Leffler slams 3 homers in Pine Grove Area’s 10-0 win;

Schuylkill Haven knocks off Williams Valley in Division II

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — Talk about setting the tone.

Callee Leffler led off the game with a solo home run and Pine Grove Area added on often to defeat North Schuylkill 10-0 in seven innings in a Schuylkill League Division I battle under the lights Tuesday evening at Dot Seidel Field.

North Schuylkill (12-4, 8-3 D-I) had won 10 of the past 12 meetings, including a 6-4 victory over PGA on April 2 at Susan Y. Stump Field. But the Cardinals (16-1, 10-1) came in fired up and determined not to let that happen again.

On this night, Callee Leffler proved why she is a big-time Division I recruit.

The Florida State-bound senior center fielder went 3-for-4 with three home runs, four runs scored and four RBIs. She added a solo home run in the fourth inning and a tape-measure, two-run blast in the seventh. All three of Leffler’s homers were towering, no-doubt-about-it shots to straightaway center field. Leffler now has a league-leading nine home runs this season.

With the win, Pine Grove Area kept pace with Blue Mountain (16-1, 10-1), a 13-3 winner over Tamaqua, at the top of the Division I standings with three league games remaining. The Cardinals and Eagles will clash Wednesday, May 6, in a 7 p.m. game at Susan Y. Stump Field that will be broadcast live on WPPA 1360 AM/A-106 FM.

“The last two days we really prepped for this group, this team,” Pine Grove Area head coach Ryan Leffler said of North Schuylkill. “I thought our preparation was good. They were feeling good, doing a lot of good things at practice, and it carried over. Callee sparked us there in the first inning, but we kept going. We had good at-bats, got ourselves in good counts off a great pitcher (Brigid Flynn), and we executed well.”

Pine Grove Area used a mix of big ball (3 doubles, 3 homers) and small ball (2 bunt hits, 2 sacrifice bunts) to overwhelm the Spartans.

In the second inning, Meadow Umbenhauer led off with a single and scored when Tailyn Bohr’s bunt single got thrown away down the right-field line. Bohr came around to score on back-to-back sacrifice bunts by Chelcy Clark and Ava Behrent. Leffler walked and scored from first base on Hannah Aungst’s RBI double to left-center that made it 4-0.

The Cardinals increased their lead to 6-0 in the third inning when Bohr (3-for-3) laced a two-run double to the fence in left-center. To defend against Bohr’s slapping and bunting, North Schuylkill played its infield and outfield in tight. The left-handed Bohr’s liner to the opposite field split the gap and scooted away on the artificial carpet.

Pine Grove Area added two more runs in the fourth inning. Callee Leffler led off with her second homer of the game. Aungst singled, advanced to third on a wild pitch and a groundout and scored on Lily Flynn’s bunt single.

Callee Leffler’s two-run homer in the seventh capped the scoring.

“We were disciplined at the plate. We didn’t give them an inch today,” Ryan Leffler said. “That was the key. No mistakes defensively. I’m proud of them for that, but everybody contributed — whether it was a bunt, moved the runner over. Everybody did their part today.”

All of that run support proved plenty for winning pitcher Jamie Dinger. She and Clark combined on a five-hit shutout. The pair combined for seven strikeouts, and Dinger, who went 6.2 innings, worked out of a few jams boosted by error-free defense. North Schuylkill left eight runners on base, five of them in scoring position.

Game Summary

PINE GROVE AREA (10) — Leffler cf 4 4 3 4, Aungst ss 5 1 2 1, Dinger p-dp-p 4 0 0 0, Flynn 2b 4 0 2 1, Jessman rf 3 1 1 0, Umbenhauer 3b 4 2 2 0, Bohr c 3 2 3 2, Clark dp-p-dp 3 0 0 0, Behrent 1b 3 0 0 1, Schneck lf 0 0 0 0, Morgan lf 0 0 0 0. Totals 33 10 13 9.

NORTH SCHUYLKILL (0) — Selgrade cf 3 0 1 0, Holmes lf 3 0 0 0, Flynn p-ss 3 0 0 0, Capone c 3 0 1 0, Frie 1b 2 0 1 0, Croker 3b 2 0 0 0, Jones dp 3 0 1 0, Miscannon ss-p 3 0 0 0, Fidler 3 0 1 0, Cuttic rf 0 0 0 0. Totals 25 0 5 0.

