All the games are fun one when loves the sport she is playing. But these are the especially fun ones. It’s playoff time and the following is a look at the four District 4 tournaments which start today as Class AAA and AA have their quarterfinals.

Williamsport (15-5) competes through District 2 and earned the top seed after winning its last six games as well as a share of the HAC-I championship. The Millionaires captured last year’s championship and host West Scranton in Wednesday’s semifinals as they try winning consecutive titles for the first time since 2011-12.

Class AAAA

(4 teams, champion

Alizabeth Schuler of South Williamsport celebrates with team mates at home plate on a home run against Jersey Shore in the sixth inning in Jersey Shore Friday afternoon. South won the game, 11-5. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

advances to states)

Jersey Shore (10-7) is hoping being the bottom seed works well like it did two years ago when it took out the top two seeds and won the first of two consecutive championships. The Bulldogs are the fourth team in this rugged field in which every team is a serious title contender and play top-seeded Athens in the semifinals.

Jersey Shore has featured an explosive offense at times and junior shortstop Dani Miller collected her 100th career hit last Saturday at Loyalsock, going 3 for 4 with a home run and double. Four-year starter Isabelle Engel also has more than 100 career hits and Kylie Schall has hit well over .400 this season, as has Lynna Clark. Clark, Engel and Alexis Frey all have valuable postseason pitching experience, Engel and Frey earning wins in the last two finals and Clark closing out the 2023 championship.

Athens (19-1) went to extra innings with Loyalsock in last year’s 3A semifinals before moving up to Class AAAA. The Wildcats lone loss was a 1-0 defeat against North Penn-Liberty following a 14-0 start. Sophomore pitcher Gretchen Hiley is having a super season, going 15-1 with a 0.98 ERA and striking out 234 hitters in in 114 1/3 innings. She highlighted her season with a two-hit shutout which included 16 strikeouts against South Williamsport.

HAC-II champion Central Columbia faces Midd-West in the other semifinal. The Blue Jays (15-4) feature a dangerous offense which put up six runs against Hiley and swept the regular season series from Midd-West. Like Athens, Central looks good now and for the future with a strong, young core.

Tournament sleeper–Midd-West: There are two 2024 district champions in this field with Midd-West winning last year’s Class AAA crown and reaching the state quarterfinals. Following a shaky start, the Mustangs have mirrored last year’s late season surge and won seven straight games. Central convincingly swept the season series against Midd-West but when pitcher Miley Beachel is locked in, this team can be mighty tough to beat.

Player to watch–Annika Clark, Jersey Shore: The freshman catcher has wasted little time making an impressive impact. Reliable in all facets, Clark hit two home runs in her first high school game and is one of several quality hitters in a deep lineup.

Projected semifinals: Athens over Jersey Shore; Midd-West over Central. Projected final: Athens over Midd-West.

Class AAA

(8 teams, top two advance)

The only district field in softball or baseball to feature eight teams, this one is especially deep with nearly every team being a legitimate title contender. It is similar to two years ago when Towanda and Warrior Run were the Nos. 6 and 7 seeds and reached the semifinals. Guess what? Both are in those same spots this season.

We’ll start at the top, though, where Mifflinburg hosts No. 8 Milton. The Wildcats have been knocking on the door the last two years, losing to the eventual champion each time. Junior pitcher Taylor Stewart is one of the tournament’s best and the offense is balanced seven starters hitting over .300. Milton (9-8) turned back to former coach Bill Keefer who led the Black Panthers to five district championships and it immediately paid off with them returning to the postseason for the first time since his first tenure ended. Milton has enjoyed a resurgent season but appears over matched here, twice losing to Mifflinburg by 15 runs.

The winner of this game plays either No. 5 Loyalsock or No. 4 Montoursville who collide in a Balboa vs Creed-like quarterfinal. As it so often does, Loyalsock (12-7) loaded up its non-conference schedule and a young team has made some big strides following a 4-4 start. Sofia Mileto is the team’s lone senior and has provided both strong offense, defense and leadership. Freshmen Easton Waller and Kinsie Phillips have enjoyed excellent debut seasons and Shyla Fulp has shined behind the plate. Maddie Wertz hit a walk-off single against Montoursville at Short Park and was one of six players who generated at least two hits in last Saturday’s 9-5 win against Jersey Shore.

