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State Semifinal Softball Preview Capsules:
Class A
Montgomery (20-4) vs. Glendale (18-2) at Milesburg Little League Complex, 2 p.m.
Montgomery road to Final 4: In District 4, beat Millville, 15-0; Bucktail, 1-0 and Cowanesque Valley, 5-1; in states, beat Tri-Valley, 1-0 in 9 innings and Faith Christian, 13-1
Montgomery lowdown: The Red Raiders repeated as district champions for the first time in program history and also are the first team there to win state tournament games in consecutive seasons. This is Montgomery's second time reaching the Final 4 and first since the 2010. Every starter produced a hit in the quarterfinal win against Faith Christian and Faith Persing threw a two-hitter with 17 strikeouts. Jenna Waring went 4 for 5 with five RBIs and Shelby McRae 2 for 3 with three RBIs. Sloan Wooten hit a lead-off double in the ninth inning against Tri-Valley and scored on Kaitlyn Raemsch's walk-off double. Raemsch hit another RBI double in the first inning against Faith Christian. Montgomery captured a third straight Mid-Penn championship and prepared for the postseason by playing a demanding non-conference schedule which included games against HAC-II champion Central Columbia, District 4 Class AA champion South Williamsport and District 4 Class AAAA runner-up Jersey Shore. Montgomery won its 20th game for a second straight year, another program first.
Glendale road to Final 4: In District 6, beat Bishop McCort, 7-1 and Ferndale, 4-2; lost to Conemaugh Valley, 2-0; in states, beat Meyersdale, 6-5 and Old Forge, 5-4
Glendale lowdown: A resilient team which has come back from multiple-run deficits in its last two games, Glendale is making its first Final 4 appearance after reaching the state quarterfinals the two previous seasons. The Vikings rallied from down 3-1 in the fourth inning against Meyersdale and from down 4-0 in the fifth against Old Forge. Glendale scored twice in the seventh with Madison Peterson hitting a two-run, walk-off double. Riley Best went 4 for 4 and Peterson scattered seven hits, closing with five shutout innings. Glendale has produced 10 hits in each of its state tournament wins and is hitting a collective .364. Best is batting a team-high .547 with eight home runs and 24 RBIs. Alyson Buterbaugh is hitting .421 with four home runs and 21 RBIs and Peterson has 20 RBIs. Each starter is hitting .321 or higher. Peterson, a freshman, is 8-1 in the circle, striking out 75 in 62 innings. She struck out 14 in the district semifinal win against Ferndale. That game featured another comeback with Glendale erasing a 1-0 fourth-inning deficit to earn a third straight state tournament berth.
Winner plays: Saegertown or Dubois Central Catholic
Class AAA
Lewisburg (18-3) vs. Palmerton (17-9) at
Central Columbia,
4 p.m.
Lewisburg road to Final 4: In District 4, beat Loyalsock, 3-2 and Central Columbia, 7-4; in states, beat Palisades, 14-0 and Kutztown, 7-2
Lewisburg lowdown: The Green Dragons have produced the best season in program history and are competing in the state semifinals for the first time. Lewisburg has won 10 straight games and 18 of its last 19 after starting the season 0-2. Kimmy Shannon threw a three-hitter with a career-high 11 strikeouts against Kutztown and Lewisburg produced 11 hits. Shannon has allowed four hits and struck out 20 in two state playoff games. Sydney Bolinsky went 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs against Kutztown, while Alexis Walter also homered. Erin Field is 4 for 7 with a triple and two doubles in states and Gracie Murphy went 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs against Kutztown. Lewisburg has hit well throughout the lineup all season and Ryan Brouse went 4 for 4 in the district final against Central. Lewisburg handed Central two of its three losses this season and also dethroned Loyalsock, last year's district champion. Lewisburg was one of the district's worst program throughout much of the 2000s before turning things around four years ago. The Dragons reached the semifinals in 2019 and 2021 before winning the program's first district title since 1996.
Palmerton road to states: In District 11, beat Pen Argyl, 3-1 and Pine Grove, 7-4; lost to Palisades, 8-0; in states, beat Philadelphia Academy Charter, 13-2 and Susquenita, 6-5
Palmerton lowdown: Like Lewisburg, Palmerton has made history by reaching the state semifinals for the first time. A year after capturing the District 11 championship, Palmerton is a much younger team, starting six sophomores as it has made both the present and future bright. The Blue Bombers played a tough regular-season schedule with several of their losses coming against larger school teams. Palmerton regrouped following its district final loss and made quick work of outmatched Philadelphia Academy before downing a Susquenita team fresh off a first-round victory over 2021 finalist Mid Valley. Sophomore pitcher Carly Gaffney threw a four-hitter with five strikeouts and allowed just one earned run. Six players produced hits and four went for extra bases. Gaffney has thrown all but two innings for Palmerton this season, striking out 173 in 163 innings. Six starters are hitting.317 or higher and Megan Matsko is hitting a team-high .387 with three home runs and 15 RBIs. Gaffney is hitting .368 with a team-best 20 RBIs. Sydney Frantz has two home runs and 19 RBIs. The Bombers have 38 wins the past two seasons.
Winner plays: Avonworth or Bald Eagle Area