Schuylkill League Softball Playoffs Preview Capsules
Pine Grove's Callee Leffler bats during a game against Tri-Valley on April 19 at Hegins Park. Catching for the Bulldogs is Lydia Rodichok. (Photo by Bob Lipsky)
Schuylkill League Softball Playoffs
Preview Capsules
Schedule
All games at Blue Mountain’s Patton Field
Monday, May 12
Quarterfinals
Division I No. 3 Tamaqua (14-6) vs. Division II No. 2 Tri-Valley (14-5), 4 p.m.
Division I No. 2 Pine Grove (18-2) vs. Division II No. 3 Schuylkill Haven (15-5), 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 13
Semifinals
PG/SH winner vs. Division II champion Williams Valley (19-1), 4:30 p.m. (WPPA 1360 AM/A-106 105.9 FM broadcast: JZ on play by play, Bob Lipsky on color)
Tam/TV winner vs. Division I champion North Schuylkill (15-3), 6:30 p.m. (WPPA 1360 AM/A-106 105.9 FM broadcast: JZ on play by play, Bob Lipsky on color)
Thursday, May 15
Championship
Semifinal winners, 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $6 for adults, $3 for students No Senior Citizen discount. Cash at the gate.
About North Schuylkill (15-3)
Head coach: Jack Flynn, 1st season (15-3)
How they got here: No. 1 seed from Division I with 12-2 league record
Key players: P-SS Brigid Flynn, jr. (.517, 2 HR, 24 RBIs; pitching — 8-2, 2.36 ERA); C Lindsay Brouse, sr. (.500, 2 HR, 23 RBIs); 1B Jordanna Frie, jr. (.473, 4 HR, 24 RBIs); LF Lyza Holmes, jr. (.400, 1 HR, 13 RBIs); P-SS Olivia Jones, jr. (.460, 2 HR, 22 RBIs; pitching — 6-1, 1.64 ERA); SS-UTIL Gianna Capone, soph. (.422, 13 RBIs)
Schuylkill League history (since 2009): Making seventh appearance in program history. Beat Marian 3-1 in last year’s quarterfinals, lost to eventual champion Blue Mountain 4-1 in semifinals. League champion in 2021.
Fast facts: Spartans are back to scoring runs in bunches; they’ve been in double figures in 11-of-18 games. … They’re batting .412 as a team. … Went 3-1 against other playoff teams, beating Pine Grove twice (6-5 and 2-0), and splitting with Tamaqua. … When North Schuylkill swings the bats and catches the ball on defense, the Spartans are tough to beat.
About Pine Grove (18-2)
Head coach: Ryan Leffler, 12th season (200-62)
How they got here: No. 2 seed from Division I with 12-2 league record
Key players: CF Callee Leffler, jr. (.554, 43 R, 4 HR, 21 RBIs, 27 SB); 2B Hannah Aungst, jr. (.407, 36 R, 10 2B, 17 RBIs, 15 SB); 1B Madison Shiffer, sr. (.500, 4 HR, 41 RBIs, 11 2B); P-DP Jamie Dinger, soph. (.407, 3 HR, 21 RBIs; pitching — 7-1, 0.76 ERA, 46 IP, 94 K); P-DP Chelcy Clark, soph. (pitching — 11-1, 1.61 ERA, 74 IP, 93 K)
Schuylkill League history (since 2009): Making 12th appearance in program history. Beat Williams Valley 5-3 in last year’s quarterfinals, lost 2-1 to Tri-Valley in semifinals. League champion in 2010, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019.
Fast facts: Went 4-2 against other playoff teams. Got swept by North Schuylkill (6-5 and 2-0) to finish second in Division I. … Own wins over Tamaqua (7-0 and 9-2), Williams Valley (9-2) and Tri-Valley (4-2). … One of the best pitching staffs in the playoffs with a 1.28 team ERA and 11 shutouts. … Pitching, defense and short game have been their calling “Cards” for decades. … Went out of Schuylkill League and beat Class 6As Whitehall (9-4) and Northampton (8-2). … Pine Grove should have the edge in experience against Schuylkill Haven, which is making its first trip to the league playoffs, and will want to make the Hurricanes play fast. … Especially Florida State recruit Callee Leffler, who can take over a game with any of her five tools.
About Schuylkill Haven (15-5)
Head coach: Garry Adams, 7th season (73-55)
How they got here: No. 3 seed from Division II with 11-3 league record
Key players: SS Teagan Wehr, sr. (.509, 32 R, 2 HR, 15 RBIs); 1B Joie Schoffstall, soph. (.458, 13 R, 12 RBIs); P-RF Allie Scherer, soph. (pitching — 7-2, 3.31 ERA, 48.2 IP, 63 K); P-RF Grace Line, soph. (pitching — 7-3, 3.75 ERA, 59.2 IP, 66 K), CF Ally Becker, soph. (.390, 3 HR, 24 RBIs)
Schuylkill League history (since 2009): Making first appearance in program history.
