RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent A Williamsport Area Little League player attempts to catch a ball on the infield during Wednesday afternoon’s practice as teammates look on.

Each goal that the Williamsport Area 9-11 softball team has made, it’s accomplished. When the bracket first came out and the all-star team was first assembled, manager Marcus Montoya and his team wanted to win the District 12 championship.

Check.

Once at sectionals, his girls wanted to win the Section 3 championship and claim another banner.

Check.

The next goal? Coming home with the 9-11 Pennsylvania state championship.

A Williamsport Area Little League softball player throws a ball during Wednesday aternoon’s practice. RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent

Williamsport Area’s 9-11 softball team begins that tournament today in Wellsboro against Section 4 champion Bald Eagle Area at 2 pm., and Williamsport Area will hope to once again be able to check off another accomplishment.

There was a short firetruck ride for the girls on Thursday evening from Hepburn Lycoming to WALL’s field, but that doesn’t mean Williamsport Area is content with what they’ve accomplished already. They still are eyeing one more title this summer.

“We set goals at the beginning of the year. Our first goal was to win districts, they achieved that. Then we wanted to wins sectionals, they achieved that,” Montoya said. “So now our next goal is to come back to Williamsport as the 9-11 state champions and that’s what expectation is. They know we have a pretty solid team and that makes it pretty exciting.”

You can trace this run back to last year when Montoya and his 9-11 all-star team lost in heartbreaking fashion in the playoffs, planting the seeds for what would bloom in 2023.

“We told them work in the offseason and we’ll get there. We had our statement games and they were excited,” Montoya said. “There were a lot of hugs and laughter and stuff like that (after winning sectionals). It was fun. It was fun for them and that’s the main thing, you keep it fun and keep it hungry. Ready to go compete against some of the better 9-11 teams in the state.”

A Williamsport Area Little League coach explains a drill during Wednesday afternoon’s practice. RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent

Williamsport swept Clinton in the District 12 tournament to earn a spot in sectionals. Williamsport Area then traveled to Bloomsburg and beat Central Columbia to win the Section 3 championship to enter today’s state tournament in Wellsboro.

Lucia Montoya, nicknamed CC, has been a huge part of Williamsport Area’s run this summer as the team’s ace pitcher. And manager Marcus Montoya knows exactly how important a solid pitcher and an outstanding defense are at this stage of the summer.

“If we can limit them on runs and when our offense goes and does their thing, we’re good. Our pitching has been really key or us this year. CC’s been consistent and is throwing a lot of strikes and living in strikes,” Marcus Montoya said. “She’s been great. She eclipsed 100 strikeouts this year. I think she ended the year with 138 strikeouts. So she’s been pretty dominant. But she comes to work and works hard.

“She pitches five times a week and really works on her craft and it shows,” Marcus Montoya continued. “To see her hard work pay off for her, I think that keeps her wanting to work hard too.”

CC Montoya gave up just three hits against Central Columbia in the sectional championship — all singles — and while that pitching and defensive effort was huge, it the offense stole the show.

Williamsport Little League softball players throw and catch balls during a drill at Wednesday’s practice. RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent

Williamsport Area put up an impressive 13 runs off 14 hits, scoring a run in five of the six innings, and scoring at least two runs in four innings.

“We work on hitting a lot too. Getting the girls to buy into the stuff that we’re teaching them, simple mechanical stuff,” Marcus Montoya said. “Hitting with two strikes, Central Columbia got us down in a lot of two-strike counts and put the ball in play and that led to them making some mistakes. I think that’s where we’ve been really good is running the bases.”

Williamsport Area has an offense that can hit throughout the lineup which includes Charlotte Beiter, Maslyn Hess, Piper Fox, Payton Pennycoff, Aubree Shaylor, Aletha Fletcher, Mya Ritter, Devon Stroble, Valerie Beiter, Brynlee Engela, CC Montoya and Ella Kenyon.