2022 PIAA Class 3A softball championship preview: Avonworth vs. Lewisburg

By: Jonathan Bombulie
Wednesday, June 15, 2022 | 11:01 AM

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PIAA Class 3A softball championship

Lewisburg (19-3) vs. Avonworth (20-5)

12:30 p.m. Thursday at Beard Field, Penn State

Path to Penn State

Lewisburg – This is Lewisburg’s best softball season in decades. After winning the District 4 championship for the first time since 1996, the Green Dragons rolled to three state playoff wins by a combined score of 33-3. They beat Palisades, 14-0, Kutztown, 7-2, and Palmerton, 12-1.

Avonworth – The Antelopes ended the regular season on a three-game losing streak, falling to Seton LaSalle, Belle Vernon and North Hills, but have outscored six opponents 38-12 since. In the state playoffs, they beat Westmont Hilltop, 6-3, District 9 champ Karns City, 7-4, and District 6 champ Bald Eagle Area, 9-2.

Secret to their success

Lewisburg – Pitcher Kimmy Shannon has been the catalyst for the Green Dragons in the state playoffs, allowing three earned runs and striking out 23 in 18.1 innings. She also is 3 for 10 at the plate with two doubles and a home run. 3B Erin Field has been the offensive star for Lewisburg, going 8 for 12 with five RBIs in PIAA action. C Sydney Bolinsky is 6 for 11 with two three-hit games.

Avonworth – Coupled with Alivia Lantzy’s outstanding work in the circle – she has 21 strikeouts in 21 innings in the state playoffs – the Antelopes have slugged their way to Penn State. OF Leah Kuban and C Rylee Gray have each hit two homers in PIAA play and OF Layne Shinsky had an extra-base hit in all three state playoff games.

Championship factoids

Lewisburg – This is the third state playoff appearance in school history. In 1990, the Green Dragons advanced to the Class 2A semifinals before losing 1-0 to Bristol in nine innings. In 1996, they lost 6-4 to Villa Joseph Marie in the quarterfinals.

Avonworth – The Antelopes are making their first trip to the state finals. They reached the Class 3A quarterfinals in each of the last two state tournaments contested, losing 2-1 to Clearfield in the 2019 quarterfinals and 3-0 to Mt. Pleasant in last year’s quarters.

Jonathan Bombulie is the TribLive assistant sports editor. A Greensburg native, he was a hockey reporter for two decades, covering the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 17 seasons before joining the Trib in 2015 and covering the Penguins for four seasons, including Stanley Cup championships in 2016-17. He can be reached at jbombulie@triblive.com.

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