Teams	123	456	7	—	Runs
PGA (16-1, 10-1)	132	200	2	—	10
NS (12-4, 8-3)	000	000	0	—	0

 

E — Pine Grove Area 0, North Schuylkill 2

DP — None

LOB — Pine Grove Area 7, North Schuylkill 8

2B — Umbenhauer, Bohr, Aungst

HR — Leffler 3

SB — Flynn

SAC — Clark, Behrent, Holmes

Pine Grove Area

Pitcher	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
Dinger W,11-1	5	2	0	0	1	4
Clark	.1	0	0	0	1	1
Dinger	1.2	3	0	0	1	2

North Schuylkill

Pitcher	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
Flynn L,10-4	4	10	8	8	2	3
Miscannon	3	3	2	2	0	1

Flynn pitched to 1 batter in the 5th.

HBP — by Miscannon (Bohr). WP — Clark, Flynn, Miscannon. T — 1:53.

Schuylkill Haven 7, Williams Valley 6

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Joie Schoffstall delivered a bases-loaded single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Schuylkill Haven to a walk-off victory over Division II-leading Williams Valley. Schoffstall finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored.

The Vikings had just scored two runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game 6-6.

Aisley Jenan led Schuylkill Haven’s offense by going 3-for-3 with a double, a triple, three RBIs and a run scored. Kaitlyn Russo went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs, while Olivia Houvig went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored for the Hurricanes.

Kamri Koppenhaver went 2-for-3 for the Vikings.

Teams	123	456	7	—	Runs	Hits	Errors
WV (15-2, 10-1)	101	011	2	—	6	8	0
SH (11-6, 8-3)	200	040	1	—	7	14	7

Hand and Smeltz; Scherer and Jenan. W – Scherer (5-4). L – Hand (8-2).

Hits: Williams Valley – Kobularik, Hand, Smeltz, Brill, Perhach, Koppenhaver 2, Mace. Schuylkill Haven – Scherer, Russo 3, Schoffstall 2, Jenan 3, Mull, Wade, Houvig 3.

2B – Smeltz, Kobularik, Brill, Houvig, Russo, Jenan. 3B – Wade, Jenan.

Blue Mountain 13, Tamaqua 3 

ORWIGSBURG — Anna Borden went 4-for-5 with a double, two runs and one RBI to lead Blue Mountain to a Division I win over Tamaqua.

Lilah McKee smacked a two-run single in the Eagles’ six-run second inning that set the tone. Emmerson Frie added a three-run triple in Blue Mountain’s five-run fourth inning. Frie finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs.

Addyson Fishburn went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored for the Eagles, who had nine different players notch at least one hit.

Nico Conahan went 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Blue Raiders.

 

Teams	123	456		—	Runs	Hits	Errors
Tam (9-8, 4-7)	010	101		—	3	4	2
BM (16-1, 10-1)	060	502		—	13	14	3

Faust, Bumbulsky (3), Gormley (4) and Evans; Leonard and Frie. W – Leonard (14-1). L – Faust (5-3).

Hits: Tamaqua – Conahan 2, Gormley, Evans. Blue Mountain – Fishburn 2, Reilly, Borden 4, Place, Koch, Frie 2, Av. Hudock, McKee, Manbeck.

2B – Borden, Fishburn. 3B – Frie.

Pottsville 14, Panther Valley 0

LANSFORD — Peyton Eckert pitched a four-hit shutout, striking out eight and walking none, as Pottsville defeated Panther Valley in Division I action. Eckert helped herself by going 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Cadence Borger sparked the Crimson Tide by going 3-for-4 with a triple, two runs and one RBI. Other top hitters for Pottsville included Reese Ketner, 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored; Karlee Kalovcak, 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and two RBIs; and Jo Barnhart, 2-for-2 with a double and three RBIs.

Pottsville scored in each of the six innings played.

Ava Alabovitz went 2-for-2 for the Panthers.

 

Teams	123	456		—	Runs	Hits	Errors
Po (10-7, 7-4)	215	411		—	14	14	0
PV (8-9, 2-9)	000	000		—	0	4	1

Eckert and Wessner; Alabovitz, Goida (5) and Breiner. W – Eckert (9-7). L – Alabovitz (4-2).

Hits: Pottsville – Yost, Borger 3, Ketner 2, Eckert 2, Kunstek, Wessner, Kalovcak 2, Barnhart 2. Panther Valley – Blazosky, Alabovitz 2, Mika.

2B – Kalovcak, Barnhart, Kunstek. 3B – Borger.

Tri-Valley 23, Shenandoah Valley 0 

HEGINS — Amber Lettich pitched a three-inning no-hitter as Tri-Valley beat Shenandoah Valley in a Division II game. Lettich struck out eight and walked one. At the plate, she went 2-for-2 with three RBIs.

