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Softball notebook: Lancers came together fast, carry momentum into states

By CHRIS MASSE 6 min read

Nearly halfway through the season, Loyalsock stood at .500, starting 4-4. That included three losses in the previous four games.

Last Thursday at Elm Park, Loyalsock stood together as District 4’s best Class AAA softball team. Loyalsock captured its first championship since 2021, defeating Hughesville, 5-0. Talk about coming together fast.

"It was a pretty rocky start at the beginning," right fielder Jillian Kennedy said after going 2 for 3 and turning a double play against Hughesville. "There was a lot of tension going on with the team but we really pulled through toward the end of the season and it was really good timing."

Perfect timing might be more like it. Team bonding, different players excelling and gaining more experience has earned Loyalsock (15-7) another opportunity and it opens the state tournament this afternoon against Kutztown, back at Elm Park.

That 4-4 record was one thing, but it was all the missing pieces Loyalsock had entering the 2025 campaign which made it seem like earning both a district title and state tournament berth could be far-fetched ideas. The Lancers graduated the bulk of last year’s starters after reaching the state quarterfinals, have just one senior (center fielder Sofia Mileto) and were trying to put the right players in the right positions, both offensively and defensively.

Complicating matters, although in a good way, the Loyalsock girls’ basketball team captured a state championship, so Kennedy, left fielder Addi Barowy and first baseman Maddie Wertz all started their softball seasons late. Through it all, Loyalsock kept improving while navigating a demanding schedule and three-peated as HAC-III champions, sharing the crown with Montoursville.

Once districts hit, Loyalsock put all the pieces together, beating the Nos. 4, 1 and 3 seeds, outscoring them, 25-10 and winning the program’s fourth district championship as the No. 5 seed.

"I feel like we started trending upward at the perfect time," Wertz said after hitting a two-run triple in the district final. "We knew that when we had to put together a run to get into the playoffs. We had to win and we liked that feeling of winning, so we kept doing it."

That included against teams which defeated it earlier in the season. Montoursville and Mifflinburg both downed Loyalsock the first time they played, but the Lancers won the final two games against Montoursville, including 12-6 in the quarterfinals.

Next up was a revenge game against Mifflinburg which had drubbed Loyalsock, 19-5 at the Williamsport Tournament. That, though, was a completely different Loyalsock team. Pitcher Easton Waller was still settling in, the defense was still taking shape, the lineup was still solidifying itself. By the time the rematch took place, Loyalsock was the best version of itself and cruised to an 8-4 win.

"The younger girls have really stepped up. They’ve made a huge impact," Waller said after throwing a three-hit shutout against Hughesville. "It’s been amazing, girls being able to step up in positions they weren’t in last year after losing six or seven starters."

Loyalsock has proven a lot of doubters wrong and become a district champion. Now it chases the biggest goal. What an opportunity for a team written off earlier this year to continue writing a memorable story.

"I’m pretty excited," Kennedy said. "The nerves have kind of gone away. It’s exciting."

UNBREAKABLE: After dominating for 3 2/3 innings in the District 2-4 Class AAAAAA semifinals against West Scranton, Williamsport pitcher Bailey Livermore exited after taking a rocket line drive off her shin.

Sporting a huge bruise, Livermore would not let that pain keep her from pitching in the championship three days later. But in the first inning, Livermore absorbed two more line drives in nearly the identical spot on her shin.

The physical pain was one thing, but being hit with three line drives in less than one full inning could have taken a mental toll. Except when it came to Livermore.

The senior pitcher, shook everything off and just kept chucking. Livermore responded by putting up goose eggs for the next five innings and allowed just one run over the final six, striking out eight and helping Williamsport repeat as district champions with an 8-3 win against Wilkes-Barre. That performance helped the Millionaires (17-5) earn a spot in today’s state tournament at Millionaire Mountain against Central Dauphin.

"She didn’t say anything but wanted to keep going and she pulled it together," Williamsport coach Scott Stugart said. "She ended up getting out of that (first) inning and had no ill effects. She’s a tough girl. She went out and threw the ball well and handled them well and that says a lot about Bailey."

GOING FOR HISTORY: Bucktail did not win a District 4 Class A championship last week, but the young Bucks, who have just one senior, still have a shot at achieving something no other Bucktail team ever has.

Bucktail (11-8) will try winning the first state tournament game in program history today when it heads to play at District 6 champion Claysburg Kimmel. The Bucks are appearing in their third straight state tournament and fourth since 2019 but have yet to win there, so there is some extra incentive for a team which has made massive strides this season after opening 4-6.

SECOND CHANCE: States also offer a second shot for three other area teams. Hughesville softball and baseball, as well as Montgomery baseball took silver last week in their respective district tournaments but now are in the hunt with 15 other teams for state gold.

Hughesville softball (16-6) plays at Mid Valley in the 3A tournament, while its baseball team (13-9) heads to face Berks Catholic. Montgomery (15-5) plays at Mount Union in the 2A Tournament.

PIAA history is littered with teams who did not win districts but who rallied to win state titles. Locally, that includes 2003 South Williamsport softball and 2013 Loyalsock baseball.

Area State Tournament Schedule

(All games today)

Baseball

Class A

Mount Calvary Christian at Cowanesque Valley, 4 p.m.

Class AA

Camp Hill at South Williamsport, 4 p.m.

Montgomery at Mount Union, 4 p.m.

Class AAA

Hughesville at Berks Catholic, 4 p.m.

Class AAAA

Crestwood vs. Montoursville at Williamsport, 5:30 p.m.

Class AAAAA

Pine-Richland vs. Central Mountain at Lock Haven University, 4 p.m.

Softball

Class A

Bucktail at Claysburg Kimmel, 4 p.m.

Class AA

South Williamsport vs. Holy Redeemer at Wilkes University, 4 p.m.

Class AAA

Hughesville at Mid Valley, 4:30 p.m.

Kutztown vs. Loyalsock at Elm Park, 4 p.m.

Class AAAAA

Penn-Trafford at Central Mountain, 4 p.m.

Class AAAAAA

Central Dauphin at Williamsport, 4 p.m.

Starting at /week.