ORWIGSBURG — Of course this one ended in the wildest of ways.

Bottom of the eighth inning. Blue Mountain trails by two. Two on, one out. The Eagles’ Anna Borden hits a towering drive to left field. Pine Grove Area freshman Mallory Schneck drifts back … back … back … and makes the catch as she gets tangled up in the temporary fencing. Schneck scrambles back to her feet and fires the ball back to the infield. Blue Mountain’s runners, thinking the ball dropped into play, kept running and got caught way off base. The Cardinals tag one of them out for a game-ending double play.

Final score: Pine Grove Area 5, Blue Mountain 3. In eight innings. In a Division I first-place showdown.

In other words, just another Tuesday afternoon in the Schuylkill League.

“Anna’s a really good hitter,” Schneck said. “I’ve seen her hit, and I knew it was coming to me. All of her hits were out to me, so I kind of expected it. Once I saw it, I just made sure I read it good and I have my outfielders to back me up, of course. Pressure, but I made it happen. I didn’t let the fence interfere with me there. I kind of just got right back up and threw it in.”

That final sequence only scratches the surface of a game filled with great plays, pressure-fueled mistakes, shouting fans and enough weird situations that it would take hours to dissect them all.

Let’s look at the highlights.

The game began typically enough. PGA’s Callee Leffler led off with a walk, stole second and took third on an error. Hannah Aungst delivered a squeeze bunt to drive in Leffler, who tagged home plate with her hand.

In the second inning, Pine Grove Area’s defense, usually a strong point, came undone. Blue Mountain took advantage of four errors, a walk, a stolen base, two wild pitches and a sacrifice bunt to score three runs for a 3-1 advantage.

The only hit of the inning, junior Addyson Fishburn’s infield single, gave her 100 hits for her career. The single turned out to be the Eagles’ only hit of the game.

In the third, Leffler walked and scored again. A popup that fell between two infielders opened the door. Later, freshman Khloe Jessman knocked in Leffler with a groundout.

Pine Grove Area kept threatening and eventually tied the game in the sixth inning. Jessman led off with a single and later scored on an infield single by senior catcher Tailyn Bohr (3-for-4, 1 run, 1 RBI).

“I’m proud of her. In these big moments, seniors need to step up,” Pine Grove coach Ryan Leffler said of Bohr.

The Cardinals snapped the 3-3 tie in the eighth with more small ball. Jessman worked a leadoff walk, stole a base and scored on a fielder’s choice grounder off the bat of Chelcy Clark. Bohr added an infield single, stole a base and scored on Schneck’s infield single.

Winning pitcher Jamie Dinger hurled 5.2 scoreless innings for the Cardinals. Blue Mountain’s Emily Leonard worked eight innings, giving up seven hits and three earned runs, while striking out seven and walking four.

So, after one trip around the Schuylkill League, Division I is virtually tied. Blue Mountain (10-1, 6-1 D-I) beat North Schuylkill. North Schuylkill (9-2, 6-1) beat Pine Grove Area. And Pine Grove Area (10-1, 5-1) beat Blue Mountain.

“These kids don’t quit. They kept fighting for each other,” Leffler said. “It wasn’t our best offensive day, but (Leonard) pitched a heck of a game over there. Credit to her. We found a way. We put some pressure on them a little bit, and I’m proud of the kids. It was a great win for us, this time of the year, halfway through the season. It had that playoff atmosphere.”

Game Summary

PINE GROVE AREA (5) — Leffler cf 2 2 1 0, Aungst ss 4 0 0 0, Dinger dp-p 5 0 1 0, Flynn 2b 3 0 0 1, Jessman rf 3 2 1 1, Umbenhauer 3b 3 0 0 0, Bohr c 4 1 3 1, Clark p-dp 4 0 0 1, Schneck lf 4 0 1 1, Behrent 1b 0 0 0 0. Totals 32 5 7 5.

BLUE MOUNTAIN  (3) — Fishburn cf 4 0 1 0, Av. Hudock 2b 3 0 0 0, Frie c 3 0 0 0, Manbeck cr 0 0 0 0, Borden 1b 4 0 0 0, Place ss 3 1 0 0, Koch rf 3 1 0 0, Reilly 3b 1 1 0 0, Leonard p 2 0 0 0, Vincent lf 3 0 0 0. Totals 26 3 1 0.