Inclement weather has limited Montoursville (11-6) to just two games since May 1 when these two played one of the year’s best area games. The Warriors earned a share of their first league championship this century and pitcher Julie Friel has put together another strong season after bursting onto the scene a year ago. Friel helped the Warriors reach a second straight 4A final last May and hit a go-ahead RBI double in a 6-4 win against Loyalsock last month. Kayleigh Sheleman is having a phenomenal season and she and Avery Cozzi homered twice each in the last Loyalsock contest.

On the other side of the bracket are two more compelling games. Surging Warrior Run (9-8) heads to No. 2 North Penn-Liberty for a rematch of the 2023 championship. The Defenders have won five straight games, scoring 32 in their last three. Ella Printzenhoff, Maura Woland and Lakesha Hauck are a strong trio at the top of the lineup and pitchers Mackenzie Heyler and Mackenzie Litchard both have thrown well. Warrior Run has showcased its potential with impressive wins against South Williamsport and Loyalsock.

North Penn-Liberty (13-4) lost nearly every starter from last year’s NTL-I champion but has simply reloaded with an impressive young nucleus. The Mounties were part of a tough NTL division and handed Athens its lone loss. Elyna Booth has excelled in her first varsity pitching campaign, going 11-4 with a 1.13 ERA and 156 strikeouts. Haley Litzelman is the team’s most experienced player and the versatile junior is hitting .440 with eight doubles. Addie and Maddie Smith come in at .396 and .370, respectively.

The winner of that semifinal will play either No. 3 Hughesville or No. 6 Towanda. Hughesville (14-5) has put together the best season in program history, setting a record for single-season wins for a second straight year. The Spartans also have won six of their last seven games, capping that stretch off with an impressive 12-4 win at Central Columbia last Saturday. Senior pitcher Ella Breneisen won her record 12th game and is one of six starters who has at least 10 RBIs. Maddie Smith is hitting .540, Ashlynn Barlett drove in three runs at Central and McKenna Sones added two doubles, highlighting the team’s balance.

Tournament sleeper–Towanda: The Black Knights (12-6) likely are eager for revenge after Hughesville defeated it, 5-0 nearly two weeks ago. Towanda has a good win against Troy since then before taking Athens to eight innings last Friday. Like Hughesville, Towanda features several offensive threats and six starters are hitting .304 or higher. Tae Lynn Brabant and Aleha Johnson form a quality senior pitching tandem.

Player to watch–Emily George, Montoursville: After a breakout basketball season last winter, George has continued her softball growth and been a defensive and offensive anchor. The junior shortstop combines with Sheleman to give the Warriors a terrific right side and also has done a good job setting the table atop the lineup.

Best quarterfinal–Loyalsock at Montoursville: In a field featuring some great match-ups, this still was an easy call. One could say this is a HAC-III title game with the rivals splitting the crown as well as two games against each other. Loyalsock rallied in a back-and-forth thriller for an 8-7, nine-inning win after Montoursville broke a fifth inning tie and left the bases loaded in the seventh of a 6-4 win. These teams are about as evenly matched as it gets and it’s a testament to this entire field’s depth that this is a quarterfinal game.

Projected semifinals: Mifflinburg over Loyalsock; Towanda over North Penn-Liberty. Projected final: Mifflinburg over Towanda

Class AA

(7 teams, champion

advances)

South Williamsport has captured the last three championships but will have to fight off a strong field with six other teams aiming to knock it from the throne. The Mounties (13-5) played one of the state’s toughest schedules to prepare and earned both the top seed and a bye into the semifinals.

South broke out of a funk in a convincing 7-1 win against Mifflinburg, pounding out 12 hits. Every starter is back from last year’s state finalist and that lineup includes eight four or three-year starters, all who have enjoyed strong high school careers.

South will face either surging Wyalusing or No. 5 Line Mountain (11-8) in the semifinals. Line Mountain sophomore Madilynn Grindstaff is hitting .542 with 14 extra-base hits and also has 94 strikeouts in 81 innings.

This reporter thinks the champion will come from the other side of the bracket featuring Mid-Penn champion Northwest and Troy. No. 2 Northwest (16-2) hosts No. 7 Muncy and is having one of its best seasons ever. Junior pitcher Jenna Robaczewski is 10-2 with 99 strikeouts in 65 innings and is part of an offense which is hitting a collective .451. Mid-Penn MVP Ava Ruckle is hitting a ridiculous .745 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs, while Addison Diltz is at .509.

Muncy has done some excellent work after graduating most of last year’s starters following a super three-year run which culminated in state tournament appearances each time. All-state catcher Taylor Shannon has more than 100 career hits and RBIs, while Chevelle Bauman, Leah Vest and Jailyn Baker all heated up down the stretch. Savannah Thompson went 3 for 4 Saturday at Sullivan County but Muncy faces a mighty difficult task after losing 15-0 the first time it played Northwest.

