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North Penn-Liberty’s district title hopes fell just short after a 3-1 loss to Mifflinburg in the District IV Class AAA Championship on Thursday, June 1.

All four runs were scored in the first two innings of the game. After a leadoff single by Brooke Harvey and an infield single by Savannah Doney, North Penn-Liberty struck first on a Mackenzie Heater single into left field that drove in Harvey. Unfortunately for the Mounties, that would be their only run to cross the plate all day.

In the bottom of the first, Delaney Good advanced two bases on a slap bunt by Emily Stauffer. Next Wildcat batter Libby Whittaker popped up in foul territory down the right field line where Mariah Kshir was there to make a great catch against the fence, but Good tagged and scored to tie the game at 1.

After Liberty’s offense was held in the top of the second, the Mifflinburg bats were right back in business in the bottom half of the inning. Madison Machmer led off with a double that rolled to the left field fence, and next batter Vanessa Boop laid down a sacrifice bunt that was thrown wild past the first baseman, scoring Machmer.

The Wildcats padded on to their lead two batters later. After another sacrifice bunt that moved Boop to third, Hailey Foresman lined a single to left to extend the lead to 3-1.

Liberty’s Savannah Doney and Mifflinburg’s Vanessa Martin both went the distance on the mound. Offensively, North Penn-Liberty got hits from Brooke Harvey, Savannah Doney, Abby Heatley, and Mackenzie Heater who had the Mountie’s lone RBI. For Mifflinburg, Delaney Good, Tori Hackenberg, Madison Machmer, and Hailey Foresman all recorded hits, Foresman and Libby Whittaker recorded RBI’s, and Machmer scored on an error.

Even with the loss, both coaches are proud of their girls after this year’s squad becoming the winningest team in Liberty history, and they still have a chance to make a run in the State Tournament. “Words can’t describe it.” said Coach Heatley. “They all get together and they help each other out, and that’s what we want.” said Coach Grinnell.

North Penn-Liberty will be back in action in the PIAA State Tournament on Monday, June 5 against District II Champion, Mid Valley, at a site and time to be determined.