FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — Marian Catholic and Williams Valley both pulled away late to win District 11 Class 2A quarterfinal matchups and set up a district semifinal matchup this upcoming Sunday.
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The Colts (17-4) woke up late with the bats and didn’t score until the sixth inning of a 4-2 win over Minersville (8-13). Williams Valley (16-8) got the bats going for an 8-1 win over Shenandoah Valley (12-10).
“We had great pitching all year long and when the top of the lineup isn’t firing, the bottom of the lineup is there,” Marian Catholic coach John Pilsey said. “We just play team baseball and we’re super aggressive.”
Marian Catholic 4, Minersville 2
The Colts didn’t decide to wake up with the bats until a four-run fourth inning in a game that was suspended from Wednesday afternoon.
Chase Grier allowed just one run to Minersville on four hits through six innings on the mound. After Grier allowed the second run to Minersville in the top of the fifth, Marian scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
“In the fifth inning we asked our kids to move up in the batters box with a long pitcher to the plate,” Pilsey said. “We wanted to take the ball to right field and we got that done.”
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Both teams come together in a show of sportsmanship at the conclusion of their District XI PIAA playoff game.(AISHWARYA BEHL/STAFF PHOTO)
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Minersville’s Nolan Plesnarski (34) prepares to make a run for second base in the District 11 PIAA playoffs on Thursday. May 21, 2026,(AISHWARYA BEHL/STAFF PHOTO)
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Marian Catholic’s Chase Grier (11) launches a pitch at Robert Wetzel Field during District XI PIAA playoffs. (AISHWARYA BEHL/STAFF PHOTO)
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Two players from opposing teams share a hug at Robert Wetzel Field, highlighting the sportsmanship of their District XI PIAA playoff game. (AISHWARYA BEHL/STAFF PHOTO)
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Minersville’s Nolan Plesnarski (34) charges up for a pitch at Robert Wetzel Field on Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AISHWARYA BEHL/STAFF PHOTO)
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Minersville’s Camden Rogers (12) cheers for the team’s first home run at Robert Wetzel Field in the District XI PIAA playoff competition. (AISHWARYA BEHL/STAFF PHOTO)
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Williams Valley’s Cayden Witmer (2) launches a pitch to open the District XI PIAA game as the Vikings take on Shenandoah Valley.(AISHWARYA BEHL/STAFF PHOTO)
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Williams Valley puts up a strong defensive effort as Shenandoah Valley’s Chase McCole (11) races toward second in District XI PIAA playoff game. (AISHWARYA BEHL/STAFF PHOTO)
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Williams Valley’s Cayden Witmer (2) delivers a pitch in the District XI PIAA game as the Vikings take on Shenandoah Valley.(AISHWARYA BEHL/STAFF PHOTO)
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Shenandoah Valley pitcher Chase McCole (11) unleashes a fastball during the District XI PIAA game against Williams Valley. (AISHWARYA BEHL/STAFF PHOTO)
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Shenandoah Valley pitcher Chase McCole (11) launches a pitch during the District XI PIAA game against Williams Valley.(AISHWARYA BEHL/STAFF PHOTO)
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Williams Valley’s Cayden Witmer (2) fires a pitch in the District XI PIAA game as the Vikings take on Shenandoah Valley. (AISHWARYA BEHL/STAFF PHOTO)
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Williams Valley players cheer each other on as they’re introduced before their District 11 PIAA playoff game with Shenandoah Valley, (AISHWARYA BEHL/STAFF PHOTO)
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Shenandoah Valley’s Jostin Lajara (22) sprints toward third base, pushing the Blue Devils’ offense during their District XI PIAA matchup with Williams Valley. (AISHWARYA BEHL/STAFF PHOTO)
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Both teams come together in a show of sportsmanship at the conclusion of their District XI PIAA playoff game.(AISHWARYA BEHL/STAFF PHOTO)
Roman Bednarek led Marian Catholic at the plate with two hits while Noah Bauder drove in a team-high two runs on a sacrifice fly to deep center field.
“We had to stay dialed in there and we just had to get together and rally,” Marian’s Chase Quinn-Gutsie said. “We came out dialed and it’s win or go home.”
Garrett Sukeena singled into center field to score Camden Rogers for the Battlin’ Miners initial 1-0 lead.
Nolan Plesnarski cruised early for Minersville on the mound, sitting down the Colts 1-2-3 in the first, second, third and fourth innings.
The Battlin’ Miners brought the second run home when Rogers laid down a bunt back to the pitcher and reached on an error which allowed Plesnarski to score for the 2-0 lead.
Grier also cruised through most of the game and closed out the fifth inning by forcing two groundball outs and a strikeout, one of his seven strikeouts. He then struck out two more Battlin’ Miners in the top of the sixth.
Marian Catholic came up big in the bottom of the sixth when Grier led off the inning with a double to right field before Cole Defrancisco singled on a ground ball to left field for the 2-1 deficit.
“We have a good group of kids and we’ve gotten really close this year,” Quinn-Gutsie said. “We just want to put the ball in play and see what happens.”
