Jun. 9—Some sites will be familiar, some will not.
Some games will be relatively close, others will require lengthy road trips.
Some foes will be familiar ones, others teams they’ve never faced.
Welcome to the PIAA baseball and softball playoffs, where interdistrict play pits teams from different parts of the state against each other at a location somewhere in between.
For six area teams — two baseball, four softball — the quest to reach the PIAA championships June 17-18 in State College continues Thursday with quarterfinal action.
Here’s a breakdown of where our area’s six teams are headed Thursday. Remember, tickets can only be purchased online at www.piaa.org/tickets and cost $8 per person, plus a processing fee.
Baseball
In baseball, District 11 champion Schuylkill Haven gets the easiest trip, traveling out Route 443 to Pine Grove’s Stump Stadium to take on District 3 champion Camp Hill in a Class AA quarterfinal at 2 p.m. The game is the first of two contests at Stump Stadium, with Trinity facing Lake-Lehman in a Class 3A quarterfinal at 4:30 p.m.
The Hurricanes (22-3) and their expansive fan base are no strangers to Stump Stadium, beating North Schuylkill and Blue Mountain there to win their first Schuylkill League championship since 1985 and then topping Williams Valley 5-1 on June 1 to win their third straight District 11 Class AA crown. Their foe is also a familiar one, as the Lions ousted the Hurricanes 9-8 in a PIAA Class AA state semifinal in 2018.
District 11 Class A champion Tri-Valley also stays relatively close to home, traveling to Lebanon County to take on District 3 runner-up Halifax at Wenger Field in Fredericksburg at 4:30 p.m.
The Dawgs (17-5), who beat St. John Neumann 3-2 in Monday’s opening round, last played at Wenger Field in 2017 when they lost 4-3 to High Point in 11 innings. Wenger Field is a common destination for local baseball teams, with Blue Mountain, Pottsville, Pine Grove and Williams Valley among the teams that have played there over the years.
Like at Stump Stadium, the Tri-Valley game is part of a doubleheader at Wenger Field, with District 2 champion Riverside facing District 5 champion McConnellsburg in a Class AA quarterfinal at 2 p.m.
Softball
Gas up the car, softball fans. Thursday is going to be a road trip day.
Tri-Valley gets the day started with a Class A quarterfinal against District 4 champion Montgomery at noon at Central Columbia High School. The Dawgs (22-2) advanced with a 13-1 beating of Faith Christian in the first round, while Montgomery blanked District 2 champion Old Forge 7-0.
In Class AA, Williams Valley wins the award for the longest road trip, traveling to the Milesburg Little League Complex in Bellefonte to take on District 6 champion Mount Union (19-3). The Vikings (20-4) rolled into the quarterfinals with a 15-0, four-inning rout of District 12 champion Conwell-Egan on Monday.
North Schuylkill heads north, as the Spartans travel up Interstate 81 to Scranton to take on District 2 champion Mid Valley in a Class 3A quarterfinal at 1 p.m. at Marywood University. The Spartans (20-6) were also impressive Monday, blowing past Philadelphia Academy Charter 19-0 in three innings.
In Class 4A, Hamburg heads east, as the District 3 runner-up Hawks trek down Interstate 78 to Patriots Park in Allentown for a 2 p.m. date with District 2 champion Tunkhannock at 2 p.m. Hamburg (20-4) routed District 12’s Archbishop Ryan 20-0 in three innings Monday, while Tunkhannock edged District 4 champ Danville 1-0 in nine innings.
Capsule previews of all six PIAA games involving area baseball and softball teams will appear in Thursday’s edition. Thursday’s winners in both sports advance to the state semifinals Monday. Complete PIAA brackets can be found on Page B3.
Contact the writer: Lboyer@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6026; @pubsportsboss on Twitter