Girls Varsity Softball

Panthers fall short in playoff opener

By Alex Topor

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

The Saegertown Panthers failed to take advantage of opportunities, made a few too many errors and were kept off the scoreboard in Monday’s 4-0 loss to Seneca at Allegheny College’s Robertson Softball Field.

The loss, in the Class 2A District 10 quarterfinal round, means the Panthers season is over.

Saegertown finished the season as co-Region 2 champion with a 13-3 overall record.

“I still think it’s very much a season to be proud of. We had a very rocky start and they found a way to develop some chemistry and really start to pull together the big things,” Saegertown head coach Jenn Bowes said. “We made a lot of plays we did not at the start of the season. We started to make contact and string more hits together.”

Monday was a pitching duel for much of the game. Saegertown’s Mikaila Obenrader and Seneca’s Lauren Konkol did not allowing the opposing team’s offense to get started.

The score was knotted at 0 after four innings. The Panthers did have opportunities to score, though.

Saegertown was thrown out advancing to third base in the second and fourth innings.

When Seneca scored the game’s first run in the fifth, it was after a Saegertown error on what would have been the third out.

“I think that we did not necessarily execute the little things today,” Bowes said. “That was the difference.”

Seneca added two more runs in the sixth inning, an inning in which the Panthers had an error. The Bobcats added a fourth run in the seventh inning when Konkol hit an RBI single.

Saegertown got on base in the bottom of the seventh inning, but it was too little too late.

“We were every bit as aggressive and had every opportunity,” Bowes said. “When it came their time to be even more aggressive and take advantage of some opportunities we faltered a little bit.”

Obenrader had 11 strikeouts for the Panthers and one earned run. The junior finished the season with 192 strikeouts and 11 earned runs in 86 innings of action.

Recording hits for Saegertown was Rylie Braymer, Maggie Triola, Rhiannon Paris and Obenrader.

Seneca will play Wilmington in the Class 2A semifinals on Wednesday.

Panthers edge Knights

SAEGERTOWN — The Saegertown softball team beat Eisenhower 18-8 in a Region 2 game on Tuesday.

Saegertown’s Hailee Gregor was 3-4 with a triple. Rhiannon Paris had a walk-off triple in the sixth inning to give the Panthers a mercy-rule win.

Mikaila Obenrader fanned 10 batters in three and a third innings.

Saegertown finished the regular season 12-4 overall and 12-2 in the region to split the region crown with Cambridge Springs.

Panthers dominate Braves 13-2

ERIE — Saegertown beat Iroquois 13-2 in a Region 2 game on Tuesday.

The Mikaila Obenrader struck out 10 batters in a complete- game effort. She also had a two-run homer in the first inning.

Earning multiple hits for Saegertown was Rylie Braymer, Alyssa Arblaster, Maggie Triola, Rhiannon Paris and Obenrader.

Saegertown is 10-2 overall and 9-2 in the region. The Panthers will play at Youngsville on Friday.

SAEGERTOWN - IROQUOIS

Saegertown (13) (AB-R-H-BI) Braymer 4-2-2-0, Arblaster 3-3-1-2, Triola 5-1-2-4, Obenrader 4-1-2-3, Paris 5-1-3-0, Gregor 3-1-1-0, Pratt 2-0-1-1, Stafford 1-0-0-0, Mook 4-2-1-0, Halsey 1-1-0-1, Thompson 1-0-0-0, Stafford 0-0-0-0.Totals 33-13-13-11. 

Iroquois (2) (AB-R-H-BI) Proper 3-1-0-0, Yelkovich 3-0-0-0, Randolph 3-0-0-0, Abele 3-0-0-0, Thomas 3-0-0-0, Carpenter 2-0-1-0, Reichard 2-1-1-1, McCray 2-0-0-0, Lamo 2-0-0-0. Totals 23-2-2-1. 

Saegertown 230 221 4 — 13 13 2 

Iroquois 000 110 0 — 2 2 1 

BATTING 2B: S — Obenrader. HR: S — Obenrader; I — Reichard.

