Local high school softball stars get one last game together on field

When the final out was made and the season came to an end for the Philipsburg-Osceola softball team, Maggie Peck was in tears.

She tried to talk about the final game and the season, but soon emotions took over and she was choking up with tears. She thought she had played her final high school softball game.

Actually, there was one more on her schedule — and for 11 other Centre County athletes who have earned their diplomas and are preparing for the next chapters in their academic and athletic lives.

The annual Pennsylvania Softball Coaches Association All-Star Games are set for Thursday at Penn State’s Nittany Lion Softball Park.

The evening begins at 6 p.m. with District 6 all-stars meeting the best from District 4 in a 10-inning contest. At about 8:30 p.m., a second game of just District 6 standouts will be played.

In between, the latest class of the PSBCA Hall of Fame will be honored.

Both games bring the chance for some teammates to be on the field together one more time, as well as provide a chance for on-field adversaries to be teammates for a night.

Joining Peck on the all-star list from Centre County are Bald Eagle Area’s Moretta Dyke along with Bellefonte’s Tara Baney, Jenna Ault and Angela Capparelle, and Penns Valley’s Mikenna Lyons, Emma Kubalak, Harley Hess and Cassidy Stover. State College will be sending Kayla Hawbaker, Avery Cymbor and Andrea Kling.

All of them are scheduled to play in the all-District 6 game.

Selected for the game against the District 4 team are Peck, Baney and Hawbaker.

District 6’s best are well represented with 14 of the 40 players hailing from the six district champion teams — P-O, Bellefonte, State College, Conemaugh Valley, Glendale and Central Mountain.

None of the championship teams were able to advance to the PIAA title games, with the Lady Mounties lasting the longest by getting to the state semifinals.

The Hall of Fame is slated to see 10 new members enshrined, including Bellefonte’s Hannah Cooper and umpire Roy Harpster. Joining them will be Central Cambria’s Kierstin Lorditch, Taylor Swatsworth and Breanne James; West Branch’s Leann Bell; Claysburg-Kimmel’s Ronette Claar, Bellwood-Antis’ Kelsey Shawley, Conemaugh Valley’s Paula McCleester and Mount Union’s Renae Hobbs-Sucham.

This story was originally published June 21, 2017 at 3:32 PM with the headline "Local high school softball stars get one last game together on field."