Quinn-Gutsie then delivered with an RBI single into right field to score Defrancisco to knot the score at 2-2.
Bauder then finished off the inning with a sacrifice fly to deep center field which allowed both Quinn-Gutsie and Bednarek to score for the 4-2 lead.
“If it wasn’t for me at third base I don’t Chase would’ve tagged up and he forgot how many outs there were,” Pilsey said. “We ran the bases well and got them to make a couple errors.”
Minersville 2 — Plesnarski P 4 1 1 0, Rogers 2B 4 1 0 0, Sukeena SS 4 0 2 1, Rizzardi 3B 3 0 1 0, Correll 1B 3 0 0 0, Halupa CF 1 0 0 0, J. Plesnarski CF 2 0 0 0, Rogers C 3 0 1 0, Ryan RF 3 0 1 0, Cutler LF 3 0 0 0. 30 2 6 1.
Marian Catholic 4 — Quinn-Gutsie CF 3 1 1 1, Bednarek P 3 1 2 0, Grier P 0 0 0 0, Griguoli 2 0 0 0, Bauder 3B 3 0 0 2, Lemus 2B 3 0 1 0, Grant C 2 0 0 0, Grier RF 2 1 1 0, Defrancisco LF 2 1 1 1, Cannon 1B 1 0 0 0, Jordan 1B 1 0 0 0. 22 4 6 4.
MIN (8-13);1;0;0;0;1;0;0;—2
MAR (17-4);0;0;0;0;0;4;X—4
Minersville
IP H R ER BB K
N. Plesnarski 6 6 4 4 1 3
Marian Catholic
Grier 6 4 1 0 1 7
Bednarek 1 2 2 0 0 0
Williams Valley 8, Shenandoah Valley 2
Williams Valley strung together a few three-run innings in the middle of the game to pull away from Shenandoah Valley for a lopsided district quarterfinal win.
Cadyn Witmer got the win for the Vikings, pitching six innings and allowing just one run on five hits with 10 strikeouts. Fletcher Thompson and Gavin Deiter led the Vikings at the plate with three hits and two RBI’s apiece.
“Cadyn is an amazing player and is advanced for his age and we got them more off balance as the game went on,” Thompson said. “He’s just an amazing player, advanced for his age and really strong.”
Shenandoah Valley struck first against Witmer in the top of the first when Chase McCole singled to center field. Haden Kechula lined a single to left field to bring home McCole for the 1-0 lead. Witmer then struck out three in a row to end the top of the first.
McCole got the start for the Blue Devils on the mound and struck out a pair in the bottom of the first, two of his five total strikeouts.
The Vikings broke through in the bottom of the third when John Rautzahn laid down a bunt which he reached on by error to score both Thompson and Witmer for the 2-1 lead.
“We saw him the first time around and the more we came in the defense led us into those innings,” Thompson said. “Some of us pop out at great moments and we need it.”
Deiter stepped up with an RBI groundball single into center field to score Rautzahn for the 3-1 lead.
Witmer sat down Shenandoah Valley 1-2-3 in the fourth and fifth innings, striking out a pair.
Camden Berger singled into center field to score Chevy Green for the 4-1 lead. Thompson then came up with an RBI double to center field to score Berger for the 5-1 advantage.
“So much pressure goes onto their defense and then they’re wondering who’s going to bunt and who won’t,” Thompson said. “It was great to add on those runs.”
Witmer singled on a groundball to center field to score Thompson for the 6-1 edge at the end of the fourth.
Witmer sat down the Blue Devils 1-2-3 in the top of the fifth and struck out the side in the top of the sixth.
Thompson shot an RBI flyout to left field to plate Cole Hubler for the 7-1 lead. Deiter then flew out to left field to score Witmer to make it 8-1.
Hubler pitched the top of the seventh and allowed one run when Joswal Lajara took home on a wild pitch for the 8-2 final score.
Shenandoah Valley 2 — McCole P 3 1 2 0, Kechula SS 4 0 1 1, Lajara C 3 0 2 0, Bench 1B 4 0 0 0, Getz LF 3 0 0 0, Gradwell RF 1 0 0 0, Knittle RF 1 0 0 0, Saba DH 1 0 0 0, Preneta DH 2 0 0 0, Lajara 3B 3 1 1 0, Sinkus CF 3 0 0 0. 28 2 6 1.
Williams Valley 8 — Hubler CF 3 1 0 0, Thompson C 4 2 3 2, Witmer P 2 2 1 1, Rautzahn 2B 3 1 1 0, Deiter LF 4 0 3 2, Trawitz 1B 3 0 0 0, Green 3B 2 1 1 0, Bowser RF 3 0 1 0, Berger SS 3 1 1 1. 27 8 11 6.
SV (12-10);1;0;0;0;0;0;1;—2
WV (16-8);0;0;3;3;0;2;X;—8
Shenandoah Valley
IP H R ER BB K
McCole 4 9 6 4 3 5
Bench 1.1 2 2 2 3 2
Kechula 0.2 0 0 0 0 1
Williams Valley
Witmer 6 5 1 1 1 10
Hubler 1 1 1 1 2 0