Chris Masse on softball: Williamsport Tournament was one fun ride

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
Loyalsock’s Bella Mileto was named Backyard Brawl Tournament MVP after a solid performance in the Williamsport Tournament which included going 7 for 10 with six RBIs and six runs scored.

Loyalsock, South Williamsport, Montoursville and Williamsport all took turns last Friday turning the annual eight-team Williamsport Tournament into their own Backyard Brawl softball tournament.

What a fun ride it was.

All four teams produced impressive victories Friday night before squaring off Saturday morning and afternoon. Loyalsock made a big statement, capturing the championship with 11-1 and 14-4 five-inning wins against previous champion South and Williamsport. The Millionaires and Mounties, who took third, both finished 2-1 and Montoursville won a 2-1 thriller against Union-Endicott Friday, placing fourth.

Following each Backyard Brawl Baseball Tournament, this reporter picks an All-Tournament team and an MVP. With the four neighboring schools staging their own Brawl last Saturday, we will do the same for softball. The stats listed are for all three games played last weekend.

Backyard Brawl All-Tournament Team

C–Lily Reidy, South: Reidy wins in a photo finish over Loyalsock’s Maddie Luxenberger. Both shined defensively, combining for three assists and Reidy went 5 for 8, hitting safely in all three games. That included a 4 for 4 performance Saturday and throwing out a runner trying to steal second.

IF–Emily George, Montoursville: Enjoying a breakout season, George continued producing last week and hit .500 over three games. A slick fielder, too, George went 3 for 4 in Montoursville’s victory and added two more hits, while scoring twice against South.

IF–Gianna Goodman, South: One of the area’s top lead-off hitters, Goodman set the tone in an impressive 7-0 quarterfinal win against Mifflinburg, going 3 for 4 with two doubles. She added two more hits against Loyalsock, an RBI against Montoursville and stole three bases.

IF–Kathryn Ray, Loyalsock: An RBI machine last weekend, Ray finished with a tournament-high 10. Loyalsock’s clean-up hitter went 4 for 6 with eight RBIs in Saturday’s two games. Making good plays as well at shortstop, Ray smashed a three-run double against South which put Loyalsock ahead to stay.

IF–Ashlyn Robinson, Williamsport: In addition to winning two games in the circle, Robinson found her offensive groove. The sophomore hit .500 and was a force Saturday, going 4 for 6 with a home run, double and four RBIs. Robinson smashed a walk-off two-run home run to cap the semifinal win.

OF–Chelsey Harrison, Williamsport: A model of consistency last weekend, Harrison produced two hits in all three games. The junior played second base, right field and pitched, while going 6 for 9 with seven RBIs and four runs. Harrison also drove in at least one run in each game.

OF–Mikaiya Hills, South: Following up a strong freshman season, Hills has continued evolving and taken another step forward. She repeatedly drove the ball at the tournament, going 5 for 10 with a home run, two doubles, five RBIs and three runs. She also covers a lot of ground in the outfield.

OF–Katie Ryder, Loyalsock: Ryder is another defensive weapon who has developed into one of the state’s premier center fielders. She also excels offensively and hit .500 at the tournament, while drawing four walks. Ryder hit a triple, double, drove in four runs and scored eight times.

P–Sophia Miller, Loyalsock: Miller went 3-0 at the tournament, winning one start and two in relief. The sophomore has settled in nicely and surrendered just one run in 12 innings. She complemented Anna Luxenberger and Lydia Kresock nicely and closed her tournament by throwing 11 consecutive scoreless innings, not allowing a run against South or Williamsport.

Tournament MVP–Bella Mileto, Loyalsock: The senior left fielder gave all three opponents fits and set the tone from her lead-of spot in every game. Mileto delivered multiple-hit performances in all three games, walloping a home run to open the tournament. Mileto also sparked Loyalsock with a lead-off double against South and single against Williamsport. She went 7 for 10, driving in six runs and scoring six times. After starting the 10-run first inning eruption against Williamsport in the final, Mileto also capped it, ripping a two-out, three-run double.

GROUP EFFORT: While Miller is 6-0 this season, Kresock and Luxenberger also have pitched well. Loyalsock used all three pitchers Saturday and the different styles paid big dividends. Luxenberger limited South the first time through the order before Miller came in and shut the door.

A game later, Kresock threw a scoreless first inning and stranded a runner in the second before Miller entered in the third inning.

While none of those three pitchers may be overpowering, they are effective. They also set each other up well and have thrived whether as starters or relievers this season. That gave Loyalsock quality options last weekend and should continue doing so moving forward.

“We’re coming together. I think by the time we get to the end of it, they’re both going to be right there where we need them to be,” Loyalsock coach Mark Godfrey said about sophomores Miller and Kresock. “That’s key. They keep improving and we can throw Anna in there as our closer because she’s thrown well in that role this season.”

SETTLING IN: Hills making a smooth adjustment to high school softball a year ago helped South repeat as District 4 Class AA champions and reach the state semifinals. She has picked up where she left off in 2024, moving from eighth in the order to and providing consistent production.

Hills drilled her second home run Saturday and also has produced six doubles and triples. The sophomore is among area leaders as well with 15 RBIs.

“I feel more confident up there. I don’t think it’s as much pressure,” Hills said. “Last year I was still more comfortable with the team, but this year I feel more in it because I’m not the newbie. I feel more prepared.”

