NTL SOFTBALL: NEB FALLS TO UNION IN STATE GAME (2025-06-13)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
STATE COLLEGE — Union Area came in with some gaudy offensive numbers, and they proved to be as good as advertised as they powered their way past NEB, 12-2, in six innings during the PIAA, Class A Softball title game Friday.

The Panthers didn’t help themselves as they came out a little flat, allowing Union to take a 6-0 lead in the first inning. 

However, they battled back, cutting it to 6-2 in the bottom of the third - they were the first team to score a run against the Scotties this postseason.

It stayed a 4-run game until the sixth, when Union used two home runs to post another six runs to pull out the win.

“I’m very proud that they didn’t just lie down,” said NEB coach MaKaylah Leljedal. “Once they got down they kept going at it, and, honestly, I think our seniors had a lot to do with that - they had a lot of grit, they didn’t want to be done yet. It was a hard first inning because the illegal pitch was called, and we really haven’t seen that all season, so just getting that was hard for us to have a quick fix.”

Zaelea Lane (2-for-3) led the team at the plate while Hannah Berger (1-for-3) had a double with 2-RBI. Kiarra DeLancey (1-for-3) and Makenna Callear scored the two runs as Orissa Gardner (1-for-2) also had a hit.

Ava Lambert also reached twice in three plate appearances, drawing a walk and getting hit by a pitch.

Kelsea Moore started, and finished, the game. She went the first inning, then came back for the final two-thirds of the sixth with two strikeouts, four walks, three hits, and eight runs, just three of which were earned.

Callear tossed 4 1/3-innings with three walks, six hits, and four earned runs. She went four shutout innings until the sixth.

“Trying to pitch around them was pretty much my mindset,” she said. “I’m just going to try to keep the ball up the plate, and try and hit my corners. I know they’re probably going to get them at some point, but to just try and pitch around them so that we can hold them off for as long as we can.”

The Scotties pounded out nine hits, as Irelyn Fisher (2-for-2) had a home run with 5-RBI to lead them.

Mia Pruhs got the win with eight strikeouts, two walks, five hits, and two earned runs.

Pruhs had a six game shutout streak going into the championship contest, but NEB ended that.

“We were excited to see that we were the first team in the playoffs that was able to put some runs up against them,” said Leljedal.

NEB opened the game on the wrong foot as Moore’s first three pitches were called illegal. The first four Union batters would reach, leading to two runs. 

A third run came across on a ground out, followed by an error allowing a fourth run to score.

After a strikeout Union would score two runs with two outs for the 6-0 lead.

NEB got their first jolt of momentum in the second inning when the lead-off batter, Addie Nogay, hit one off the centerfield wall. She tried for an inside the park home run but the relay from Lambert to Moore to Berger caught her at home.

The Panthers would threaten in the second as Gardner got a hit, followed by Lambert drawing a walk to batters later. However, Union ended the threat with a pop out.

In the third Callear started the rally with a 1-out walk, followed by DeLancey hitting a single into the left-center gap.

Two batters later Berger doubled in Callear and DeLancey to make it a 4-run game.

“I feel like, even though we ended up losing the game, we really showed them that we are a good team, and we deserve to be here playing against them,” Callear said about putting up runs on them. “We did a great job playing against them, it was just the way the cards fell.”

It looked NEB would get more as Gardner was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second.

Toni Herb then came up, and laced one down the right field line that was foul by about six inches - if fair it would have made the game 6-3.

Pruhs, though, was able to get Herb to strikeout on the next pitch to end the inning.

NEB kept the defense up, holding Union scoreless in the fourth and fifth. In the fifth they got a nice grab from Herb for a pop out, followed by DeLancey turning a double play as she nabbed a hard line drive, then caught the runner at first to end the inning.

In the bottom half of the fifth they had their 2-3-4 batters up, but Pruhs was able to induce a pop out, followed by two ground outs, to sit them down in order.

Union then showed off their power in the sixth, putting the game out of reach.

The Panthers tried to extend the game in the bottom half as Lambert was hit by a pitch, followed by Lane reaching on a hit up the middle.

Pruhs, though, ended the game with a strikeout.

Despite the loss NEB’s players were excited to play in a Division-I stadium, and be the first Panther softball team to make the state final.

“We’ve just worked for this for forever,” said Callear. “Even just being here, I was just so excited, win or lose. We’re one or two in the state, and it was just really exciting to also be able to on this field. It’s one of the biggest fields around us for softball, and just to kind of end on the Penn State field, and just play our hearts out, leave it on the field, and do whatever we can to try and win the game - I think we did a great job.”

The senior led Panthers say good-bye to six of their nine starters - Callear, DeLancey, Moore, Berger, Herb, and Lane, along with Abby Keeney. However, the mark they left will be felt for generations to come.

“The seniors made it fun,” Leljedal said. “I’m going to miss them a lot, they’re great girls on and off the field. Honestly, the program’s not going to be the same without them.”

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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING

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