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Cardinals Repeat: Pine Grove Captures Back-to-Back PIAA Class 3A State Championships

Cardinals Repeat: Pine Grove Captures Back-to-Back PIAA Class 3A State Championships

By: Justin Bradley | SportzWire | June 11, 2026 | Photo courtesy Bob Gaetano

The Pine Grove Lady Cardinals are state champions once again.

A year after capturing the program’s first PIAA title, Pine Grove returned to Penn State’s Beard Field and delivered another championship performance, defeating Sharon, 7-1, to claim back-to-back PIAA Class 3A State Championships.

The Lady Cardinals wasted little time applying pressure, opening the scoring in the first inning when a passed ball brought home the game’s first run.

Pine Grove broke things open in the third.

Florida State commit Callee Leffler launched a solo home run to center field before Lily Flynn followed with an RBI single. Later in the inning, Khloe Jessman executed a sacrifice bunt that plated another run as the Cardinals extended their advantage.

Holding a comfortable lead late, Hannah Aungst added the exclamation point in the seventh inning with a solo home run to left field, her fourth run scored of the afternoon and another highlight in a championship performance.

In the circle, Pine Grove received a stellar effort from Jamie Dinger, who entered in relief and shut down the Tigers. Dinger allowed just three hits and one run across 6.1 innings while striking out eight to earn the victory.

Chelcy Clark started the game and worked the opening two-thirds of an inning before Dinger took over and controlled the remainder of the contest.

Sharon ace Madelyn Vogan battled throughout the afternoon, striking out 13 Cardinals, but Pine Grove capitalized on opportunities and defensive miscues to steadily build its lead.

The Lady Cardinals’ aggressive style was on full display as they swiped nine bases. Aungst, Flynn, and Leffler each stole multiple bases, constantly putting pressure on the Tigers’ defense.

Aungst led Pine Grove offensively, finishing 2-for-2 with a home run, four runs scored, two walks, and two stolen bases. Flynn drove in two runs, while Leffler added a home run, RBI, and two stolen bases.

Defensively, Pine Grove played a flawless game behind the pitching staff, committing no errors. Catcher Tailyn Bohr anchored the defense and recorded a team-high 10 chances.

For Sharon, Vogan paced the offense with two hits and an RBI, while Addison Wilson and Izzy Renner added hits in the runner-up effort.

With the victory, Pine Grove finishes the season as the PIAA Class 3A State Champion for the second consecutive year, cementing its place among Pennsylvania’s elite programs and completing another remarkable championship run.

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