EXTRA BASES: Bucktail coach Mike Poorman reached an impressive milestone last Thursday, becoming the first coach in program history to reach 100 career wins. He and his staff have done a remarkable job since taking over. Bucktail had never reached the playoffs before that tenure started and likely are going there for a seventh straight season, winning two district championships along the way. Bucktail (7-0) romped to four wins last week, piling up 59 runs and 49 hits … Emilia Viveiros struck out a career-high 12 and sophomore Mariah Hallabuk hit her first scholastic home run as Sullivan County defeated St. John Neumann, 13-3 in a battle of 2023 playoff qualifiers. Kayla Fowler went 2 for 3 with a double and has hit safely in all eight games this season … Neumann senior Gigi Parlante has translated her basketball success to the softball field and is 7 for 8 over her last three games. Including four walks, Parlante has reached base in 11 of her past 12 plate appearances … Montoursville (5-5) entered the Williamsport Tournament on a high after scoring 30 runs and collecting 23 hits in consecutive wins against Lewisburg and Central Columbia. Avery Cozzi had five RBIs in those games and Natalie Bennett was 2 for 2 against Central … Warrior Run produced a season-high 14 hits in a 13-5 win against Bloomsburg. Six players hit doubles, including Liana Dion who had two. Mya Evans, Millie Gennett and Meghan Rovenolt all had two hits and Maura Woland drove in three runs.

Chris Masse may be reached at cmasse@sungazette.com. Follow him on Twitter at @docmasse.

DR. MASSE’S TOP 5 RANKINGS

1. Loyalsock (9-0): Before capturing the tournament championship, Loyalsock handed Midd-West its first league loss, taking sole possession of first place in the HAC-III. The Lancers went 5-0 last week and have scored at least 10 runs in all nine games.

2. North Penn-Liberty (10-0): North Penn-Liberty became the first District 4 team to clinch a playoff berth and seized control of the NTL-I with a 5-0 win against Troy last Thursday. Mackenzi Tice threw a three-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts before throwing a three-hitter with nine strikeouts a day later against Wyalusing. The defending District 4 Class AAA champions are 29-1 over the past two seasons and sophomore Haley Litzelman homered and doubled in its two wins late last week. She and Tice combined for seven shutouts entering Monday’s game against Corning Painted Post. The Mounties have not allowed more than two runs in a game this season and had five players deliver multi-hit performances last week.

3. Central Mountain (6-1): The last area team to start playing, Central Mountain has quickly found its stride, playing its eighth game in 13 days Monday at Williamsport. Senior pitcher Addie McKeague won her 40th game in a 4-1 victory against Williamsport last Thursday before dominating at the Bellefonte Tournament and allowing just one run, while striking out 15 as the Wildcats captured the championship. Five players combined for 10 home runs through the first seven games with Cora Myers slamming an area-best four. Madison Hardy is right behind with three. Seven players produced at least two hits in a 17-0 win against Tyrone before McKeague threw a two-hitter in Saturday’s final against perennial Class A power Dubois Central Catholic as Central Mountain handed the Cardinals their first loss.

4. South Williamsport (7-1): Although it did not take the tournament title, South produced impressive wins against Mifflinburg and Montoursville, outscoring them, 18-2. Alizabeth Schuler threw a brilliant three-hit shutout against Mifflinburg and Abby Lorson walloped a grand slam while finishing with five RBIs against Montoursville.

t-5. Muncy (8-0): Muncy highlighted a four-win week with a 6-0 victory at Northwest in a showdown of undefeated teams. Taylor Shannon homered for a second straight game and went 6 for 11 with two home runs and nine RBIs in the four victories. Senior Kaylyn Rice also enjoyed a big week and went 6 for 8 over the last three games. Rachel Paulhamus came up big against Northwest with a starter out sick, going 2 for 2 with two runs, while playing strong defense. Muncy entered Monday’s game against Warrior Run having won 21 straight regular season games.

t-5. Jersey Shore (8-1): Speaking of streaks, Jersey Shore has won eight straight and heads to Central Mountain today for a first-place showdown in the HAC-I. The Bulldogs opened their four-win week with a comeback/walk-off 7-6 victory against Williamsport. That set a tone and the defending District 4 Class AAAA champions collected 10 or more hits in each victory. The hitting is coming from all parts of the lineup and off the bench as well. Isabelle Engel and Lynna Clark form a strong pitching tandem as well and each won a game while combining for 15 strikeouts in a doubleheader sweep of Selinsgrove.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Dani Miller, Jersey Shore and Nolah Moyer, Muncy: Miller excelled as a freshman a year and has taken another big step forward this season. A tone-setter from the lead-off position, Miller went 11 for 16 in Jersey Shore’s four victories, producing at least two hits in every game. A good infielder as well, Miller homered, hit a triple, drove in five runs and scored seven times. Moyer has literally been just about untouchable this season and surrendered just one hit in four games last week. The St. Bonaventure-bound senior threw a perfect game and two no-hitters, while striking out 47. Moyer capped her week with a perfect game at Millville in which she went 3 for 3 with a home run, double, five RBIs and four runs. The lefty’s pitching numbers entering the week almost don’t make sense. Moyer is 8-0, surrendering just one run and seven hits in 40 innings and striking out 99.

GAME OF THE WEEK

Bucktail at Muncy: If both teams hold serve leading up to Friday’s game than this one will feature two undefeated teams and will be for first place in the Mid-Penn. Bucktail has won all seven games via the mercy rule, so this will be power against power. Bucktail swept the series two years ago but Muncy won 1-0 and 3-0 showdowns last year. Expect another close one Friday.