Teams	123	456	78	—	Runs
PGA (10-1, 5-1)	101	001	02	—	5
BM (10-1, 6-1)	030	000	00	—	3

 

E — Pine Grove Area 6, Blue Mountain 3

DP — Pine Grove Area 1

LOB — Pine Grove Area 10, Blue Mountain 4

SB — Leffler 2, Bohr, Jessman, Clark, Place, Fishburn

SAC — Flynn, Aungst, Umbenhauer, Leonard, Reilly

Pine Grove Area

Pitcher	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
Clark	2.1	1	3	0	2	2
Dinger W,8-1	5.2	0	0	0	1	4

Blue Mountain

Pitcher	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
Leonard L,9-1	8	7	5	3	4	7

WP — Clark 2, Leonard. T — 2:17.

Minersville 5, Marian 4 

MINERSVILLE — Bella Cruz went 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored as Minersville held off Marian in a Division II game at Ken Schneck Field.

Cali Laudeman went the distance in the circle for Minersville, striking out two and walking none.

Sara McGrath added a 2-for-3 day with a run scored and an RBI for the Battlin’ Miners, who have won 5-of-6.

Hailey Treskolasky went 2-for-4 with two triples and two RBIs for the Fillies. Other top hitters for Marian included Gracie Sendatch, 2-for-4 with a run scored; Kayla Birrer, 2-for-3 with a run scored; and Katie Knock, a double and two RBIs.

 

Teams	123	456	7	—	Runs	Hits	Errors
Mar (5-5, 3-4)	100	012	0	—	4	9	3
Min (8-4, 5-2)	001	031	x	—	5	8	2

Upanavage and Treskolasky; C. Laudeman and McGrath. W – C. Laudeman (5-1). L – Upanavage (2-3).

Hits: Marian – Sendatch 2, Treskolasky 2, Birrer 2, Sirkot, Wolfgang, Knock. Minersville – Brennan, McGrath 2, O’Brien, Cruz 3, C. Laudeman.

2B – Knock, Cruz. 3B – Treskolasky 2.

Williams Valley 20, Nativity 2 

POTTSVILLE — Freshman Mallory Mace earned her first varsity win, tossing four innings in Williams Valley’s Division II triumph over Nativity atop Lawton’s Hill.

Liv Hand powered the offense, going 3-for-3 with a double, a triple, three runs and three RBIs for the Vikings, who finished with 21 hits. Others with big days for Williams Valley included Ella Kobularik, 2-for-3, a triple, two runs and one RBI; Cierra Brill, 3-for-3, two doubles, two runs and two RBIs; Megan Perhach, 2-for-3, three RBIs and a run scored; Mace, 3-for-4, a double and two RBIs; and Makaya McAloose, 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run scored.

Lauren Clark went 2-for-2 with a run scored for Nativity.

 

Teams	123	4		—	Runs	Hits	Errors
WV (9-1, 7-0)	448	4		—	20	21	0
Nat (2-9, 1-6)	002	0		—	2	5	2

Mace and Smeltz; Stankavage and Lorence. W – Mace (1-0). L – Stankavage (1-6).

Hits: Williams Valley – Kobularik 2, Bixler, Hand 3, Stakem, Ziegler, Brill 3, Perhach 2, Welgo, Koppenhaver, Mace 3, McAloose 2, Underkoffler. Nativity – Clark 2, Ricard, Stankavage, Grabowski.

2B – Brill 2, McAloose 2, Hand, Mace. 3B – Kobularik, Hand, Stakem.

North Schuylkill 15, Lourdes 0 

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — Ava Cuttic clubbed a grand slam as part of an eight-run second inning that powered North Schuylkill to a Division I win over Lourdes at Dot Seidel Field.

Lyza Holmes homered twice and drove in four runs for the Spartans.

Brigid Flynn added a 3-for-3 day with a double and two runs, while Jordanna Frie went 3-for-3 with two runs an an RBI. Other top hitters for North Schuylkill included Gianna Capone, 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored; and Olivia Jones, 2-for-2 with a double, one run scored and one RBI.

Flynn and Jones combined on a four-inning no-hitter. Flynn struck out five and walked none in two innings of work. Jones whiffed four and walked three in her two innings in the circle.