PITCHING (IP-H-R-ER-SO-BB) S — Obenrader 7-2--2-1-10-0. 

Records: Saegertown 10-2, Iroquois 5-6.

One out at a time

Saegertown’s defense comes up big in 3-1 win vs. Cochranton

By Alex Topor

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

COCHRANTON — Saegertown beat Cochranton 3-1 on Friday thanks to a couple big defensive plays, timely hitting and a handful of Cardinals’ errors.

The Panthers got on the board first in the second inning. Three walks and an error allowed Hailee Gregor to cross home plate.

Saegertown scored again in the second inning thanks in part to an error. Alyssa Arblaster singled and advanced to third base on a wild pitch later in the inning. Arblaster scored on an Mikaila Obenrader ground out, which gave Saegertown a 2-0 lead over its Region 2 rival.

Cochranton had two runners on base with no outs in the fourth inning, but two strikeouts from Obenrader and a groundout allowed the Panthers to walk away with no damage.

In the fifth, the Cardinals walked on base three straight times but only scored one run in the inning when Macie Williams took home on a wild pitch. Saegertown’s Kylie Stafford caught a Cochranton runner stealing third base and kept more runs from scoring.

“We didn’t capitalize a couple of times when we had opportunities,” Cochranton head coach Mark Mc-Guire said. “There were a couple base running blunders, one was on me. I shouldn’t have sent her on the tag, but I’ll own it and we’ll live to play another day.”

The play McGuire referred to came in the bottom of the sixth. With one out and the bases loaded, the Cardinals hit a pop fly to right field.

Right fielder Kacie Mook caught the fly ball and delivered a perfect throw to catcher Rylie Braymer who tagged the Cochranton base runner for a double play.

“These are things we’ve been preaching from the beginning,” Saegertown head coach Jenn Bowes said of the defensive play. “I think that this game will be a confidence builder to prove that the things we’re doing everyday, the things that we tell them they’re capable of doing, are going to pay off.”

Saegertown’s Rhiannon Paris drilled a solo homer over the center field wall that dinged off the scoreboard in the sixth inning to give her team a two-run cushion.

In the bottom of the seventh, Cochranton opened with two walks and followed with two strikeouts. Saegertown elected to intentionally walk Chelsey Freyermuth to load the bases with two outs.

With a full count, Obenrader earned her 12th strikeout of the game to give the Panthers the win.

“We expect to work from now until the end of the season. This is where we hope to put these things that we’re working on in practice everyday to get better into action,” Bowes said. “We want these types of games to prepare us as we move hopefully into the playoffs and hopefully on a D-10 run.”

Braymer was 2-4 for the Panthers with Arblaster and Paris rounding out Saegertown’s four hits in the game.

Saegertown is 9-2 overall and 8-2 in the region. The Panthers are scheduled to play at Iroquois on Tuesday.

Cochranton had two hits from Katelyn Ewing and

one each from Lili Douglas and Claire McCartney. Dani Hoffman fanned seven batters in the circle.

“Our errors are not season ending or anything like that. We’ll be ready to go again on Monday,” McGuire said. “We played them tough today.”

The Cardinals are 8-7 overall and 5-5 in the region. Cochranton is scheduled to play at Conneaut on Monday in a non-region contest.

“We play in one of the best single A regions around,” McGuire said. “We are all good teams and anybody could beat anybody on any given day pretty much.”

SAEGERTOWN - COCHRANTON

Saegertown (3) (AB-R-H-BI) Braymer 4-0-2-0, Arblaster 4-1-1-0, Triola 4-0-0-0, Obenrader 3-0-0-1, Paris 3-1-1-1, Gregor 1-1-0-0, Mook 3-0-0-0, Pratt 2-0-0-0, Halsey 1-0-0-1. Totals 25-3-4-3. 

