Here are 5 things to watch in the first round of 2022 PIAA District 6 softball playoffs
District 6 softball playoffs begin on Thursday with a number of Centre County teams set to compete.
Bellefonte, a two seed, will take on third-seeded Hollidaysburg at home in the District 6 Class 5A semifinal at 4 p.m. Thursday, with the winner playing Central Mountain in the championship game at Saint Francis University.
Fourth-seeded Bald Eagle is set to host fifth-seeded Central Cambria in the first round of the PIAA District 6 Class 3A softball playoffs at 4 p.m. Monday. The winner of their game will play against the winner of No. 1 seed Central and No. 8 seed Richland on May 25.
State College has a No. 1 seed and automatic bid to the District 6 Class 6A championship game on May 25. They’ll matchup with the winner of No. 2 Mifflin County and No. 2 Altoona.
Here are five things to watch heading into District 6 softball championships:
Bald Eagle still is reaching its peak
The Lady Eagles hold an 11-4 record on the year and have gone 6-1 since the beginning of May. Much of their success is due to their ability to hit. Eight batters who have played in all 15 games for the Bald Eagle have hit over .300 on the season. Those same eight batters (Madison Perry, Autumn Tobias, Katelyn Smitchko, Kailey Eckert, Ava Stere, Marina Shawley, Sydney Thompson and Kierra Serb) have driven in a total of 94 runs.
Bald Eagle’s base-stealing potential will be important
The Lady Eagles have stolen 66 bases this season and have a base-stealing percentage of .943. Nine players have a perfect base-stealing percentage of 1.000. Among those nine, Smitchko, Stere and Tobias have 21 steals in 15 games. The ability to keep teams guessing on their feet defensively will be at a premium for the Lady Eagles and it could affect the game in positive ways.
Bellefonte has regular season advantage over Hollidaysburg
The Lady Raiders defeated Hollidaysburg twice this season. In their first meeting on April 7 at Hollidaysburg, Bellefonte won 11-4 and in the second matchup on May 2, the Lady Raiders won 3-1. Bellefonte holds a +9 run differential against the Lady Golden Tigers and a +67 run differential on the season. If the Lady Raiders continue their ability to exert their will at the plate, look for a long day for Hollidaysburg.
Sienna Barnhart is Bellefonte’s catalyst
Barnhart has consistently racked up multi-hit games over the past few weeks. She had two hits against Central Mountain on May 9 and two more against Philipsburg-Osceola on May 11. It’s not a matter of if she’ll reach base, but when she’ll reach it that will give Bellefonte a boost heading into the playoffs.
The Lady Little Lions are queens of their own domain
Heading into the District 6 playoffs with a No. 1 seed is no easy task — or so it seems for many other schools. State College made it look incredibly easy this season, going 18-2 and is well on its way to competing for a Mid Penn title. The well-rounded bunch continues to be cohesive group and is led by head coach Shawn Herncane. They have just one game in the District 6 playoffs and it’s the 6A championship.
This story was originally published May 19, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
