Potter-McKean girls are Dist. 15 champs!

District 9 champions, from left, are Kiersten Counts, Jesse Riedmiller, Kaylee Brooks, Jena Young, Brianna Majot, Summer Buchsenschutz, Rebecca Lathrop, Mia Glover, Brooke Roys, McKenna Johnson, Hannah Glover, Mercedes Shupe Kaylee Ernst. Coach in the back (from left) are Blair Shupe, Rich Glover, Joe Glover and Todd Moses.

A group of 9- and 10-yearold softball players from several Potter and McKean County communities are continuing an odyssey that began almost a month ago when the Little League playoffs opened across the state.

Potter-McKean nailed down the Pa. District 15 championship Wednesday night at Austin, knocking off Northeast Bradford County, 9-2.

Next up: the Pa. Section 3 Tournament, which features four district champions in a double-elimination format, with games scheduled through the weekend and concluding on Tuesday.

"These girls worked really hard for this," said a jubiliant coach Rich Glover. "The way they are playing together and the way they're hitting, we could make some noise at Sectionals."

Wednesday's win was especially sweet because Potter- McKean rose through the losers' bracket after an 8-5 setback to Northeast Bradford last Friday to knock off that same team twice in as many games.

Keirsten Counts and Hannah Glover led the offensive assault. Counts had a triple, double, single and RBI. Glover had a pair of singles and plated three runs.

On the mound, Glover got the win, giving up just one hit, while walking five and fanning seven. Mercedes Shupe and Rebecca Lathrop pitched in relief.

Potter-McKean qualified for the title game with an impressive 11-0 win over Northeast Bradford on Tuesday at Windham.

Glover had two doubles, a single and five RBI to back Counts' solid pitching. NE Bradford managed just three hits off Counts, who walked four and struck out four. Kaylee Brooks drove in a pair of runs for P-M.

On Sunday, Potter-McKean prevailed in a wild game at Mansfield, 16-15, over Tunkhannock. Brooks scored from third with the tying run and Shupe singled home Counts with the clincher in the sixth inning.

Shupe, Brooks, Glover, Jesse Reidmiller and Kaylee Ernst each had two hits to lead Potter McKean. Shupe and Glover combined on the mound to surrender seven hits and walk 12.