Cochranton (1) (AB-R-H-BI) Williams 2-1-0-0, Hoffman 3-0-0-0, Ewing 4-0-2-0, Freyermuth 1-0-0-0, Hansen 4-0-0-0, Douglas 2-0-1-0, McCartney 3-0-1-0, K. Miller 3-0-0-0, Sokol 1-0-0-0. Totals 23-1-4-0. 

Saegertown 011 001 0 — 3 4 0 

Cochranton 000 010 0 — 1 4 2 

BATTING HR: S — Paris 

PITCHING (IP-H-R-ER-SO-BB) S — Obenrader WP 5-2-0-0-12-4, Arblaster 2-2-1-1-1-5; C — Hoffman LP 7-4-3-2-7-5. 

Records: Saegertown 9-2, Cochranton 8-7.

Dominant showing

Obenrader’s no-hitter leads Panthers past Blue Devils 5-0

By Alex Topor

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS — After losing to Cambridge Springs earlier this season, the Saegertown softball team evened the series in a dominant 5-0 win on Thursday.

The key to the Panthers’ success was junior pitcher Mikaila Obenrader. Obenrader fanned 14 batters with one walk and no hits. She was one pitch from a perfect game — a walk versus Kylee Miller with a full count in the bottom of the seventh inning.

“We had good plays on defense and of course Mikaila was phenomenal,” Saegertown head coach Jenn Bowes said. “She was one single pitch away from a perfect game, you can’t ask for anything else.”

Obenrader kept the Blue Devils off balance and off the base paths for most of the game. When Cambridge did connect with the ball, Saegertown’s defense was quick to react. On the other side, the Panthers were aggressive and took chances.

“We’ve had a consistent goal all year of getting better each game. We’re starting to do the little things,” Bowes said. “We’ve been trying to develop chemistry and I think today we finally brought all sides of the ball together. The offense showed up early and often.”

Saegertown scored in the top of the first inning to grab momentum out of the gate. Sophomore Rylie Braymer had a lead-off single to get the action started and would score on a fielder’s choice.

In the second inning, Kacie Mook singled and stole second base. Alyssa Arblaster hit an RBI single to bring Mook home and give the Panthers a two-run lead. Arblaster scored a run of her own in the fourth inning thanks to a hard ground ball from Maggie Triola.

The Panthers added a couple of insurance runs in the seventh when Rhiannon Paris and Hailee Gregor each scored on a wild pitch.

“We’re always preaching to press them to make mistakes, put the ball in play and make them make plays,” Bowes said. “We had a few more strikeouts than I’d prefer, but I liked the aggression once we got on base. We had lots of steals and we stole home on a dropped ball. These are good things and things I hope we continue to do as we move forward.”

In the bottom of the seventh, Obenrader forced the Blue Devils into two pop outs and one strikeout to seal the game.

“Our No. 1 takeaway is we have to make adjustments when we’re hitting,” Cambridge Springs head coach Angela Mumford said. “Obenrader pitched a great game. You gotta give Mikaila props. She pitched a great game so we need to make adjustments hitting.”

The loss was Cambridge’s first Region 2 loss of the season. The Blue Devils are 7-1 in the region and 7-3 overall. Maplewood is also 7-1 in the region and the two teams are set to play each other twice over the next several weeks.

“The message is that we either win or we learn,” Mumford said. “Tonight gave us so many opportunities to learn. We’re going to go back to work tomorrow.”

Saegertown is 7-3 overall and in the region. The Panthers have won seven straight after three straight and are set to host Maplewood on Tuesday.

“I think we were learning early in the season. I think we expected to pick up where we left off, but we had a little bit of work to do,” Bowes said. “I expect this to be a turning point for us and to see good things more consistently.”

Saegertown’s Obenrader fans 12 in shutout against Rocky Grove

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

SAEGERTOWN — Saegertown junior Mikaila Obenrader struck out 12 batters and allowed one hit over five innings of action in Friday’s 12-0 win against Rocky Grove.

At bat, Obenrader was 2-3 with three RBIs and a triple. Rylie Bramyer and Kacie Mook each had two hits. Alyssa Arblaster, Hailee Gregor and Natalie Halsey each had one hit.

