Pine Grove Callee Leffler (7) slides safely into third n the steal as Mid Valley Angela Laskowski (13 reaches for the throw in the first inning of the PIAA semifinal game at Hazleton Area High School in Hazle Twp. on Monday June 8, 2026. .(John Haeger / Staff Photographer)
Pine Grove Lily Flynn bunts against Mid Valley in the first inning of the PIAA semifinal game at Hazleton Area High School in Hazle Twp. on Monday June 8, 2026. .(John Haeger / Staff Photographer)
Pine Grove Chelcy Clark (3) winds up to deliver the pitch to a Mid Valley batter in the first inning of the PIAA semifinal game at Hazleton Area High School in Hazle Twp. on Monday June 8, 2026. .(John Haeger / Staff Photographer)
Pine Grove Tailyn Bohr (6) celebrates withJamie Dinger (99) after scoring in the second against Mid Valley in the PIAA semifinal game at Hazleton Area High School in Hazle Twp. on Monday June 8, 2026. .(John Haeger / Staff Photographer)
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Pine Grove Callee Leffler (7) slides safely into third n the steal as Mid Valley Angela Laskowski (13 reaches for the throw in the first inning of the PIAA semifinal game at Hazleton Area High School in Hazle Twp. on Monday June 8, 2026. .(John Haeger / Staff Photographer)
HAZLETON — Behind a strong pitching performance from Chelcy Clark, defending state champion Pine Grove defeated Mid Valley, 7-1, in the PIAA Class 3A softball semifinals Monday at Hazleton Area High School.
The Cardinals (26-2) will take on Sharon High School on Thursday afternoon for the PIAA Class 3A crown.
On Monday, the Cardinals struck quickly in the first as Callee Leffler was hit by a pitch before a bunt singles sandwiched a pop out to load the bases. Khloe Jessman’s sacrifice fly scored Leffler, but Mid Valley pitcher Ava Hazleton got a fly out escape the inning without further damage.
After Mid Valley (21-4) went down in order in the bottom of the first, the Cardinals tacked on another run in the top of the second.
Tailyn Bohr singled to center to leadoff the inning, was sacrificed to second on a bunt. Following a line out and an intentional walk, Hannah Aungst scorched a groundball off the third baseman’s glove to drive in Bohr and make it 2-0.
Mid Valley cut the deficit to 2-1 in the third inning as it played small ball of its own.
Marley Morano led off the inning with a single to left field. Avery Tinney moved her to second with a sacrifice bunt and Abbey Mackey followed with a single to left to put runners on first and third. Tinney then scored when Mackey was thrown out attempting to steal second, making it 2-1.
By then, Hazelton had settled in, retiring the Cardinals in order in the third and fourth innings.
The Spartans threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth after Angela Laskowski’s single started the inning. She’d advance to second on an error on the play, and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. However, Mid Valley was unable to execute a safety squeeze, as Laskowski was thrown out in a rundown between third and home.
One hallmark of a great team is to take advantage of momentum switches, and it took Callee Leffler no time to do just that in the top of the fifth. The outfielder launched her 17th home run of the season and sixth of the postseason in opposite-field fashion to extend the lead to 3-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, Mid Valley once again started the inning in promising fashion with a single from Julie Prisco, but any sparks to start a rally were quickly extinguished as Clark induced a soft groundball back up the middle, allowing Aungst to step on second before firing to first for the 4-3 double play.
Once again, the Cardinals took advantage of the momentum shift.
Meadow Umbenhauer started the top of the sixth inning with a double to left-center field before moving to third on a Bohr groundout. She scored one batter later as Mallory Schneck laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, making it a 4-1.
The Cardinals didn’t stop there.
After Clark worked a two-out walk, Mid Valley intentionally walked Leffler for a second time, setting up Aungst, who launched a two-run triple into left field that narrowly missed leaving the park, extending the lead to 6-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
“I thought if we could push three, four runs across and play good defense we had a shot,” Mid Valley coach Michael Piercy said. “But once they piled on there in the sixth, you know, it was an uphill battle.”
The Cardinals added on another run in the seventh inning.
From there, Clark shut the door on Mid Valley’s season, sending the Cardinals back to Happy Valley for a second straight year.