Fast facts: The league playoffs are new territory for the Hurricanes, so they will have to handle their nerves against Pine Grove. … Tested themselves with their schedule and have wins over Tamaqua (1-0) and Tri-Valley (6-5, 8 inn.). Haven also fell to Tri-Valley (3-2) and twice to Williams Valley (11-3 and 16-1, 3 inn.). … Defense will be severely tested by Pine Grove’s bunting and running. … The Hurricanes struggled against good pitching, so they’ll need to generate some offense to take down the Cardinals.
About Tamaqua (14-6)
Head coach: Tony Zancofsky, 3rd season (23-37)
How they got here: No. 3 seed from Division I with 10-4 league record
Key players: 1B Ceanna Gormley, jr. (.414, 18 R, 17 RBIs); SS Nico Conahan, fr. (.406, 24 R); 3B Leah Crowley, sr. (.404, 2 HR, 20 RBIs); 2B Kolbe Robb, sr. (.403, 19 R, 11 RBIs); P-OF Naomi Knitter, fr. (pitching — 9-2, 1.83 ERA, 69 IP, 93 K); P-OF Peyton Faust, fr. (5-3, 2.23 ERA, 47 IP, 69 K)
Schuylkill League history (since 2009): Making fourth appearance in program history. Lost 7-3 to Pine Grove in 2017 final.
Fast facts: Rebounding from a 3-17 season in 2004, the Blue Raiders broke their league playoff drought (2017). … One of hottest teams in the league with seven straight victories. … Swept Blue Mountain (1-0 and 4-3 on consecutive days) to knock the Eagles out of playoff contention. … Also have wins over North Schuylkill (4-3) and Tri-Valley (8-2). … The freshman trio of Conahan, Knitter and Faust have meshed with five senior starters; Tamaqua will be a tough out in leagues and districts.
About Tri-Valley (14-5)
Head coach: Marty Shade, 34th season (530-206)
How they got here: No. 2 seed from Division II with 11-3 league record
Key players: SS Cassi Snyder, sr. (.462, 28 R); P-UTIL Alina Leonard, fr. (.451, 27 R, 2 HR, 17 RBIs; pitching — 3-1, 2.55 ERA, 22 IP, 36 K); 2B Mady Schwalm, sr. (.460, 3 HR, 25 RBIs); 3B Liv Witmer, soph. (.538, 3 HR, 29 RBIs); P-UTIL Myah Schwalm, fr. (pitching — 2-1, 3.94 ERA); P-1B Kora Rodichok, sr. (pitching — 8-2, 4.09 ERA, 53 IP, 63 K)
Schuylkill League history (since 2009): Making eighth appearance in program history. Beat Pine Grove 2-1 in last year’s semifinals, lost 6-5 in 9 innings to Blue Mountain in championship game. League champion in 2009, 2013, 2022.
Fast facts: Dawgs have been a little up and down this season, giving Williams Valley (7-5) one of its best games of the season, then falling to the Vikings (15-0 in 3 inn.) the second time around … Split with Schuylkill Haven but got the No. 2 seed in Division II because of a higher District 11 rating … Strong hitting club with a .422 team batting average, but pitching and defense must be better to advance in the postseason. … Will get senior 1B Ellie Dunkelberger back from injury, but starters Summer Cupsta-Klinger and Mia Artz likely are lost for the season.
About Williams Valley (19-1)
Head coach: Ryan Underkoffler, 9th season (159-37)
How they got here: No. 1 seed from Division II with 14-0 league record
Key players: SS Ella Kobularik, jr. (.526, 36 R, 19 RBIs); CF Kayla Hand, sr. (.420, 38 R, 19 RBIs); P-1B Sage Smeltz, sr. (.613, 6 HR, 46 RBIs; pitching — 11-0, 1.35 ERA, 57 IP, 65 K); C Quin Smeltz, jr. (.492, 3 HR, 31 RBIs); 1B Audrina Fry, sr. (.537, 28 R, 2 HR, 20 RBIs); 3B-P Olivia Hand, soph. (.373, 20 RBIs; pitching — 3-1, 3.00 ERA); 2B Ally Underkoffler, sr. (.588, 22 RBIs); RF Delaney Bixler, jr. (.409, 17 R, 14 SB); P-DP Kamri Koppenhaver, soph. (pitching — 5-0, 0.82 ERA)