Saegertown is 7-2 overall and 6-2 in the region. The Panthers are scheduled to play at Youngsville on Monday.

SAEGERTOWN - ROCKY G.

Rocky Grove (0) (AB-R-H-BI) Jacoby 2-0-0-0, Taylor 2-0-0--0, Montgomery 2-0-0-0, Mawhinney 1-0--0-0, Cresswell 2-0-0-0, Knapp 0-0-0-0, Cresswell 2-0-1-0, Faust 2-0-0-0, Tucker 2-0-0-0. Totals 15-0-1-0. 

Saegertown (12) (AB-R-H-BI) Braymer 4-2-2-0, Arblaster 2-2-1-0, Paris 2-1-0-0, Obenrader 3-2-2-3, Triola 3-1-1-0, Gregor 3-2-1-1, Halsey 3-0-1-0, Mook 3-1-2-2, Stafford 1-1-0-0. Totals 24-12-10-6. 

Rocky Grove 000 00x x — 0 1 3 

Saegertown 450 3xx x — 12 10 0 

BATTING

2B: Mook.

3B: S — Gregor, Obenrader.

PITCHING (IP-H-R-ER-SO-BB) RG — Mawhinney LP 5-10-15-6-2-4; S — Obenrader WP 5-1--0-0-12-2. 

Records: Rocky Grove 2-9, Saegertown 7-2.

Saegertown beats Eisenhower 12-8

RUSSELL — The Saegertown softball team beat Eisenhower 12-8 in a Region 2 contest on Thursday.

Natalie Halsey, Maggie Triola, Rhiannon Paris and Rylie Braymer each had multiple hits in the win. Triola had three RBIs while Paris had a double and scored two runs. Kylie Stafford added a double as well.

Saegertown is 6-2 overall and 5-2 in the region. The Panthers are scheduled to host Rocky Grove on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

Cardinals fend off late rally to beat Panthers

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

SAEGERTOWN — The Cochranton softball team beat Region 2 rival Saegertown 11-9 on Wednesday at Bertram Park.

The Cardinals led 11-4 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Panthers battled back.

After scoring on a walk and a ground out to cut the lead to 11-6, Natalie Halsey drilled a two-RBI triple to the right field.

Rylie Braymer followed with an RBI single to put the score at 11-9, but Saegertown hit a line drive into a double play to give the Cardinals the win.

Cochranton’s Chelsey Freyermuth hit a two-run home run in the game and Katelyn Miller had a double.

Cochranton is 5-4 overall and 4-2 in the region. The Cardinals will host Maplewood today. Saegertown’s Mikaila Obenrader struck out 11 batters in six innings.

The Panthers are 5-2 overall and 5-2 in the region. Saegertown will play at Eisenhower today.

Panthers win 11-0

SAEGERTOWN — The Saegertown softball team beat Iroquois 11-0 in a Region 2 matchup on Thursday.

In the circle, Mikaila Obenrader fanned 10 batters in five innings.

Rhiannon Paris, Kacie Mook, Maggie Triola and Hailee Gregor scored twice for the Panthers. Kylie Stafford, Rylie Braymer and Obenrader each scored once.

Saegertown is 5-1 overall and 4-1 in the region. The Panthers will host Cochranton on Tuesday.

Saegertown outlasts Conneaut in 9-inning duel

SAEGERTOWN — Saegertown beat Conneaut 6-5 in an extra innings non-region battle on Saturday.

In the top of the ninth, Saegertown’s Natalie Halsey hit an RBI single to left field to score Hailee Gregor from third base. Conneaut went three up, three down in the bottom of the inning.

Conneaut trailed 5-3 entering the bottom of the seventh. Senior Linda Shepard cut the deficit to one with a solo home run. Brooke Wise followed with a double and scored the tying run on a wild pitch.

In the circle, Saegertown junior Mikaila Obenrader struck out 21 batters and walked three. She was 2-5 with a home run.

Rylie Braymer, Alyssa Arblaster and Rhiannon Paris had multiple hits and a double for the Panthers.