 

Teams	123	4		—	Runs	Hits	Errors
Lou (0-11, 0-7)	000	0		—	0	0	6
NS (9-2, 6-1)	581	1		—	15	17	0

Wydra, Cherry (2) and Adams; Flynn, Jones (3) and Capone. W – Flynn (7-2). L – Wydra (0-6).

Hits: Lourdes – None. North Schuylkill – Selgrade, Holmes 2, Flynn 3, Fidler, Capone 2, Youst, Frie 3, Jones 2, Wolfe, Cuttic.

2B – Capone, Selgrade, Jones, Flynn. HR – Holmes 2, Cuttic.

Pottsville 20, Mahanoy Area 5 

MAHANOY CITY — Jes Siminitus tripled, scored four runs and drove in another as Pottsville topped Mahanoy Area in a Division I game.

Reese Ketner added a 2-for-3 day with three RBIs and three runs scored for the Crimson Tide.

Hailey Mroczka went 2-for-2 with two triples, two runs scored and an RBI for Mahanoy Area.

 

 

Teams	123	4		—	Runs	Hits	Errors
Po (6-5, 4-3)	245	9		—	20	6	1
Mah (5-4, 2-4)	203	0		—	5	5	9

Eckert and Wessner; Carl, Mroczka (4) and Mroczka, Poslosky (4). W – Eckert (5-5). L – Carl (3-4).

Hits: Pottsville – Siminitus, Borger, Ketner 2, Wessner, Kunstek. Mahanoy Area – Mroczka 2, Kowalick, Carl, Zubris.

2B – Carl. 3B – Siminitus, Mroczka 2.

Schuylkill Haven 18, Shenandoah Valley 0 

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Joie Schoffstall pitched and hit Schuylkill Haven to a Division II win over Shenandoah Valley.

In the circle, Schoffstall pitched a three-inning perfect game with five strikeouts. At the plate, she went 3-for-3 with two triples, a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored.

Alli Scherer went 2-for-3 with a home run, four RBIs and a run scored for the Hurricanes.

Other top hitters for Schuylkill Haven included Lily Locke, 2-for-2, two runs, one RBI; Braelynn Strenkoski, 2-for-2; Sofia Randazzo, a single, three RBIs and a run scored; and Aisley Jenan, a triple and three runs scored.

 

Teams	123			—	Runs	Hits	Errors
SV (0-11, 0-7)	000			—	0	0	4
SH (7-5, 5-2)	5(13)x			—	18	13	0

Monaghan, Troutman (2) and Chagolla; Schoffstall and Strenkoski. W – Schoffstall (4-2). L – Monaghan (0-5).

Hits: Shenandoah Valley – None. Schuylkill Haven – Scherer 2, Schoffstall 3, Jenan, Mull, Locke 2, Wade, Strenkoski 2, Randazzo.

3B – Schoffstall 2, Jenan. HR – Schoffstall.

Tamaqua 8, Panther Valley 3 

LANSFORD — Ceanna Gormley went 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBIs and three runs scored to lead Tamaqua to a Division I win over Panther Valley. The game was declared official after five innings when lightning halted play.

Paige Bumbulsky also had a big day for the Blue Raiders, going 3-for-3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Molly Evans went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Peyton Faust tripled, drove in two runs and scored twice.

Faust pitched a complete game as well, striking out seven and walking three.

Danika Blazosky tripled and scored two runs for Panther Valley.

 

Teams	123	45		—	Runs	Hits	Errors
Tam (6-5, 3-4)	222	20		—	8	11	0
PV (6-6, 1-6)	100	02		—	3	6	5

Faust and Evans; Goida, Alabovitz (6) and Breiner. W – Faust (3-2). L – Goida (1-5).

Hits: Tamaqua – Gormley 2, Faust, Conahan, Bumbulsky 3, Evans 2, Whitehead, Sitlinger. Panther Valley – Blazosky, Prudente, D’Ancona, Alabovitz, O’Brien, Breiner.

2B – Bumbulsky, Evans, Alabovitz. 3B – Faust, Blazosky. HR – Gormley.

Game postponed

The Weatherly at Tri-Valley contest has been rescheduled for April 15 at 4:30 p.m.