TOWER CITY — Williams Valley’s first goal every season is to win its division.

The Vikings took a big step toward that goal Thursday, outlasting Minersville 7-4 in a Schuylkill League Division II first-place showdown at a sun-splashed Lee Reiser Field.

So in a span of three days, Williams Valley (7-1, 6-0 D-II) defeated Tri-Valley and Minersville, perennially the Vikes’ biggest rivals. Those wins gave Williams Valley a two-game lead in the division standings as the league schedule nears the halfway point.

“We knew coming into the game it was going to be a tough battle,” Williams Valley coach Ryan Underkoffler said. “We’re right at the top of the division. I told the girls early in the season that was going to be between Tri-Valley, Minersville and us. We knocked off Tri-Valley fortunately earlier in the week, and we got the opportunity to take care of our own business today. … Hopefully that sets us up good for the rest of the season.”

Minersville (6-4, 4-2) pushed Williams Valley throughout the nearly 2-hour clash, and the Battlin’ Miners struck first with a run in their first at-bats. Grace Sterner (3-for-4) led off with a single and eventually scored on an error for a 1-0 lead.

Williams Valley showed its resiliency by answering with a four-spot in the bottom of the first inning. The Vikings bunched three hits, two errors, three stolen bases, a passed ball and a walk to go ahead to stay. Quin Smeltz and Megan Perhach smacked RBI singles during the rally.

Smeltz’s hit marked the 100th of the star catcher’s career at Williams Valley. She has committed to play college softball at Messiah.

For Perhach, the hit started a career day. She finished 3-for-3, adding an RBI single in the third inning and and RBI double in the fifth.

Cierra Brill went 2-for-3 with a double and scored three runs for the Vikings, who added on enough at the plate to maintain a comfortable lead most of the way. Three times, Brill reached base and Perhach drove her in.

“We wanted to bounce back from them getting that early lead,” Underkoffler said. “I can see that we’re a resilient bunch, getting those runs back early. We took the lead in the bottom of the first inning and held on.”

Minersville didn’t go quietly, producing baserunners in every inning. Bella Rizzardi slugged a two-run home run in the fifth inning and knocked in a run with a fielder’s choice in the sixth to cut the deficit to 7-4. Reliever Liv Hand got the final six outs for the save.

In the seventh, the Miners put two runners on with two outs, but Perhach snagged a sharp grounder off the bat of Sara McGrath and tagged the bag for the final out. Center fielder Mallory Mace made a spectacular running catch of a deep fly ball in right-center field to take away extra bases, and Smeltz threw out a runner trying to steal.

The Miners, though, couldn’t get enough big hits with runners in scoring position to come all the way back. They left 13 runners on base, eight in scoring position.

Minersville turned two double plays to keep the game close. Rizzardi, the shortstop, started a slick 6-4-3 twinkilling to end the third inning. The other came in the fifth when center fielder Rilynn Brennan caught a fly ball and threw home to McGrath to cut down a runner trying to tag up and score.

Game Summary

MINERSVILLE (4) — Sterner 2b 4 1 3 0, McGrath c 5 1 2 0, O’Brien p 3 0 2 0, Bosack cr 0 0 0 0, Cruz lf 3 1 1 1, Rizzardi ss 3 1 1 3, Tripp rf 3 0 0 0, P. Laudeman 3b 3 0 0 0, C. Laudeman ph 1 0 0 0, Moyer dp 2 0 0 0, Brennan cf 1 0 0 0, Herb 1b 1 0 0 0. Totals 29 4 9 4.

WILLIAMS VALLEY (7) — Kobularik ss 3 1 1 1, Bixler rf 4 1 1 0, Hand 3b 4 0 0 1, Smeltz c 3 0 1 1, McAloose cr 0 1 0 0, Brill 2b 3 3 2 0, Perhach 1b 3 0 3 3, Koppenhaver p-3b 3 0 0 0, Mace cf 3 1 1 0, Stakem dp 3 0 1 0, Shomper lf 0 0 0 0. Totals 29 7 10 6.

Teams	123	456	7	—	Runs
Min (6-4, 4-2)	100	021	0	—	4
WV (7-1, 6-0)	401	110	x	—	7

 

E — Minersville 4, Williams Valley 1

DP — Minersville 2

LOB — Minersville 13, Williams Valley 5

2B — Brill, Perhach

HR — Rizzardi

SB — Cruz, Bixler 2, Brill, Hand

CS — Rizzardi

SAC — O’Brien

Minersville

Pitcher	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
O’Brien L,2-3	6	10	7	5	1	2

Williams Valley

Pitcher	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
Koppenhaver W,3-0	5	8	4	4	7	7
Hand Sv,1	2	1	0	0	1	2

Koppenhaver pitched to 3 batters in the 6th.

