H.S. SOFTBALL: Schuylkill League playoffs take center stage

The dust has settled on the 2026 regular season in the Schuylkill League, and now six teams will vie for the coveted Schuylkill League championship.

Each of the last three teams to have won the Schuylkill League championship has gone to claim state championships, with Pine Grove doing so in 2025, following in the footsteps of Blue Mountain, which accomplished the feat in 2023 and 2024

Blue Mountain captured the regular-season divisional crown in Division I with a 13-1 record in league play, while Tri-Valley took home the Division II title with a 12-2 record.

Also qualifying out of Division I are Pine Grove (12-2) and North Schuylkill (11-3). Representing Division II will be Schuylkill Haven (11-3) and Williams Valley (11-3).

The Schuylkill League playoffs will begin on Monday at 4:30 p.m. at Blue Mountain’s Patton Field as part of a doubleheader, with the second matchup at 6:30 p.m.

The semifinals will take place on Tuesday at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m., with the championship game being played on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

Ticket prices for all playoff games are $6 for adults and senior citizens, and $3 for students.

Schuylkill Haven vs. Pine Grove – Monday, 4:30 p.m.

Monday’s first matchup pits an upstart Schuylkill Haven (14-7, 11-3) program against the defending Class 3A state champions, Pine Grove (18-2, 12-2).

Expect a pitching matchup between Schuylkill Haven’s Allison Scherer (4-4, 3.10 ERA) and Pine Grove’s Jamie Dinger (11-2, 0.44 ERA) on Monday evening.

For Pine Grove, the Cardinals ended their regular season this past Tuesday with a 5-2 loss to Blue Mountain at Susan Stump Stadium. It’s only the fourth game that Pine Grove has lost since the beginning of the 2025 season.

Otherwise, this season, the Cardinals were nearly unbeatable, outscoring opponents 213-22 on the season.

Top hitters to watch for include Pine Grove’s Callee Leffler, who has 11 home runs this season with 38 RBI and a .688 batting average. Both Hannah Aungst and Lilly Flynn finished the regular season with over 20 RBI, driving in 27 and 20, respectively.

Entering the season, Schuylkill Haven was considered a wild card in the league thanks to a talented but young roster.

While the youth movement took a few weeks for the Hurricanes to find its footing, starting their season 3-6 overall. They thrived down the stretch, winning 11 of their final 12 games.

They’ll be led at the plate by Aisley Jenan and Joie Schoffstall.

Jenan is hitting an impressive .544 with 15 extra base hits and 31 RBI, while Schoffstall has contributed 20 extra base hits of her own and 29 RBI.

Williams Valley vs North Schuylkill – Monday, 6:30 p.m.

Game two on Monday is an intriguing matchup between two potential title contenders in Williams Valley and North Schuylkill.

North Schuylkill (17-4, 11-3), despite finishing third in Division I, is a true contender itself with arguably the deepest lineup in the Schuylkill League.