Mounties have shown great toughness headed into state tournament

Jun 5, 2023

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette CorrespondentAlizabeth Schuler throws for South Williamsport during a PIAA District 4 Class AA championship game against Muncy on Tuesday at Elm Park. South won 4-1.

South Williamsport showed how dangerous it can be when it defeated District 4 Class AAAA champion Jersey Shore, 15-2 a few weeks ago. The Mounties then revealed their toughness throughout the District 4 Class AA tournament.

South rallied from two-run deficits in both the quarterfinals and semifinals, winning one-run games each time before defeating Muncy, 3-1 and repeating as district champions. The Mounties would have preferred not making things so exciting, especially in the first two games, but overcoming the adversity revealed this team's character. It also showed they can win under several different circumstances and provides a boost entering the state tournament.

The Mounties (19-2) open states Monday when they face District 3 champion Newport at Elm Park.

"We battle every game to the last out. We’re definitely hungry," left fielder Maddie Pinkerton said following the district championship. "Our coaches prepare us well and we try and get better every single game."

"That was big," second baseman Gianna Goodman said. "I think the last few days have prepared us really well going into the state playoffs."

The Mounties had won 15 of their last 16 games entering districts but found themselves trailing East Juniata by two runs entering the fifth inning of the quarterfinals. South displayed its poise and tied the game by the sixth inning before winning it in the seventh after Mikaiya Hills doubled and scored on Goodman's walk-off single.

Troy took two early two-run leads in the semifinals. South answered right back each time. After Troy rallied and tied the game in the fifth, the Mounties regrouped again, scored in the bottom of the inning and won, 11-10. Pushed to the brink, South did not buckle and carried that momentum into the district final, winning a hard-fought 3-1 contest.

Although South never trailed in that game, it thwarted Muncy rallies throughout the first two innings before taking the lead. It cleaned up mistakes made the two previous games and South again scaled the district summit.

"That's exactly why we played a hard schedule during the regular season," shortstop Aleigha Rieppel said. "We made those games a little harder than they had to be, but they taught us how to fight. They taught us how to fight till the end and come out on top."

South has loaded up its schedule the past two years with an eye toward the postseason. It played mostly larger school teams, splitting two games with Jersey Shore and taking District 6-9 Class AAAAA champion Central Mountain to extra innings. The Mounties also made their mark at the Williamsport tournament, conquering a challenging eight-team field and taking the championship.

There, South defeated District 6 Class AAAA champion Bellefonte, HAC-III champion Loyalsock and 6A Williamsport. The Mounties outscored those teams 19-4. Just playing those games was beneficial, but winning them also instilled a powerful belief. That came shining through during the district playoffs.

"Nobody wants to be in close games all the time, but it helps," South coach Tom O’Malley said. "It gives you experience and you have to make the plays in those situations and that's what we did."

Look at South's wins, whether close or not, and one sees different players delivering at crucial times throughout the season. All nine starters have emerged as threats and experience has taught them that they can produce in key spots. This is a team not relying on a few players, but relying on all.

Together, South became the program's first repeat champion during the 2000s. Still, South is not satisfied. Another opportunity; another challenge now awaits.

Newport swept two games from East Juniata, also winning a one-run contest in the first meeting. The Buffaloes are coming off their first district championship win and are eager to make more history. Nobody knows how the game will unfold but South having gone through a meat grinder of a schedule and repeated district playoff tests has it prepared.

As much as that district title means, the experience could mean just as much.

"The state tournament is going to be tough. There's a lot of good teams in it," Rieppel said. "Knowing we can fight and come out on top three times in a row in districts helps us."

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