Blue Mountain's Emily Leonard (24) and Emmerson Frie (33) celebrate after Leonard pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam against North Schuylkill on March 26, 2026, at Patton Field. The Eagles defeated the Spartans 4-1. (Photo by Bob Lipsky)

ORWIGSBURG — Blue Mountain went through some growing pains last season with a young, inexperienced roster.

Well, a year later, the Eagles are still a pretty young club, but they’re not inexperienced any longer. Starting seven players with at least one season in the lineup — including a few three-and four-year starters — Blue Mountain has the makings of a team on the rise again. The Eagles have proven that in the early going, knocking off Emmaus last week and rallying past North Schuylkill 4-1 in a Schuylkill League Division I game on a sunny, warm Thursday afternoon at Patton Field.

“We’ve just got to keep fighting, keep battling,” second-year Blue Mountain coach Paul Leonard said. “We didn’t want the moment to be too big going into this game so early in the season. We’re trying to figure out who we are as a team, but the girls continue to fight and work hard, and that’s all that I can ask of them. I’m just proud of their effort.”

Sophomore Emily Leonard held the powerful North Schuylkill bats at bay, and Anna Borden’s two-run single keyed a four-run third inning that turned the game Blue Mountain’s way.

“I was really excited about that,” said Borden, who started at designated player on the PIAA Class 4A state championship team in 2024. “I wasn’t trying to do too much. I wasn’t trying to hit a homer or anything, just doing my job as a hitter in the moment, just doing what I’ve been working hard for.

“I was a captain last year as well, and I just feel like this year having a little bit more experience, I’m just trying to be the best leader I can for this team,” Borden added. “We have a lot of  good girls that want to work hard, that want to make the best out of this season, and want to go far in playoffs. So I’m excited with what this team can do.”

This early season showdown pitted Blue Mountain (5-0, 2-0 D-I) against defending division champion and PIAA quarterfinalist North Schuylkill (4-1, 1-1). The clash didn’t disappoint as both teams played at a high level in a late-March contest with a late-May playoff feel.

North Schuylkill struck first in the second inning. Jordanna Frie led off with a sharp single to center field, and Gianna Capone walked. The runners advanced to second and third on Malloree Croker’s groundout, and Olivia Jones rapped an RBI single up the middle. Jones stole second base to put runners at second and third with one out, but Leonard recorded back-to-back strikeouts to limit the damage.

In the third, the Eagles bunched four hits, a hit batter, three stolen bases and a wild pitch to post a four-spot. Table-setters Addyson Fishburn (single) and Avery Hudock (hit by pitch) started the rally, and they put the pressure on by executing a double steal. Emmerson Frie then hit an RBI single and Borden followed with a two-run single to put Blue Mountain ahead to stay. Borden scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-1.

The Spartans have been bashing opponents so far this season, but Leonard worked the corners and mixed spins to keep North Schuylkill’s batters off balance. She forced some weak contact as the game went on, and shortstop Hailey Place and second baseman Hudock handled some tough chances to record outs.

Still, North Schuylkill threatened big-time in the top of the fifth. Monica Selgrade beat out an infield single; everybody was safe on Lyza Holmes’ ground ball; and Brigid Flynn walked to load the bases with nobody out. Somehow, Leonard worked out of the jam by getting a strikeout, a comebacker for a force at the plate and another comebacker that Leonard flipped to first base for the final out of the inning.

After the Spartans loaded the bases, Leonard retired the final nine batters she faced.

“I wasn’t sure coming into the season where we were going to be,” Paul Leonard said. “That’s a very talented team (in North Schuylkill). Holding them to one run is crazy, working out of the jams we worked out of. I’m really proud of the way they didn’t buckle under pressure and just kept going to work.”

Game Summary

NORTH SCHUYLKILL (1) — Selgrade cf 4 0 1 0, Holmes lf 4 0 1 0, Flynn p 3 0 0 0, K. Nahodil cr 0 0 0 0, Frie 1b 2 1 1 0, Capone c 2 0 0 0, Croker 3b 3 0 0 0, Jones dp 3 0 1 1, Miscannon ss 3 0 1 0, Cuttic rf 3 0 0 0, Fidler 2b 0 0 0 0. Totals 27 1 5 1.