WP — O’Brien 2. PB — McGrath. T — 1:52.

North Schuylkill 10, Pottsville 2 

POTTSVILLE — Brigid Flynn pitched a complete game and homered to spark North Schuylkill to a Division I victory over Pottsville at the CACL Complex.

In the circle, Flynn allowed five hits and two unearned runs while striking out seven and walking none. At the plate, she went 2-for-4 with the homer, three RBIs and two runs scored.

Jordanna Frie added a 2-for-4 day with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored; Gianna Capone went 2-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored for the Spartans, who led 9-1 after three innings.

Other top hitters for North Schuylkill included Monica Selgrade, 2-for-3 with three runs scored; and Peyton Miscannon, 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Marlee Templeton singled and had an RBI for the Crimson Tide.

 

Teams	123	456	7	—	Runs	Hits	Errors
NS (8-1, 5-1)	423	000	1	—	10	10	4
Po (4-4, 3-3)	010	100	0	—	2	5	5

Flynn and Capone; Eckert and Wessner. W – Flynn (6-1). L – Eckert (3-4).

Hits: North Schuylkill – Selgrade 2, Flynn 2, Capone 2, Frie 2, Croker, Jones, Miscannon 2. Pottsville – Yost, Borger, Kunstek, Templeton, Barnhart.

2B – Capone 2. HR – Frie, Flynn.

Tri-Valley 13, Marian 7 

HOMETOWN — Kenzie Tobin went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored to help Tri-Valley outslug Marian in a Division II game.

The Bulldogs had 16 hits, with Olivia Witmer going 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and two RBIs; and Myah Schwalm going 3-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored. Alina Leonard went 2-for-3 and scored twice, while Summer Cupsta added a 2-for-3 day with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored.

The Dawgs built a 7-2 lead after three innings, then scored six runs in the top of the fourth.

For Marian, Malina Letcher went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run scored. Other top hitters for the Fillies included DeAnna Pugh, 2-for-4 with two runs; Gracie Sendatch, 2-for-3 with a double and two runs; Hailey Treskolasky, 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs; and Emily Upanavage, 2-for-4 with an RBI.

 

Teams	123	456	7	—	Runs	Hits	Errors
TV (4-2, 4-2)	232	600	0	—	13	16	0
Mar (5-4, 3-3)	200	023	0	—	7	13	2

Schwalm and Rodichok; Birrer, Upanavage (3) and Treskolasky. W – Schwalm (2-0). L – Birrer (3-2).

Hits: Tri-Valley – Leonard 2, Stiely, Cupsta 2, Witmer 3, Schwalm 3, Lupole, Tobin 4. Marian – Pugh 2, Sendatch 2, Treskolasky 2, Letcher 3, Upanavage 2, Knock, Birrer.

2B – Schwalm 2, Lupole, Witmer 2, Cupsta 2, Letcher 2, Sendatch.

Pine Grove Area 10, Panther Valley 0 

PINE GROVE — Chelcy Clark hurled a one-hit shutout, striking out 12 and walking none, to lead Pine Grove Area to a Division I victory over Panther Valley at Susan Y. Stump Field.

Callee Leffler and Hannah Aungst sparked the Cardinals’ offense. Leffler went 2-for-3 with a triple, three runs scored, two stolen bases and an RBI. Aungst compiled a 2-for-3 day with a double, three RBIs, two runs scored and two stolen bases. Lily Flynn went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Tailyn Bohr singled and drove in two runs for PGA.

 

Teams	123	456		—	Runs	Hits	Errors
PV (3-5, 1-5)	000	000		—	0	1	1
PGA (8-1, 4-1)	300	412		—	10	11	0

Goida, Prudente (6) and Breiner; Clark and Bohr. W – Clark (2-0). L – Goida (1-4).

Hits: Panther Valley – D’Ancona. Pine Grove Area – Leffler 2, Aungst 2, Dinger, Flynn 2, Umbenhauer, Geist, Bohr, Behrent.

2B – D’Ancona, Aungst. 3B – Leffler.

Blue Mountain 20, Lourdes 1 

MOUNT CARMEL — Addyson Fishburn went 4-for-4 with four runs scored and an RBI as Blue Mountain rolled past Lourdes in a three-inning Division I game.