No. 3 Troy is a senior-laden team which proclaimed itself “The Dream Team,” in a preseason NTL publication. The Trojans have pushed South hard in the semifinals the past two seasons and the offense is filled with strong, experienced hitters. Pitchers Olivia Champluvier and Erinn Knapp each also have thrown well.

Troy faces No. 6 Williamson, a team making its second straight playoff appearance. The Warriors (10-8) return most of last year’s starters from a team which defeated Line Mountain in the opening round. Kenna Thomas has 89 strikeouts and Olivia Gee 49. Kaegen Short is one of only two senior starters and is hitting .436.

Tournament sleeper–Wyalusing: The Rams have heated up at the right time, highlighting that with a 4-2 regular-season finale win against North Penn-Liberty. Wyalusing closed on a five-game winning streak and has won 12 of its last 16 games. Pitcher Ava Fluck has been at the heart of the success and threw a three-hitter with six strikeouts against North Penn-Liberty. Addison Bly returned from injury in that game and is hitting .521.

Player to watch–Emily Holtzapple, South: The senior has done a terrific job from the No. 9 spot, consistently turning the lineup over and hitting .362. Holtzapple has been especially dangerous in run-scoring situations, driving in 14 runs.

Best quarterfinal–Williamson at Troy: Williamson gave Troy a battle early this season, dropping a 7-6 heart-breaker. The Warriors led that game 4-0 in the third and 6-5 in the fourth but Troy responded each time and closed the game with three scoreless innings.

Projected semifinals: South over Wyalusing; Northwest over Troy. Projected final: Northwest over South.

Class A

(4 teams, top two advance)

Win the first game and one is state tournament-bound here. This is a well-rounded field with Northeast Bradford a perennial Class A contender before moving to 1A the last few seasons, Bucktail winning the last two championships, Sullivan County reaching last year’s final and Montgomery capturing the 2022 state championship.

Montgomery (14-3) hit some late-season turbulence but gave coach Chris Glenn his 200th career win last Friday, winning a 19-15 slugfest against Canton. That game displayed how potent the offense can be when it’s clicking and Montgomery is hitting a collective .358. Madisyn Miller leads the way with a .600 average and 35 RBIs. She is one of seven players who has at least 10 RBIs and senior catcher Addi Muhl has 20. Ava Hartman has thrown some gems, including a one-hit shutout against Muncy.

Montgomery faces Bucktail in what has become an excellent rivalry with the programs combining to win five district crowns since 2019. They also have met four times during that span, splitting those contests, including three games which were determined by two runs or one run.

No. 2 Sullivan County (12-5) upset Montgomery in last year’s semifinals and most of those players are back, helping the team increase the 2024 win total. Kayla Fowler is hitting .638 with 14 extra-base hits and 29 RBIs, while Miley Dickinson and Mariah Hallabuk both have topped .400. Emilia Viveiros is a three-year starting pitcher who came up big in last year’s semifinals and who has 261 career strikeouts.

No. 3 Northeast Bradford (10-7) is the field’s most battle-tested team and captured another NTL-II championship while navigating tough games against the deep NTL-I. Kelsea Moore and Makenna Callear both are experienced pitchers who average more than a strikeout per inning. Hannah Berger and Orissa Garnder both are hitting above .400 as well.

Tournament sleeper–Bucktail: It’s not often a two-time defending district champion is labeled a sleeper, but the Bucks are much younger than a year ago. They also have peaked at the perfect time, winning six of their seven games. The lone loss during that stretch was a 3-2 decision at Montgomery in which Bucktail led 2-0 in the sixth inning and 2-1 in the seventh. Driving home the team’s improvement, Bucktail had lost the first meeting, 17-7. Junior Eva Sockman has topped 100 career RBIs, junior Lola English has surpassed 100 runs and freshman Carrie Ditty has gone over 100 strikeouts. Kendall Wagner has 38 RBIs this season and Sockman 31.

Player to watch–Zoe Furman, Montgomery: After missing her sophomore season with an injury, Furman has come storming back and provided Montgomery a weapon in all facets. The center fielder is hitting .436, while stealing 17 bases and not making an error. Furman also has big-game pedigree, finishing second in the state wrestling tournament last winter.

Projected semifinals: Bucktail over Montgomery; NEB over Sullivan. Projected final: NEB over Bucktail.