BLUE MOUNTAIN (4) — Fishburn cf 3 1 2 0, Av. Hudock 2b 2 1 1 0, Frie c 3 0 1 1, Phillips cr 0 1 0 0, Borden 1b 3 1 1 2, Place ss 3 0 1 0, Koch rf 3 0 0 0, Reilly 3b 2 0 1 0, Manbeck dp 3 0 0 0, Vincent lf 3 0 0 0, Leonard p 0 0 0 0. Totals 25 4 7 3.

E — North Schuylkill 1, Blue Mountain 0

LOB — North Schuylkill 8, Blue Mountain 5

2B — Av. Hudock, Fishburn

SB — Jones, Fishburn, Av. Hudock, Phillips

SAC — Reilly

North Schuylkill

Blue Mountain

HBP — by Flynn (Av. Hudock). WP — Flynn. T — 1:35.

Pine Grove 12, Tamaqua 1

TAMAQUA — Jamie Dinger sparked Pine Grove with her arm and her bat as the Cardinals defeated Tamaqua in a Division I contest.

In the circle, Dinger hurled five innings, allowing two hits and one unearned run. She struck out nine and walked none. At the plate, Dinger went 4-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBIs and a run scored.

Callee Leffler added a 2-for-3 day with a double, a home run, two runs and one RBI. Other top hitters for Pine Grove included Hannah Aungst, 2-for-4 with a double and two runs; Tailyn Bohr, 2-for-3 with two runs; Meadow Umbenhauer, 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored; and Khloe Jessman, 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored.

Ceanna Gormley singled and scored a run for the Blue Raiders.

Dinger, Aungst (6) and Bohr; Knitter, Bumbulsky (4), Faust (6) and Evans. W – Dinger (3-0). L – Knitter (1-1).

Hits: Pine Grove – Leffler 2, Aungst 2, Dinger 4, Bohr 2, Umbenhauer 2, Jessman 2, Clark. Tamaqua – Gormley, Zrinski.

2B – Dinger, Umbenhauer, Aungst, Leffler. HR – Dinger, Leffler, Jessman.

Pottsville 14, Lourdes 0 

POTTSVILLE — Jayden Moyer pitched a two-hit shutout, striking out 11 and walking none, as Pottsville cruised past Lourdes in a Division I game at the CACL Complex.

Megan Yost paced the Crimson Tide’s 20-hit attack by going 4-for-4 with two doubles, four runs scored and two RBIs. Jes Siminitus added a 2-for-3 day with a double, a triple, one run and one RBI, while Peyton Eckert went 2-for-3 with a triple, two runs and two RBIs.

Karlee Kalovcak, Izzy Kunstek, Jo Barnhart, Rose Russell and Addison Skripko added two hits apiece for Pottsville.

Adams, Wydra (3) and Fuller; Moyer and Wessner. W – Moyer (1-0). L – Adams (0-1).

Hits: Lourdes – Adams, Cherry. Pottsville – Siminitus 2, Kalovcak 2, Borger, Kunstek 2, Yost 4, Eckert 2, Barnhart 2, Russell 2, Skripko 2, Hermany.

2B – Yost 2, Siminitus. 3B – Siminitus, Eckert.

Tri-Valley 7, Schuylkill Haven 3 

HEGINS — Amber Lettich pitched a complete-game three-hitter to lead Tri-Valley to a Division II win over Schuylkill Haven.

Lettich struck out five and walked one. All three runs she allowed were unearned.

Alina Leonard powered the offense by going 3-for-4 with three doubles and three runs scored. Lydia Rodichok went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored.

Other top hitters for the Bulldogs included Savanah Stiely, 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI; and Kenzie Tobin, 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

For the Hurricanes, Joie Schoffstall went 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.

Schoffstall, Scherer (6) and Strencoski; Lettich and Rodichok. W – Lettich (1-0). L – Schoffstall (1-1).

Hits: Schuylkill Haven – Scherer, Schoffstall, Mull. Tri-Valley – Leonard 3, Stiely 2, Witmer, Schwalm, Rodichok 2, Wehry, Tobin 2.

