Youngsville will face West Middlesex in the first round of the District 10 Class A playoffs for the second straight year.
Last year, the Lady Eagles dug themselves a 5-0 hole before battling back to a 5-3 loss, and it was even closer than that, according to Youngsville coach Mark Nyquist.
This time around, the Eagles are 10-9 overall and had the top record of the Class A teams in Region 4 - a region of primarily Class AA teams. The teams will meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Allegheny College.
Nyquist said a few timely hits, and a couple less errors, and Youngsville could be 15-4.
That gives him a tremendous amount of confidence heading back to the playoffs.
"The kids are ready," he said. "We're battle-tested. We've faced (North East pitcher Raven) Rozantz and we've faced some other good pitchers. If we play error-free, and Amber (Fox) throws strikes, we'll be fine."
Fox can throw a lot of strikes; she ended the season with a shutout of Seneca, and Youngsville won two out of three against Class AA teams the last week of the regular season, including a 3-1 win over Northwestern. She was the starting shortstop for Youngsville last year, but the Eagles needed her in the circle.
She has 141 strikeouts in 129 innings, with a 3.84 ERA.
Fox, a senior, is hitting nearly .500 (33-for-67, .492) and has four home runs and 34 RBI in 19 games.
Her battery mate, senior Colleen Rex, is 21-for-67 out of the leadoff spot, and a leader on defense, Shelby Anderson and freshman shortstop Kennedy Cratty have combined for another 20 RBI.
Jordyn Allen is the new pitcher for West Middlesex (14-5 and an at-large team out of Region 1) this year. Allen has struck out 121 over 113 innings, allowing 2.04 runs per game.
West Middlesex was eyeing a Region 1 outright title for most of the spring, but two losses in one week to Sharpsville and Reynolds knocked the Big Reds down.
An athletic Dani Monaco is hitting .509 to lead the team that has a solid top of the lineup. She also has over 20 RBI, along with Aly Andrusky.
"The first four batters set the table for them," said Nyquist."I told (our players), we're not intimidated by anybody. We are looking at it like we have absolutely nothing to prove."