Pine Grove head coach Ryan Leffler, pitcher Jamie Dinger (99) and other Cardinals gather during the PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal victory over Kutztown on June 5 at Exeter Township High School. (Photo by Bob Lipsky)

PIAA Softball Playoffs

Championship Preview Capsule

Class 3A

11-1 Pine Grove (26-2) vs. 6-1 Bald Eagle Area (22-3)

When: Friday, 1:30 p.m.

Where: Nittany Lion Softball Park, Penn State University

Radio: WPPA 1360 AM/A-106 105.9 FM live broadcast (JZ on play-by-play, Bob Lipsky on color commentary)

TV: Pennsylvania Cable Network will air the game on tape delay.

Tickets: All tickets are $8 (plus applicable fees) and must be purchased online at www.piaa.org. All spectators must purchase a ticket. There is no senior citizen discount.

About Pine Grove

Nickname: Cardinals

Head coach: Ryan Leffler

How they got here: District 11 champion defeated District 3 third-place Trinity 7-2 in first round, District 3 runner-up Kutztown 10-8 in 10 innings in quarterfinals and District 2 champion Mid Valley 3-0 in semifinals.

Key players: CF Callee Leffler, jr. (.543, 59 R, 8 HR, 29 RBIs, 36 SB); SS Hannah Aungst, jr. (.325, 40 R, 12 2B, 22 RBIs, 16 SB); 1B Madison Shiffer, sr. (.449, 15 2B, 5  HR, 48 RBIs); RF Addison Zimmerman, sr. (.418, 20 R, 9 2B, 24 RBIs); P-DP Jamie Dinger, soph. (.360, 3 HR, 23 RBIs; pitching — 12-1, 0.72 ERA, 87.2 IP, 38 H, 17 R, 9 ER, 16 BB, 150 K); C Tailyn Bohr, jr. (.342, 16 R, 13 RBIs); P-DP Chelcy Clark, soph. (.341, 1 HR, 21 RBIs; pitching — 14-1, 1.94 ERA, 90.1 IP, 53 H, 28 R, 25 ER, 31 BB, 101 K); 2B Lily Flynn, soph. (.244, 12 R, 1 HR, 14 RBIs); 3B Meadow Umbenhauer, soph. (.293, 23 R, 13 RBIs)

Fun Facts: Cardinals have just two seniors in starting lineup. Shiffer has committed to play softball at Lebanon Valley College. Zimmerman has committed to play basketball and run cross country at Penn State Schuylkill. … Dinger and Clark have formed a formidable pitching duo. They’re often used in the same game. Against Kutztown, Dinger started, and Ryan Leffler made four pitching changes. The experience they gained as freshmen provided a great foundation for their growth in the circle. … Zimmerman, Leffler and Umbenhauer are three-sport athletes, while Shiffer, Aungst and Flynn play two sports apiece. … Some Callee Leffler career numbers: .558 batting average, 136 runs, 125 hits, 23 doubles, 31 triples, 20 home runs, 81 RBIs, 77 stolen bases. She’s walked 55 times and struck out four. … Callee Leffler (125), Shiffer (121) and Zimmerman (105) reached the 100-hit milestone this season. Shiffer also has 133 career RBIs. … Making third appearance in the state finals (1-1). The Cardinals lost 4-2 to South Park in 2017 and defeated Bald Eagle Area 7-3 to complete an undefeated season in 2019.

About Bald Eagle Area 

Nickname: Eagles

Head coach: Don Lucas

How they got here: District 6 champion ousted District 7 third-place Avonworth 8-2 in first round, topped District 9 champion St. Marys 4-1 in quarterfinals and shut out District 3 champion Susquenita 5-0 in semifinals.

Key players: P Sierra Albright, sr. (.350, 16 RBIs; 22-3, 0.74 ERA, 160 IP, 71 H, 25 R, 17 ER, 34 BB, 274 K); C Kailey Eckert, sr. (.451, 30 R, 37 H, 7 2B, 6 RBIs); RF Alexa Baney, sr. (.419, 23 R, 2 HR, 22 RBIs); LF Sydney Thompson, sr. (.372, 24 R, 3 HR, 17 RBIs); 3B Raelee Repasky, soph. (.342, 16 R, 9 2B, 2 HR, 18 RBIs);  CF Taylor Habovick, sr. (.324, 18 R, 3 HR, 24 RBIs); 2B Maelee Yoder, soph. (.315, 19 R, 1 HR, 13 RBIs); 1B Kendall Gavlock, soph. (.314, 1 HR, 6 RBIs); SS Addisyn Burns, jr. (.284, 19 R, 2 HR, 18 RBIs)

Fun Facts: Eagles are making their eighth appearance in the state finals (2-5). They defeated Brandywine Heights twice, 6-0 in 2005 and 2-0 in 2009, for their two state titles. In other finals, BEA lost 3-0 to Mifflinburg in 2004, 3-2 in eight innings to Loyalsock in 2008, 13-5 to Central Columbia in 2014, 7-3 to Pine Grove in 2019 and 12-1 in six innings to Everett in 2023. … Lucas has been the Eagles’ coach for decades and brings tons of experience to this level. … School located in Wingate, just 17 miles (25 minutes) from State College. … Albright has committed to Division I Morgan State University.

Game Notes / Breakdown

Two frequent qualifiers for the state playoffs. Last meeting came in the 2019 state final. The Cardinals rallied late to pull out a 7-3 victory. … Ryan Leffler took the helm of the Pine Grove Area softball program in 2014. Since then, the Cardinals have a 207-62 record (.770 winning percentage). His teams have won four Schuylkill League titles, four District 11 championships and one state crown. … BEA’s Albright surpassed 1,000 career strikeouts in the semifinal win over Susquenita in which she hurled a one-hit shutout, struck out 12 and walked none. Pine Grove will have to use its short game and get its top hitters to rise to the occasion against a tough customer. The Cards have done a good job being disciplined at the plate. They must bring Albright into the strike zone, and when they get a pitch to hit, do damage. … The Eagles don’t score much, but they don’t have to with Albright and an airtight defense that is listed with seven errors all season. … Pine Grove may be down in a game, but it’s never out. Rallied for six runs in seventh inning to extend game against Kutztown. Then Cards erupted for four more runs in the 10th. They also rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to beat Palisades 2-1 in the District 11 final. … Pine Grove played its best game of the season against Mid Valley in the semifinals; if the Cardinals pitch, play defense and produce runs like they can, they will be in the ballgame and have a chance to win. … The keys at the plate will be getting good bunts down, hitting strikes and laying off riseballs. … Callee Leffler, a Florida State recruit, must get on base for Pine Grove’s offense to operate at its best. She had a double, a triple, an intentional walk, two runs and one RBI against Mid Valley in the semifinals. … BEA has eight hitters with a .300 or better batting average; it’s hitting .349 as a team. … Eagles won the East Division of the Laurel Highlands Conference with an 11-1 record, falling only to Penns Valley in league play. BEA avenged that loss with a 3-2 win in the District 6 quarterfinals. The Eagles then defeated Marion Center 1-0 in the semifinals and Philipsburg-Osceola 8-0 in the final. … Played tough schedule, with wins over state qualifiers Philipsburg-Osceola (twice), Bellefonte and South Williamsport. Losses to Huntington (4-1), Williamsport (7-4) and Central Cambria (5-4). … In state semifinal win over Susquenita, Eckert went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI, while Burns hit a solo home run. … BEA has won 17 in a row; Pine Grove has won 11 straight.