2B – Schoffstall, Rodichok, Tobin, Leonard 3, Schwalm.

Minersville 12, Nativity 3 

POTTSVILLE — Eila O’Brien singled, doubled, drove in four runs and scored twice to power Minersville past Nativity in a Division II game atop Lawton’s Hill.

Sara McGrath also produced for the Miners, going 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. Bella Cruz went 2-for-4 with two RBIs; Paige Laudeman went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored; and Rilynn Brennan went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.

Kyra Krapf went 2-for-3 with a run scored for Nativity.

Cali Laudeman pitched a complete game for Minersville, striking out four and walking two.

Laudeman and McGrath; Stankavage and Clark. W – Laudeman (1-1). L – Stankavage (0-1).

Hits: Minersville – Sterner, Rizzardi, McGrath 2, O’Brien 2, Cruz 2, Tripp, Herb, P. Laudeman 2, Brennan 2. Nativity – Rushannon, Covell, Clark, Krapf 2, Ricard, Zulick.

2B – O’Brien, P. Laudeman Sterner. 3B – Herb.

Williams Valley 18, Shenandoah Valley 0 

SHENANDOAH — Liv Hand and Mallory Mace combined on a three-inning perfect game as Williams Valley defeated Shenandoah Valley in a Division II game at Bicentennial Park.

Hand pitched two innings and struck out two; Mace fanned two in one inning of work.

Megan Perhach and Kamri Koppenhaver powered the offense. Perhach went 2-for-2 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored for the Vikings, who scored 12 runs in the first inning. Koppenhaver went 2-for-3 with three runs and three RBIs.

Other top hitters for Williams Valley included Cierra Brill, 2-for-2 with two runs and one RBI; and Quin Smeltz, 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.

Hand, Mace (3) and Smeltz; Troutman and Chagolla. W – Hand (2-0). L – Troutman (0-1).

Hits: Williams Valley – Kobularik, Brill 2, Hand, Smeltz 2, Koppenhaver 2, Perhach 2, Mace, Underkoffler. Shenandoah Valley – None.

2B – Perhach. 3B – Hand.

Marian 6, Weatherly 0 

WEATHERLY — Emily Upanavage hurled a four-hit shutout, striking out 12 and walking one to propel Marian past Weatherly in a Division II game.

Upanavage helped herself by hitting a home run and driving in two runs.

Gracie Sendatch added a 2-for-4 day with an RBI, while DeAnna Pugh and Hailey Treskolasky scored two runs apiece for the Fillies.

Abby Binder struck out eight in a complete-game effort for the Wreckers.

Upanavage and Treskolasky; Binder and Makowiec. W – Upanavage (1-0). L – Binder (1-1).

Hits: Marian – Sendatch 2, Treskolasky, Upanavage, Knock. Weatherly – Weston, Makowiec, Caldwell, Biles.

2B – Knock. HR – Upanavage.

Mahanoy Area 16, Panther Valley 3 

MAHANOY CITY — Naomi Kowalick went 4-for-4 with two doubles, four RBIs and three runs scored to power Mahanoy Area past Panther Valley in a Division I game. The Golden Bears broke the game open with a 12-run fourth inning.

Callie Zubris also shined for Mahanoy Area, going 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored. Other top hitters for the Bears included Cadence Poslosky, 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs; Hailey Mroczka, 2-for-3 with a triple, three runs and one RBI; Allison Killian, 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI; and Ella Connolly, 2-for-4 with two runs.

Janessa Prudente went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI for the Panthers. Danika Blazosky added a 2-for-3 day with a run scored.

Alabovitz, Goida (4), Prudente (4) and Prudente, Breiner (4); Carl and Mrozcka. W – Carl (1-1). L – Alabovitz (0-1).

Hits: Panther Valley – Blazosky 2, Prudente 2, D’Ancona, Pierce. Mahanoy Area – Poslosky 2, Mroczka 2, Kowalick 4, Zubris 2, Killian 3, Connolly 2, Scully, Davis.

2B – Zubris, Kowalick 2. 3B – Mroczka. HR – Zubris.