center field, which got past the center fielder and all the way to the wall. Krotec was able to motor all the way around the bases for an inside the park home run, Hopewell now led 4-0.
Bottom of 5th: A 1-2-3 fifth inning, courtesy a groundout to Donovan and two pop ups (Triscila and Colin Davis).
Bottom of 6th: Korker struck out the first two batters of the inning and after allowing a walk, PK ended the inning on a flyout to Krotec in right field.
Bottom of 7th: The first out in the last inning came on a groundout to Triscila at first base. After allowing a 1-out double, Korker struck out the next batter. HC Singletary came to the mound and brought in Gill and 4 pitches later, the game ended on a flyout to Ben McDonald in center field.
FINAL SCORE: HOPEWELL 4 WEST ALLEGHENY 0
“WINNING IS FUN”
Hopewell and the rest of the teams that qualified for the WPIAL playoffs will now wait until tomorrow afternoon to find out what seed that are and who they’ll face in the playoffs. The WPIAL is expected to release the playoff brackets tomorrow at 1 PM.
The top 3 seeds in 4A (teams that finished in first place) will receive 1st round byes. Taking in factors such as their overall record, quality of section and impressive non-section wins, Hopewell should be looking at either a #4 or #5 seed.
Regardless of what seed they’re given; Hopewell is entering the playoffs hot and Korker believes his team has a legitimate chance to bring the WPIAL championship back to Hopewell.
“Our team is feeling really confident right now,” said Korker. “Finishing 14-5 in the regular season shows how much hard work we have put in all season. Especially after going 5-14 last season. The mindset going into the playoffs is to stay focused and just play our game. We are taking it one game at a time, but the whole team has one goal in mind, a WPIAL championship.”