Saegertown is 3-1 and is scheduled to play at Rocky Grove on Tuesday.

Conneaut’s Wise struck out nine and was 3-5 with a double. Shepard had two home runs in the game and was 3-4 at the plate.

Conneaut is 4-1 overall and is scheduled to play at Mc-Dowell today.

Saegertown

The Saegertown Panthers had a remarkable 2022 season. The Panthers won the Class 1A District 10 championship with a 12-8 win against Cochranton.

The Panthers followed with two wins in the state playoffs. Saegertown’s season ended in the state semifinal round to state runner-up DuBois Central Catholic.

This year, Saegertown will deal with the loss of seniors Abigail Kirdahy, Brittany Houck and Katherine Diesing. In addition to losing three starters, the Panthers are also in Class 2A this season.

“We’re definitely going to miss our seniors from last year as they played some pretty integral positions with confidence and consistency, however, we have girls who are working hard to step up and take advantage of these opportunities,” Saegertown head coach Jenn Bowes said. “We’re pretty eager to have the core of our team returning. Their experience with playing in high-level and high-pressure games is going to be invaluable as we move up a class and play some bigger schools.”

Saegertown remains in a region heavy with Class 1A schools. In the district playoffs, the Panthers will have to contend with perennial power Union City as well as defending district champion Reynolds and runner-up Seneca.

“Our expectation is to prepare effectively for each game and peak at the right time to get back into a District 10 final.”

Saegertown returns junior all-state pitcher Mikaila Obenrader. Obenrader, also a first-team all-region selection, hurled 241 strikeouts last season and had a 1.18 ERA. Also returning is firstteam all-region selection Rhiannon Paris, second-team all-region selections Hailee Gregor and Alyssa Arblaster and Allegheny College commi Kylie Thompson.

“Our goals for this season are to start small, be good at the little things, develop confidence early and be versatile,” Bowes said.

Cambridge Springs beats Saegertown 22-11

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

SAEGERTOWN — The Cambridge Springs softball team beat Saegertown 22-11 in a Region 2 game at Bertram Park on Thursday.

Cambridge took an early 5-0 lead in the first inning. The Blue Devils were kept off the base paths until the fifth inning when the Devils scored 11 runs. Cambridge was aided by one wild pitch and three errors in the inning.

Saegertown belted two home runs in the losing effort, one each from Maggie Triola and Natalie Halsey.

Pitching statistics were not available for either team. Both teams are 1-1 overall. The Blue Devils are 1-0 in region action and is scheduled to host Girard on Saturday. Saegertown is 1-1 in the region and is scheduled to play at Maplewood on Tuesday.

CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS - SAEGERTOWN

Cambridge Springs (22) (AB-R-H-BI) Miller 4-1-1-0, Boylan 4-1-0-0, Rodgers 5-0-3-0, No. 5 0-3-00, Simmons 5-3-2-0. Caldwell 2-3-0-0, Mosconi 3-0-0-0, Leandro 0-3-0-0, Harris 2-0-2-0, Klawuhn 0-4-0-0, Dragosavac 3-2-1-0, Newell 5-1-2-0, Crawford 0-1-0-0. Totals 33-22-11-0. 

Saegertown (11) (AB-R-H-BI) Braymer 5-2-1-0, Arblaster 5-0-1-0, Mook 3-1-1-0, Obenrader 3-0-2-0, Pratt 0-3-0-0, Paris 4-0-0-0, Gregor 3-0-0-0, Triola 4-1-3-0, Thompson 2-1-0-0, Halsey 4-3-3-0. Totals 33-11-11-0. 

Cambridge Springs 500 0(11)6 — 22 11 3 

Saegertown 013 230 2 — 11 11 3 

BATTING 2B: CS — Rodgers, Harris; S — Braymer, Obenrader. 3B: S — Obenrader. HR: S — Triola, Halsey. 

Records: Cambridge Springs 1-1, 1-0 Region 2; Saegertown 1-1, 1-1 Region 2.