Top 10 Stories: No. 1 — Pine Grove wins PIAA Class 3A softball state championship
Pine Grove celebrates its PIAA Class 3A softball championship June 13 at Penn State's Nittany Lion Softball Park. The Cardinals defeated Bald Eagle Area 4-3 in 13 innings. (Photo courtesy of Pine Grove Athletics)
Pine Grove’s softball team would not be denied.
In other words, the Cardinals refused to lose.
Trailing in elimination games against Palisades, Kutztown and Bald Eagle Area, Pine Grove kept battling and eventually conquered all three powerful opponents.
The last one, a 13-inning, 4-3 thriller over BEA, lifted Pine Grove to the PIAA Class 3A state championship on June 13, 2025, at Penn State’s Nittany Lion Softball Park.
Pine Grove pulled off the trifecta, winning Schuylkill League, District 11 and PIAA championships in the same season to finish 27-2.
The Cardinals’ championship season ranks No. 1 on the T102 Sports Now Top 10 Stories of the 2024-25 School Year as voted on by writers and broadcasters at t102sportsnow.com, WPPA/A-106 and T-102. To wrap up Year 1 and gear up for Year 2 of t102sportsnow.com, the staff has counted down the best stories of the past school year. In all, 11 different schools and eight different sports have been featured among the Top 10. Readers can find individual entries and links on all Top 10 stories at t102sportsnow.com.
STORY: Pine Grove rallies past Palisades in District 11 final (LINK)
STORY: Pine Grove topples Trinity in PIAA opener (LINK)
STORY: Pine Grove edges Kutztown in 10-inning PIAA quarterfinal thriller (LINK)
STORY: Pine Grove shuts out Mid Valley in PIAA semifinal (LINK)
STORY: Pine Grove outlasts Bald Eagle Area in 13-inning PIAA championship (LINK)
The honors and accolades rolled in before, during and after the season for Pine Grove. As usual, star center fielder Callee Leffler stood at the center of the action. Though she just finished her junior season, Leffler already has made a verbal commitment to continue her academic and softball careers at NCAA Division I power Florida State. After the season, Leffler was voted the state’s Class 3A Player of the Year by the Pennsylvania High School Softball Coaches Association. She was one of 22 local players honored by the PAHSSBCA.
VIDEO: Callee Leffler, Fanelli, Evans & Patel Athlete of the Week (LINK)
VIDEO: Hannah Aungst, Fanelli, Evans & Patel Athlete of the Week (LINK)
VIDEO: Jamie Dinger, Fanelli, Evans & Patel Athlete of the Week (LINK)
WPPA BROADCAST: Pine Grove vs. Bald Eagle Area softball, June 13, 2025 (LINK)
The softball season featured many more highlights at schools other than Pine Grove. Williams Valley captured yet another District 11 Class AA championship and defeated Halifax and Bristol to reach the PIAA semifinals. North Schuylkill finished as the District 11 Class 4A runner-up and outslugged Conwell-Egan to make the state quarterfinals. And Tri-Valley rolled to its fifth straight District 11 Class A title to qualify for the PIAA playoffs.
WPPA BROADCAST: Pine Grove vs. North Schuylkill softball, April 3, 2025
WPPA BROADCAST: Marian vs. Tri-Valley softball, May 27, 2025 (LINK)
WPPA BROADCAST: Minersville vs. Williams Valley softball, May 27, 2025 (LINK)
