Four area softball and baseball teams, two in each sport, have reached their respective state tournament’s quarterfinals. It is a big achievement, but all four teams want more. The following is a look the four games featuring those area teams, all which will be played this afternoon.

Softball

6A

Williamsport (19-3) vs. Owen J Roberts (26-1) at North Schuylkill High School, noon

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Bucktail’s Carrie Ditty, left, high-fives teammate Kendall Wagner (33) during an earlier game against Sugar Valley.

Williamsport has reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 2022 after rallying for a dramatic, 6-5 first round win against South Western in nine innings. Now, the Millionaires are trying to reach the Final 4 for the first time since 1999. Williamsport has won five straight games and overcame a 4-2, sixth inning deficit and 5-4 ninth inning deficit against South Western.

The Millionaires have won five games in their final at-bat this season, including three walk-off victories. Pitcher Ashlyn Robinson is 17-3 in the circle and has more than 200 career strikeouts. The offense has been balanced throughout the season and every starter has reached base the last two games. Williamsport has increased its win total for a second straight year, three-peated as district champions for the first time this century and is 31-5 since last year’s halfway point.

Owen J Roberts (24-1) repeated as District 1 champions and avenged a first-round loss from last year when it defeated Wilson, 5-2 Monday. Left-hander Maddie Reed threw a complete game and struck out 10, thundering back after allowing a first-inning home run. She struck out 13 in the District 1 championship as OJR became the first team in program history to repeat with a 6-1 win against fellow quarterfinalist Souderton.

Souderton outhit OJR, 7-6 in that game but the Wildcats scored two runs in three different innings and stole four bases to complement some timely hitting. Reed’s two-run single in the second inning Monday put it ahead of Wilson to stay. Audrey Vermillion sparked that rally with a lead-off triple. Leah Cashman hit a clutch tie-breaking single in a hard-fought 3-2 district quarterfinal win against Methacton.

1A

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville's Kane Moore fields the ball during the PIAA Class AAAA baseball playoffs against Wyoming Area on Monday at Millionaire Mountain.

Bucktail (16-5) vs. Tri-Valley (18-5) at Central Columbia, 3 p.m.

Bucktail made history Monday when it defeated District 3 champion Greenwood, 3-2 and won the program’s first state tournament game in five tries. Freshman Kelsie Wagner hit a lead-off double to start the seventh inning before stealing home and sophomore Carrie Ditty shined in relief, throwing five innings of three-hit softball with eight strikeouts.

Kendall Wagner and Eva Sockman are two of Bucktail’s four 100-hit batters and each had hits with RBIs against Greenwood. Makenna Stone and Lola English also have topped 100 career hits and put together impressive district tournaments. Bucktail is playing in its fourth straight state tournament and bounced back well after Montgomery defeated it in the district final. Five players are hitting .413 or higher, including Rebekah Conway, while Ditty and Kelsie Wagner have combined for 152 strikeouts.

Tri-Valley captured its sixth straight District 11 championship and is seeking its third state title of the decade after taking the crown in 2021 and 2023. Sophomore Myah Schwalm threw a two-hitter with eight strikeouts in a 7-1 opening round win against Christopher Dock. Four players collected multiple hits, including Summer Cupsta-Klinger who was 3 for 4. Schwalm is one of three pitchers Tri-Valley has utilized this year, striking out 62 in 62 2/3 innings and allowing 64 hits. Alina Leonard and Amber Lettich also have thrown a lot and each has 48 strikeouts.

Like Bucktail, Tri-Valley features a dangerous offense and is hitting a collective .398. Cupsta-Klinger hits a team-high .562, while Schwalm is at .484 with 33 RBIs. Olivia Witmer has generated 14 doubles and has 28 RBIs.

BRIAN HOLTZAPPLE/Special to the Sun-Gazette Warrior Run’s Cohen Zechman field the ball during a District 4 Class AAA playoff game against Mifflinburg at Millionaire Mountain.

Baseball

4A

Montoursville (18-4) vs. Boiling Springs (17-6) at Blue Mountain High School, noon

Montoursville is competing in its fifth Elite 8 since 2018 and trying to reach a third Final 4 during that time. The Warriors repeated as District 4 champions and thumped Wyoming Area, 11-1 in six innings in Monday’s state playoff opener. Montoursville has produced 20 hits in two playoff wins and every starter reached base against Wyoming Area.

The Warriors rallied from an early three-run deficit to defeat Fleetwood, 6-4. Several starters are back from that team and first-year starters like Carson Menne and Austin Davidson have made big impacts, those two combining for five hits and four RBIs against Wyoming Area. Jonah Heddings hit a tone-setting home run in the district championship against Athens and Elijah Eck ended Monday’s first round game early, belting a walk-off, two-run double.

Boiling Springs is making its second straight state tournament appearance and coming off an impressive 8-0 first round win against District 12 champion Conwell-Egan. Phoenix Houser threw a dominant one-hit shutout which featured eight strikeouts and the Bubblers totaled eight hits, scoring four runs in both the third and seventh innings. Josh Snyder went 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs, while Dom Beck was 3 for 4 with a double and two RBIs.

Boiling Springs earned its state tournament berth after bouncing back from a district semifinal loss against Northern Lebanon, taking third with a 5-2 victory against Big Spring. Torin Williamson could get the start today and is 5-1 with a 2.60 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 43 innings. Beck also could throw and has a 3.11 ERA to go along with 28 strikeouts in 27 innings.

Beck leads the team with a .431 average and Snyder is close behind at .426. Williamson hits .407 with a team-high 25 RBIs. Williamson hit a walk-off single to lift Boiling Springs to a 4-3 district quarterfinal win against Eastern York.

3A

Warrior Run (18-6) vs. Bermudian Springs (21-4) at Wenger Field, Fredericksburg, 4 p.m.

Warrior Run has reached the state quarterfinals for the first time and is coming off a thrilling 1-0 win against District 2 champion Dunmore. Griff Harrington threw a no-hitter and struck out, earning his third postseason victory this season.

The Defenders rallied from two runs down to beat Troy, 6-3 in the district quarterfinals before blanking top-seeded Wellsboro, 5-0 and snapping the Hornets’ 14-game winning streak. Despite a 3-1 loss against Mifflinburg in the final, Warrior Run came out strong against Dunmore and Cohen Zechman scored the game’s lone run in the first inning. Jackson Bowers went 2 for 2; Harrington doubled and Landon Tillson reached base twice, going 1 for 3, in his first action in a month.

Warrior Run repeated as HAC-III champions, sharing the crown with Mifflinburg and won 10 straight games following a 2-2 start.

Bermudian Springs defeated Neumann-Goretti in the opening round for a second straight year, winning, 4-0. The Eagles lost in the quarterfinals to eventual finalist Mount Carmel, 3-1. Branson Diller threw a masterful three-hit shutout against Neumann-Goretti on 84 pitches, striking out three and walking none. Brayden Heller went 2 for 2 with a triple and Bermudian Springs scored three seventh inning runs to pull away. Heller could get the start today and has four wins to go along with a 3.63 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings. Brodie Ferrebee is another option, going 3-0 with a 3.03 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 25 innings.

Bermudian Springs features a deep lineup and is hitting a collective .334. Heller leads the way at .451 with Lane Hubbard at .433 and Teegan Byers .426, those two combining for 39 RBIs. Gavin Reinert and Diller are at .364 and .345, respectively, combining for 13 doubles and 30 RBIs.

By CHRIS MASSE