NTL SOFTBALL: NEB ROLLS PAST BUCKTAIL FOR A DISTRICT TITLE (2025-05-28)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
WILLIAMSPORT — Northeast Bradford started fast and never looked back as they rolled past Bucktail, 9-0, to claim the District IV, Class A softball title on Tuesday. This is their first district title since 2018.

The Panthers got contributions from everybody as every starter either had a hit or scored a run, while pitchers Kelsea Moore and Makenna Callear combined for the shutout win.

“It was a goal for us at the beginning of the year, and it feels great that we were able to reach that goal,” said NEB coach MaKaylah Leljedal. “I’m so happy for the girls, especially our seniors.”

It was certainly a senior driven win as they went a combined 11-for-24 with eight runs scored, and 7-RBI on the evening.

“It’s such a great feeling,” said senior Kiarra DeLancey, who went 2-for-4 with a triple, a run scored, and 2-RBI. “It’s super exciting.”

Moore started, and six innings with nine strikeouts while allowing four hits, and two hit batsmen.

“It’s been a very long time since Northeast has won a district title for softball,” remarked Moore. “And going from winning districts for volleyball, and winning districts for softball my senior year, it’s very, very exciting.”

After Moore was injured running the bases in the sixth Callear came on to finish the job. She faced four batters, striking out three of them to secure the win. 

Neither of the hurlers issued a walk.

“I got a little bit emotional at the end, I started crying a little,” Callear said. “We’ve worked so hard for it, and we’ve been building up to it the while entire season. It’s always been our goal to win districts, and go to states, and here it is, everything we’ve worked for.”

Though they came in as the third seed Leljedal felt playing a tough NTL schedule got them ready for this tournament.

“We were aware that we were playing a little bit harder teams than the rest of the girls here, but that doesn’t help us with our seeding coming into districts,” she said. “I think that the girls didn’t take it lightly, even though some of thought maybe it would have been an easier team, (Bucktail) put up a great fight, so I’m just very proud of the girls.”

The Panthers got runs in bunches, with three 3-run innings in the first, fourth, and fifth.

Getting that early lead was key to setting the tone for the game.

“I think it really showed our energy,” explained Callear. “We were so exciting going into the game, and that energy carried us throughout the whole entire game. I feel like if we wouldn’t have gotten those three runs, we wouldn’t have had that momentum builder that we had throughout the whole entire time - it was really important.”

At the plate Moore (3-for-4) and Toni Herb (2-for-3) both had two doubles, with Herb also scoring a run.

Callear (2-for-3) had 3-RBI with a run scored, as Orissa Gardner (2-for-4) had an RBI, with a run scored.

Ava Lambert (1-for-2) scored, and drove in a run, as Berger (1-for-4), Zaelea Lane, and Izzy Kapr all scored. Lane also had an RBI.

“It was definitely nerve-racking coming in,” DeLancey said about facing Bucktail after they upset the top seed, Montgomery, 4-2. “You don’t really know what to expect because we haven’t seen them at all in the regular season, so we’re just trying to stay focused, trying to play together as a team, and try to hit the ball a little bit better than we did against Sullivan.”

Hitting was definitely a focus coming into the contest for Leljedal.

“Our last practice was just a hitting practice because we knew that’s where we’ve been struggling,” said Leljedal. “But they were able to get the win out of it, and put some runs across the board.”

The Panthers had been alternating pitchers this season, and after Callear went against Sullivan County, Moore got the ball to start against Bucktail.

“I felt sick all day thinking about it,” Moore admitted. “But I warmed up a little longer today, and my coaches were very helpful in calming me down, and I just went in there with confidence.”

Leljedal was especially pleased with how the two girls helped each other out.

“Kelsea had a great game,” she said. “Unfortunately, she did get hurt, but Makenna was able to step right up. It was definitely a team win, so I’m very proud of both of the girls.”

Callear opened the game by reaching second on an error, then scored on a DeLancey triple to make it 1-0.

DeLancey made it 2-0 when she took home on a passed ball.

Berger hit a single to get the rally going again, then scored on a Gardner hit for the early 3-0 lead.

“That definitely helped,” Moore said about jumping out early. “I feel like it also encouraged the girls, like we didn’t lay down, so it just pushed us to want more.”

The Bucks would get runners to second in each of the next four innings, but couldn’t get them any further.

In the fourth it was the bottom of the order doing the damage for NEB as Herb led off with a double, followed by Lambert reaching on a hit.

After an out Kapr drew a walk to load the bases.

That set up Callear’s 2-run single that brought in Herb and Lambert for a 5-0 ball game.

DeLancey then singled in Kapr to make it 6-0 Panthers.

In the fifth Gardner led off with a hit, followed by Herb hitting a double to put runners on second and third.

Lambert would drive in Gardner with a ground out, then Lane brought in Herb with a fielder’s choice for an 8-0 ball game.

Two batters later Callear singled in Lane with a 2-out hit for the 9-0 lead.

The closest the Bucks came to scoring a run was in the seventh when Makenna Stone hit a 1-out triple, but Callear struck out the final two batters to preserve the shutout.

“I knew I had my teammates behind me the whole entire time,” Callear said about coming in during the seventh. “It really stinks what happened to Kelsea with a little injury at third base, but I knew I just had to have her back going in there. I was like, ‘I’m throwing strikes, we’re going to try and get the strikeouts, and get the outs quickly, and let’s get that district championship.’”

As much as hitting feels good, shutting the other team down is also fun for NEB.

“It’s such a good feeling,” DeLancey said about getting the shutout. “Props to our outfielders, because they made some really, really good plays today. I was super impressed with them.”

NEB will now host the District III champion on Monday at time to be determined.

“I think we’re going to continue to work on hitting because I’m guessing we’re going to see a little bit faster pitching,” Leljedal said. “So we’re definitely working on our swings.”

For the seniors, though, this means another chance to play on their home field.

“It’s going to be super exciting to play on our field one last time,” DeLancey said. “It’s definitely something we didn’t think was going to happen again, but we’re just going to stay focused. We have to make sure to clean up the little errors that we had, and just work on driving the ball hard, and playing together as a team. It’s really exciting to be here with seven seniors, and just get to do it together for the last time.”

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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING

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