Schuylkill Haven's Joie Schoffstall pitches to Minersville's Grace Sterner during a Schuylkill League Division II softball game March 31, 2026, in Schuylkill Haven. (Photo by Bob Lipsky)

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Wild doesn’t even begin to describe this one.

Rallying from behind all afternoon, Schuylkill Haven finally outlasted Minersville 12-11 on Tuesday in a Schuylkill League Division II softball game that began in bright sunshine and ended under ominous, dark clouds.

In a minute under 2 hours, the Battlin’ Miners and Hurricanes combined for 23 runs, 31 hits, seven errors and 24 runners left on base.

When center fielder Octavia Houvig ran down Calleigh Tripp’s drive deep to the gap in right-center field, Schuylkill Haven had the 21st out and a big division victory. Minersville had two runners on base — the potential tying and go-ahead runs — and both of them would have scored had Houvig been unable to make the catch.

Riding a three-game winning streak, Minersville (3-3, 2-1 D-II) held leads of 4-0 after three innings and 7-4 after 5 and a half but couldn’t hold on. Schuylkill Haven (3-3, 2-1) snapped a two-game skid and got back to .500 on the strength of an eight-run outburst in the bottom of the sixth inning.

“I’m still optimistic. This is the way this season has gone for us because of how young we are,” Schuylkill Haven coach Garry Adams said. “This team is so together with each other. There is no drama on this team. They are looking to help each other. We’re just young, inexperienced, and we made some mistakes.

“One thing they did was they gathered together,” Adams added. “That was all them the last couple innings. That was all the girls that just pulled through when they wanted that (win). They wanted that very badly.”

Early on, it was all Minersville. Sara McGrath’s two-run single and RBI singles by Bella Cruz and Paige Laudeman put the Miners up 4-0 in the third inning. Laudeman had a big day at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a pair of RBIs.

Schuylkill Haven closed the gap on pitcher Joie Schoffstall’s two-run single in the fourth inning and tied it 4-4 on Alli Scherer’s RBI single in the fifth.

Back came the Miners with three runs in the top of the sixth. Bella Rizzardi rapped a two-run single, stole second base and scored on Laudeman’s single to make it 7-4.

Minersville’s lead didn’t last long. The Hurricanes sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning and erupted for an eight-run outburst that put them ahead 12-7 with three outs to go. Kaitlyn Russo’s two-run single and Lexi Mull’s RBI double were the key hits in the inning. Mull finished 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles.

The Miners, though, weren’t done as an error and a walk opened the door for a seventh-inning rally. Rizzardi smacked her second two-run single of the game to cut Haven’s lead to one run, but Schuylkill Haven found a way to record that 21st out.

Game Summary

MINERSVILLE (11) — Sterner 2b 5 1 2 0, McGrath c 5 3 2 2, O’Brien p 4 1 2 0, Mistishen cr 0 2 0 0, C. Laudeman p 0 0 0 0, Cruz lf 4 0 1 2, Rizzardi ss 5 1 2 4, P. Laudeman 3b 5 0 4 2, Tripp rf 4 0 1 0, Herb 1b 3 1 0 0, Moyer ph 1 0 1 0, Brennan cf 4 2 2 0. Totals 40 11 17 10.

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN (12) — Scherer ss 4 2 2 2, Russo 2b 4 2 1 2, Schoffstall p 3 0 2 3, Jenan 3b 4 2 2 2, Mull 1b 5 1 3 1, Locke lf 5 1 1 1, Strencoski c 3 0 0 0, Wade cr 0 0 0 0, Snyder rf 4 2 1 1, Houvig cf 2 2 2 0. Totals 34 12 14 12.

E — Minersville 4, Schuylkill Haven 3

DP — None

LOB — Minersville 11, Schuylkill Haven 13

2B — Sterner, Mull 2, Snyder

SB — Rizzardi, Houvig, Schoffstall, Jenan, Snyder

SF — Schoffstall

Minersville

Schuylkill Haven

HBP — by O’Brien (Schoffstall). WP — O’Brien. PB — McGrath, Strencoski. T — 1:59.

Pine Grove 4, Pottsville 0 

PINE GROVE — Jamie Dinger and Chelcy Clark hurled a one-hit combined shutout to lead Pine Grove past Pottsville in a Division I game at Susan Y. Stump Field.

Dinger went 5.2 innings for the Cardinals, allowing no hits, striking out 13 and walking none. Clark followed with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief.

Dinger added a 2-for-3 at the plate for Pine Grove. Lily Flynn doubled and drove in two runs, while Khloe Jessman went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI for the Cardinals.

Eckert and Wessner; Dinger, Clark (6) and Bohr. W – Dinger (5-0). L – Eckert (2-2).

Hits: Pottsville – Siminitus. Pine Grove – Aungst, Dinger 2, Flynn, Jessman 2, Behrent.

2B – Flynn.

Blue Mountain 15, Mahanoy Area 1 

MAHANOY CITY — Aryana Reilly went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs to lead Blue Mountain to a Division I victory over Mahanoy Area.

Addyson Fishburn also had a big day for the Eagles, going 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBIs and two stolen bases. Karley Koch added a 2-for-3 day with two runs and one RBI; Anna Borden doubled, scored twice and knocked in a run; and Avery Hudock singled, scored a run and drove in two.

Naomi Kowalick went 2-for-3 with a double for Mahanoy Area.

