It was quite the spring sports season, with a number of teams and individual athletes racking up the accomplishments.
As such, we wrap up recognizing some of those teams and athletes with our spring sports look back series for 2024 with softball.
Please note, this is not an all-encompassing list or any sort of official award. It’s simply a way to recognize some of the best that the spring sports season has to offer.
TEAMS
St. Marys Lady Dutch
It was a season to remember for the Lady Dutch. They lost just twice in the regular season to DuBois and DuBois Central Catholic and rolled past Clearfield, 10-0 in five innings in the District 9 Class 4A championship game.
They rallied past Bellefonte, 2-1 in eight innings in their PIAA subregional game, a measure of revenge since Bellefonte beat them the year before. They followed that up with a 2-0 win over Hampton in the first round of the state playoffs, and their terrific season came to a close with a 5-4 loss in 10 innings to Archbishop Wood in the PIAA quarterfinals.
Northern Potter Lady Panthers
What a year it was for NoPo. The Lady Panthers, who fielded a team for the first time since 2019, raced through the Northern Allegheny Small School North Division on their way to becoming the No. 3 seed in the District 9 Class 1A playoffs.
In the playoffs, they had a convincing win over Oswayo Valley in the quarterfinals before winning 3-2 in nine innings over Elk County Catholic. They lost 2-1 to DuBois Central Catholic in the District 9 championship game. DCC went on to win the state title. Their season ended with a 3-1 loss to West Branch in the first round of the state playoffs, but it was nevertheless a season to remembers.
PLAYERS
Molly Hanslovan (St. Marys): Hanslovan was one of District 9’s top power hitters, connecting on seven home runs during the season. Her 28 RBIs led the team and she hit .366 on the season.
Avery Eckels (St. Marys): Eckles went 16-3 with a 1.44 ERA in the circle for the Lady Dutch, striking out 124 batters in 116 ⅓ innings. She walked just 15 batters on the season and didn’t issue a single walk in the playoffs. She also hit .296 with 13 RBIs.
Kaylen Eozzo (St. Marys): Eozzo hit a team-leading .468 on the season with 15 RBIs. She drove in both runs in the subregional win over Bellefonte, tying the game in the sixth inning with a home run and hitting an RBI single in the eighth.
Jaylyn Williammee (Northern Potter): The freshman burst onto the scene in 2024, compiling a 1.70 ERA. In 107 ⅓ innings pitched, Willammee struck out 213, walked just 22 and allowed just 64 hits. She also had 11 RBIs.
Taylor Knowles (Northern Potter): Another one of the talented Northern Potter freshman, Knowles hit a team-leading .440 with nine doubles, a home run and a team-leading 29 RBIs.
Emma Haynes (Northern Potter): Haynes hit .424 for the Lady Panthers with 13 RBIs and 22 runs scored.
Kate Rhinehart (Otto-Eldred): Rhinehart had to patiently wait her turn to toe the rubber, but that patience paid off in a big way. Her 2024 resume included a perfect game as well as surpassing 100 strikeouts on the season to help lead the Lady Terrors to the playoffs.
Carrie Drummond and Kyla Andreano (Otto-Eldred): Drummond and Andreano were stalwarts in the middle of the Otto-Eldred lineup this season, helping to lead an offense that scored at least 10 runs in a game 13 times this season.
Kalie Dixon (Bradford): Dixon emerged as a very strong pitcher for the Lady Owls this season and also was one of the top hitters in the middle of the lineup.
Kendyl Cruz (Bradford): Not only did Cruz set the table for the Bradford offense from the leadoff spot this season, she also played an excellent defensive centerfield.
Emily Mourer (Elk County Catholic): Mourer concluded her terrific career for the Lady Crusaders with another strong season pitching, as well as being one of the anchors for ECC’s lineup from her cleanup spot.
Lucy Klawuhn (Elk County Catholic): Klawuhn got on-base at a high rate from her leadoff spot and also provided plenty of power for the ECC lineup. She was also an excellent defensive shortstop.
Leah Tigani (Kane): Tigani put together a very strong season both in the circle and at the plate in helping lead Kane to a berth in the District 9 Class 2A playoffs.
Janelle Dinch (Smethport): Dinch was an anchor in the middle of Smethport’s lineup in 2024. She was also an excellent defensive catcher.
Brooke George (Oswayo Valley): George excelled for the Green Wave this season. She was a fixture in the middle of the lineup and also played an excellent defensive shortstop.
