Lady Cardinals claim gold in Happy Valley

Madelyn Vogan (53), a Penn State commit, prepares to throw a pitch to Callee Leffler (red), a Florida State commit, in the PIAA 3A Softball Championship on Thursday. 

UNIVERSITY PARK – For the second season in a row, the Pine Grove Area softball team took home the gold medal in the PIAA 3A Championship, defeating the undefeated Sharon Tigers 7-1 earlier today.

This marks their third state championship in program history (2019, 2025, 2026). The Lady Cardinals are the third team from the Schuylkill League to go back-to-back in state softball championships. They join Minersville (1979-1980, 1986-1987) and Blue Mountain (2023-2024).

Before this game started, the matchup in the circle was very appealing as it was junior Chelcy Clark (PGA * 12-0, 0.56 ERA, 62.1 IP, 31 H, 5 ER, 20 BB, 66 K) against another junior and Penn State verbal commit Madelyn Vogan (SHA * 24-0, 0.19 ERA, 148 IP, 28 H, 4 ER, 12 BB, 344 K). Another fact about Vogan is that she is currently the seventh highest ranked player in the class of 2027.

To start the game, the second batter for the Lady Cardinals, Hannah Aungst, drew a walk. She later scored on a passed ball with two outs to open up the scoring early, 1-0 in Pine Grove’s favor.

The Lady Tigers had baserunners early as their two-hole hitter, Addie McFann, drew a walk of her own. In the cleanup spot, Izzy Renner hit a single to Callee Leffler in center field. Jamie Dinger was brought in for Clark after the bases loaded situation with two outs. Those two runners were left on base due to a strikeout after that, which concluded the first inning.

Khloe Jessman reached on an error in the Sharon outfield, and Meadow Umbenhauer followed by reaching on an error on a bunt to Vogan. However, three straight strikeouts followed for Pine Grove to leave those baserunners on. Sharon went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the second.

Leffler led the third inning off with a solo shot to center field to make the score 2-0, which was followed by another walk to Aungst. Following a strikeout, Lily Flynn singled on a bunt back to Vogan in the circle that scored Aungst to increase their lead to 3-0. Two pitches into the next at-bat, Flynn pulled off stealing two bases and ended up scoring on a sacrifice by Khloe Jessman to have an even bigger lead of 4-0. A strikeout would conclude the threat that the Lady Cardinals gave to Sharon.

Vogan started the bottom of the third with a double to Mallory Schneck in left field, but what followed were three straight outs, a strikeout and two flyouts.

Tailyn Bohr began the fourth inning with a double to left field, but two flyouts followed. Leffler hit a flyball in the infield, which was another error by the Lady Tigers, that allowed Bohr to score to make it a 5-0 game. Leffler was out trying to steal home to not allow Pine Grove to create more damage. Sharon had another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fourth with a strikeout, popout, and a flyout.

Aungst hit a leadoff double for the Lady Cardinals with her advancing to third on the next at-bat with a sacrifice bunt by Dinger. Another sacrifice happened next, this one by Flynn, to score Aungst to expand the Pine Grove lead to 6-0 with two outs. A flyout would wrap up this half of the fifth.

After a strikeout for the Lady Tigers, Alauna Wilson hit a hard grounder to Schneck for a double. Following that hit, Vogan singled to Flynn at second base, but Wilson scored to make the score 6-1. A walk and two outs followed for Sharon.

Other than an error helping Bohr reach first base, three strikeouts (two after Bohr being on base) happened to not allow another threatening inning to happen for Pine Grove. The Lady Tigers went 1-2-3 once again in the bottom half of the inning.

After Vogan struck out Leffler for the first time in two seasons, Aungst hit the first home run of her season off the scoreboard in left field to extend the lead to 7-1. Two more strikeouts followed to get the Lady Cardinals closer to a state title.

A popout to Bohr in foul territory, a flyout to Jessman in the outfield, and a flyout to Leffler concluded the end of another historic season for Pine Grove softball.

PINE GROVE (25-2) – 1 0 3 1 1 0 1
HITTING
Callee Leffler (CF) (1-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 K)
Hannah Aungst (SS) (2-2, 4 runs, 1 RBI, 2 walks)
Jamie Dinger (DH/P) (0-3, 3 K)
Lily Flynn (2B) (1-3, 1 run, 2 RBI, 2 K)
Khloe Jessman (RF) (0-2, 1 RBI)
Meadow Umbenhauer (3B) (1-3, 2 K)
Tailyn Bohr (C) (1-3, 1 run, 1 K)
Mallory Schneck (LF) (0-3, 2 K)
Ava Behrent (1B/starting FLEX) (0-3, 2 K)

Doubles – Aungst, Bohr
Home Run – Leffler, Aungst
Stolen Bases – Leffler 2, Aungst 2, Flynn 2, Jessman, Umbenhauer, Bohr

PITCHING
Checly Clark (0.2 IP, 1 hit, 2 walks, 1 K)
Dinger (6.1 IP, 3 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk, 8 K’s)

FIELDING
Errors – NONE

SHARON (24-1) – 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
HITTING
Madelyn Vogan (P) (2-4, 1 RBI, 1 K)
Addie McFann (2B) (0-1, 2 walks, 1 K)
Mya Bundrant (1B) (0-3)
Izzy Renner (3B) (1-3)
Marley Bundrant (CF) (0-2, 1 walk, 1 K)
Brooklyn Ruzich (LF) (0-3, 1 K)
Aliyah Fleet (DH) (0-2, 1 K)
Jocelyn Robertson (RF/starting FLEX) (0-1, 1 K)
Mary Claire Brown (C) (0-3, 2 K’s)
Alauna Wilson (SS) (1-3, 1 RBI, 1 K)

Doubles – Wilson, Vogan

PITCHING
Vogan (7.0 IP, 6 hits, 5 earned runs, 2 walks, 13 K’s)

FIELDING
Errors – Wilson, Ruzich, My. Bundrant, Vogan

**CREDITS**
Game plays and stats were provided by PIAA official scorebook, plays and game stats were provided by Pine Grove Area GameChanger, Sharon fielding stats provided by Sharon GameChanger.