Winning pitcher Emily Leonard tossed three scoreless innings for Blue Mountain. She struck out eight. Leonard helped herself with a single and two RBIs.

Leonard, Whalen (4) and Frie; Carl, Sillers (4) and Poslosky. W – Leonard (6-0). L – Carl (1-2).

Hits: Blue Mountain – Fishburn 2, Av. Hudock, Frie, Borden, Koch 2, Reilly 2, Sweigert, Leonard. Mahanoy Area – Poslosky, Kowalick 2.

2B – Borden, Kowalick.

North Schuylkill 8, Panther Valley 0 

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — Brigid Flynn and Peyton Miscannon combined on a three-hit shutout to lift North Schuylkill over Panther Valley in a Division I contest at Dot Seidel Field.

Flynn struck out six in five innings of work; Miscannon fanned three in her two innings in the circle.

Gianna Capone powered the offense by going 4-for-4 with two RBIs, two stolen bases and a run scored. Flynn added a 2-for-3 day with three runs scored, while Jordanna Frie went 2-for-2 with two runs scored. Malloree Croker and Olivia Jones knocked in two runs apiece for the Spartans, who took a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning.

Goida and Breiner; Flynn, Miscannon (6) and Capone. W – Flynn (4-1). L – Goida (1-2).

Hits: Panther Valley – C. Breslin, D’Ancona, Frets. North Schuylkill – Flynn 2, Frie 2, Capone 4, Miscannon, K. Nahodil.

Tri-Valley 16, Nativity 0 

HEGINS — Alina Leonard and Myah Schwalm combined on a one-hit shutout to lead Tri-Valley to a Division II win over Nativity. Leonard struck out eight in three innings; Schwalm whiffed two in one inning in the circle.

Leonard helped herself by going 2-for-3 with a solo home run and three runs scored.

Liv Witmer powered the offense with a 3-for-4 afternoon that included two doubles, five RBIs and two runs scored. Summer Cupsta went 3-for-3 with two doubles, four runs and one RBI, while Liv Lupole went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for the Bulldogs.

Stankavage, Covell (1) and Clark; Leonard, Schwalm (4) and Rodichok. W – Leonard (1-1). L – Stankavage (0-2).

Hits: Nativity – Leshko. Tri-Valley – Leonard 2, Stiely 2, Cupsta 3, Witmer 3, Schwalm, Rodichok, Lupole 2, Snyder.

2B – Rodichok, Cupsta 2, Schwalm, Witmer 2. HR – Leonard.

Williams Valley 15, Weatherly 0 

TOWER CITY — Kamri Koppenhaver pitched a three-inning no-hitter and struck out six as Williams Valley cruised past Weatherly in a Division II game.

Ella Kobularik paced the offense by going 3-for-3 with three runs and two RBIs for the Vikings. Liv Hand added a 2-for-2 day with a double, a triple, two runs and two RBIs. Quin Smeltz had three RBIs, while Mallory Mace went 2-for-2 with two runs and one RBI for Williams Valley.

Binder, Caldwell (3) and Makowiec; Koppenhaver and Smeltz. W – Koppenhaver (1-0). L – Binder (1-2).

Hits: Weatherly – None. Williams Valley – Kobularik 3, Hand 2, Brill, Shomper, Mace 2, Sorokach, Underkoffler.

2B – Hand. 3B – Hand.

Marian 22, Shenandoah Valley 7 

HOMETOWN — Hailey Treskolasky led a 20-hit attack by going 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, five RBIs and four runs scored as Marian topped Shenandoah Valley in a Division II game.

Malina Letcher went 3-for-3 with four runs and three RBIs for the Fillies; DeAnna Pugh added a 2-for-3 day with four runs and three RBIs.

Gracie Sendatch, Breanne Hopeck, Maggie Turrano and Savannah Sirkot rapped two hits apiece for Marian, which scored 12 runs in the first inning. Turrano had a double and two RBIs, while Sirkot drove in three runs.

Giana Troutman tripled and drove in three runs for the Blue Devils.

Monaghan and Chagolla; Birrer and Trekolasky. W – Birrer (2-1). L – Monaghan (0-2).

Hits: Shenandoah Valley – Troutman, Donovan, Chagolla. Marian – Sendatch 2, Pugh 2, Treskolasky 2, Letcher 3, Upanavage, Hopeck 2, Cannon, Turrano 2, Sirkot 2, Degler, Knock, Birrer.

2B – Donovan, Sandatch, Turrano, Treskolasky, Knock. 3B – Chagolla, Troutman. HR – Treskolasky.

Tamaqua 13, Lourdes 0 

MOUNT CARMEL — Ceanna Gormley went 3-for-3 with two doubles and four runs scored to spark Tamaqua to a Division I victory over Lourdes at Mount Carmel Area High School.

Naomi Knitter tripled and knocked in three runs for the Blue Raiders, who led 5-0 after two innings. Nico Conahan added a 2-for-4 day with two runs and one RBI, while Paige Bumbulsky went 2-for-3 with two runs.

Peyton Faust hurled a two-hit shutout for Tamaqua. She struck out 11 and walked three.

Faust and Evans; Wydra, Adams (4), Cherry (5) and Fuller. W – Faust (1-1). L – Wydra (0-2).

Hits: Tamaqua – Gormley 3, Conahan 2, Bumbulsky 2, Evans, Zrinski, Bamford, Knitter. Lourdes – Adams, Yentsch.

2B – Gormley 2, Zrinski. 3B – Bamford, Knitter.