Hailey Place homered and knocked in three runs for the Eagles. Lilah McKee went 3-for-3 with a double, three runs and two RBIs, while McKenna Manbeck went 2-for-3 with three runs for Blue Mountain. Emmerson Frie singled, scored twice and had five RBIs.

Arianna Adams went 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored for the Red Raiders.

 

Teams	123			—	Runs	Hits	Errors
BM (9-0, 6-0)	(11)54			—	20	19	1
Lou (0-8, 0-6)	001			—	1	2	5

Borden, O’Dell (2), Hughes (3) and Frie; Wydra, Cherry (1) and Adams. W – Borden (1-0). L – Wydra (0-4).

Hits: Blue Mountain – Fishburn 4, Manbeck 2, Frie, Borden 2, Place, Gretsky, Koch, Reilly, Sweigert, McKee 3, Vincent, Au. Hudock. Lourdes – Adams 2.

2B – Adams, McKee, Vincent, Borden. HR – Place.

Tamaqua 7, Mahanoy Area 4 

TAMAQUA — Ceanna Gormley, Nico Conahan and Molly Evans had two hits apiece as Tamaqua downed Mahanoy Area in Division I action.

Conahan, Evans, Paige Bumbulsky and Peyton Faust doubled for the Blue Raiders, who used a five-run second inning to take control.

Faust pitched 4.1 innings to earn the win. She allowed two earned runs while striking out eight and walking two. Naomi Knitter hurled 2.2 innings of shutout relief, striking out seven and walking none.

Lilly Carl went 2-for-3 with a solo home run for the Golden Bears.

 

Teams	123	456	7	—	Runs	Hits	Errors
Mah (4-3, 2-3)	002	020	0	—	4	5	2
Tam (4-4, 2-4)	050	020	x	—	7	9	2

Carl and Mroczka; Faust, Knitter (5) and Evans. W – Faust (2-2). L – Carl (3-3). Sv – Knitter (1).

Hits: Mahanoy Area – Poslosky, Mroczka, Kowalick, Carl 2. Tamaqua – Gormley 2, Faust, Conahan 2, Bumbulsky, Evans 2, Zrinski.

2B – Bumbulsky, Conahan, Faust, Evans. HR – Carl.

Schuylkill Haven 15, Weatherly 2 

WEATHERLY — Joie Schoffstall went 4-for-4 with a double, a triple, three runs scored and two RBIs to power Schuylkill Haven to a Division II win over Weatherly.

Schoffstall also went the distance in the circle, striking out nine and walking none.

Danica Snyder went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored, while Braelynn Strenkoski went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for the Hurricanes. Lexi Mull singled, scored twice and drove in three runs for Schuylkill Haven.

For Weatherly, Abby Weston went 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored.

 

Teams	123	45		—	Runs	Hits	Errors
SH (5-5, 4-2)	006	54		—	15	13	2
Wea (2-4, 2-4)	002	00		—	2	4	3

Schoffstall and Strenkoski; Binder, Caldwell (5) and Marasco. W – Schoffstall (3-2). L – Binder (2-4).

Hits: Schuylkill Haven – Scherer, Schoffstall 4, Jenan, Mull, Kovaleski, Snyder 2, Strenkoski 2, Wade. Weatherly – Weston 2, Zuberi, Snyder.

2B – Schoffstall, Snyder, Zuberi, Weston. 3B – Schoffstall.

Nativity 10, Shenandoah Valley 8 

POTTSVILLE — Lauren Clark and Addisan Ricard produced at the plate to help Nativity slug its way to a Division II victory over Shenandoah Valley atop Lawton’s Hill.

Clark went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored, while Ricard went 3-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored for the Golden Girls. Other top hitters for Nativity included Anna Jansson, 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI; and Chloe Covell, 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI.

Aubrie Monaghan homered, drove in two runs and scored three for the Blue Devils. Layla McClafferty added a 2-for-3 day for Shenandoah Valley.

 

Teams	123	456	7	—	Runs	Hits	Errors
SV (0-9, 0-6)	210	032	0	—	8	6	6
Nat (2-7, 1-5)	303	301	x	—	10	12	6

Troutman and Chagolla; Stankavage and Clark. W – Stancavage (1-4). L – Troutman (0-2).

Hits: Shenandoah Valley – Troutman, Monaghan, Burke, McClafferty 2, Tejeda. Nativity – Krapf, Rushannon, Jansson 2, Clark 3, Covell 2, Ricard 3.

2B – Troutman, Ricard 2. HR – Monaghan.