Softball: Boyertown can’t contain Central Dauphin in PIAA 6A first round

The Boyertown and Central Dauphin softball teams had their own unique backstories to contend with ahead of their PIAA Class 6A tournament first round game on Monday and both wanted to correct course.

The current Bears and Rams couldn’t rectify any past shortcomings, but they could change the present. Boyertown entered Monday making its first PIAA playoff trip in 26 years; meanwhile Central Dauphin was trying to shake off its own recent state-playoff failings that couldn’t come near the Rams’ 2019 state championship.

But Central Dauphin proved why it has qualified for the PIAA Championships for three straight seasons at home Monday as junior pitcher Stella Gasper was a two-way star, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and allowing a single run over seven innings, to make Boyertown’s state-tournament return a short one courtesy a 10-1 verdict.

Central Dauphin pitcher Stella Gasper delivers to the plate against Boyertown during a PIAA 6A first round game on June 3 at Central Dauphin. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)
Boyertown shortstop Lauren Homa throws to second base from her knees after making a diving stop against Central Dauphin during a PIAA 6A first round game on June 3 at Central Dauphin. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

District 3 champion Central Dauphin advanced to take on District 1 runner-up Quakertown — a 7-6 winner over Freedom – in the quarterfinals on Thursday at a site and time to be determined.

Boyertown’s season came to an end with an 18-9 record. The Bears, making their sixth appearance in the PIAA tournament (1978, 1982, 1995, 1996, 1998), reached the Pioneer Athletic Conference championship game this spring and worked through playbacks in District 1 play to qualify for the state tournament for the first time since 1998.

“There was a lot of hard work by all of us, definitely a lot of determination to get to this point, especially after our PAC championship game (loss),” senior shortstop Lauren Homa said. “That was definitely a setback. But to come back from that and make it this far was really incredible.”

Final: Central Dauphin 10, Boyertown 1, PIAA 6A softball first round

District 3 champion Rams cruise into second round as Bears exit their first state trip in 26 years pic.twitter.com/AaZJ2XVc6r

— Austin Hertzog (@AustinHertzog) June 3, 2024

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The Rams racked up 14 hits and scored runs in five of their six at-bats. Boyertown managed seven hits and played error-free defense, getting great individual defensive plays from Homa, pitcher/infielder Kyra Neiswender, third baseman Lindsay Mathis and outfielders Aubrey Gilbert and Jordyn So. But the Bears couldn’t string together meaningful rallies off Gasper, who is a PA Chaos teammate of Neiswender.

“This is our first States win since we won States in 2019. These last two years we lost the first round, so that was really something that drove me this game,” Gasper said. “The whole day I was texting my teammates, we have to walk in, we need to just get hits. If we get hits, we’ll be good, keep our energy up, and that’s what we did.”

Neiswender, last year’s All-State first team utility player, was thrust into starting pitching duties with No. 1 pitcher Ella Hurter unavailable and was unable to fend off the Rams’ potent offense (5 IP, 11H, 8ER, 1K).

After single tallies in the first and second innings, Allie Wenrich and Gasper both homered off in the third to open a 4-1 CD lead.

Boyertown plated its lone run in the third inning on an RBI single from first baseman Hurter to score Jenna Fox.

The game swung for good in the fifth inning when Boyertown hit into an inning-ending double play with bases loaded and one out. CD responded with a four-run fifth courtesy run-scoring hits from Abigail Rheem (3-for-4, 2 RBI), Ava Mansure (3-for-4, RBI) and Kayla Fletcher (double, two RBI) to build an 8-1 lead.

The Rams tacked on two more runs late off reliever Sam Sobeck for the final margin.

“(Gasper) knew where to throw each and every one of us, where we struggled, which is a big key when it comes to pitching,” Homa said. “Kyra had to step up, which we needed. But collaboratively, I think we all hit, just not when we needed to. We had people on, but we didn’t execute when we had to, which kills you in a state championship game like this.”

Boyertown center fielder Aubrey Gilbert makes a catch on the run against Central Dauphin during a PIAA 6A first round game on June 3 at Central Dauphin. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)
Boyertown’s Ella Hurter hits an RBI single in the third inning against Central Dauphin during a PIAA 6A first round game on June 3 at Central Dauphin. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

Reaching the state tournament this year – done dramatically with a 17-16 victory over Perkiomen Valley in District 1 playbacks – gave Boyertown a measure of redemption after last year’s dominant regular season didn’t translate into postseason success, an injury to Hurter playing a big role in derailing its trajectory.

Boyertown got a 2-for-3 hitting performance from second baseman Rielynn Carey.

Boyertown’s outgoing seniors, who graduated last Thursday, include Homa, Hurter, Alexis Laboy, and Kailyn Lawless.

“It really takes all of us to come together and get to this point. Definitely last year we fell short and we wish we could have played longer,” Homa said. “But we came back this year and we made it past where we were last year, which we’re all really proud of now.”

Boyertown pitcher Kyra Neiswender delivers to the plate against Central Dauphin during a PIAA 6A first round game on June 3 at Central Dauphin. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)