Savanah Stiely powered the Bulldogs, going 4-for-4 with a double, two home runs, six RBIs and four runs scored. Summer Cupsta added a 3-for-3 day with two triples, two RBIs and two runs scored. Liv Witmer went 2-for-2 with a double, a home run, three runs and two RBIs. Liv Wehry homered and knocked in two runs, while Liv Lupole doubled and had three RBIs for Tri-Valley.

 

Teams	123			—	Runs	Hits	Errors
SV (1-16, 0-11)	000			—	0	0	0
TV (11-4, 9-2)	(17)6x			—	23	19	0

Zulkowski and Monaghan; Lettich and Rodichok, Wehry (3). W – Lettich (4-2). L – Zulkowski (0-6).

Hits: Shenandoah Valley – None. Tri-Valley – Stiely 4, Cupsta 3, Witmer 2, Schwalm, Brandenberger, Wehry, Lupole, Kramer, Tobin, E. Snyder, Viv, Lettich 2.

2B – Stiely, Lupole, Witmer, E. Snyder, Viv. 3B – Cupsta 2. HR – Wehry, Stiely 2, Witmer.

Minersville 10, Weatherly 0

MINERSVILLE — Eila O’Brien hurled a one-hit shutout, striking out three and walking none, to propel Minersville past Weatherly in a Division II game at Ken Schneck Field. O’Brien added a 2-for-3 day with an RBI at the plate.

Sara McGrath homered, drove in three runs and scored three times for the Battlin’ Miners. Grace Sterner went 2-for-3 with two runs; Bella Rizzardi went 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBIs; and Addison Moyer tripled and knocked in two runs for Minersville.

 

Teams	123	45		—	Runs	Hits	Errors
Wea (6-9, 3-8)	000	00		—	0	1	1
Min (10-7, 7-4)	206	2x		—	10	10	0

Binder and Makowiec; O’Brien and McGrath. W – O’Brien (3-6). L – Binder (6-9).

Hits: Weatherly – Marasco. Minersville – Sterner 2, Brennan, McGrath, Rizzardi 2, O’Brien 2, Herb, Moyer.

3B – Marasco, Moyer. HR – McGrath.

Marian 6, Nativity 1 

HOMETOWN — Malina Letcher went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, three RBIs and a run scored to lead Marian past Nativity in a Division II game.

Hailey Treskolasky added a 2-for-3 day with two runs for the Fillies. Chloe Cannon singled and drove in two runs.

Winning pitcher Kayla Birrer allowed just three hits and one run, striking out eight and walking one for Marian.

Lauren Clark slugged a solo home run for the Golden Girls.

 

Teams	123	456	7	—	Runs	Hits	Errors
Nat (3-14, 1-10)	000	100	0	—	1	3	1
Mar (9-6, 6-5)	113	100	x	—	6	9	1

Stankavage and Lorence; Birrer and Treskolasky. W – Birrer (5-3). L – Stankavage (2-10).

Hits: Nativity – Krapf, Clark, Stankavage. Marian – Treskolasky 2, Letcher 3, Knock, Upanavage, Birrer, Cannon.

2B – Letcher. HR – Clark, Letcher.

Mahanoy Area 18, Lourdes 5 

MAHANOY CITY — Lilly Carl pitched a complete game and went 3-for-4 with a double, five RBIs and two runs scored as Mahanoy Area outslugged Lourdes in a Division I game.

The Golden Bears scored 13 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to break a 5-5 tie.

Victoria Davis went 3-for-4 with three runs and an RBI; Cadance Poslosky finished 3-for-3 with a double, three runs and two RBIs; and Ella Connolly went 3-for-3 with a run scored for Mahanoy Area.

Other top hitters for the Bears included Naomi Kowalick, 2-for-2 with a double, four runs and one RBI; Allison Killian, 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored; and Callie Zubris, 2-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored.

For Lourdes, Arianna Adams went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Elise Boylan singled and knocked in two runs.

 

Teams	123	45		—	Runs	Hits	Errors
Lou (0-16, 0-11)	022	10		—	5	6	1
Mah (7-9, 3-8)	203	(13)x		—	18	20	0

Wydra, Cherry (4) and Cherry; Carl and Kowalick. W – Carl (4-7). L – Wydra (0-11).

Hits: Lourdes – Adams 2, Cherry, Bressi, Shroyer, Boylan. Mahanoy Area – Davis 3, Poslosky 3, Kowalick 2, Carl 3, Killian 2, Connolly 3, Zubris 2, Kramer, Scully.

2B – Killian, Zubris 2, Carl, Poslosky, Kowalick.