http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/
FROM KEITH GROLLER
First up, a standings update as we get set for the postseason startint with the Lehigh Valley Conference semifinals tonight at Pates Park:
EHIGH VALLEY CONFERENCE
WEST DIVISION
Team LVC All
D11,L-Emmaus 10-4 14-5
Allen 3-9 5-12
CCHS 2-12 2-16
Dieruff 0-14 1-19
NORTH DIVISION
D11,L-Parkland 14-0 18-0
D11-Northampton 10-4 15-5
D11-Nazareth 6-8 11-9
Whitehall 4-9 9-10
EAST DIVISION
D11,L-Liberty 10-4 17-4
D11-Becahi 10-4 15-6
D11-Freedom 8-6 12-7
Easton 5-9 9-10
COLONIAL LEAGUE
NORTH DIVISION
Team CL All
D11,L-Pen Argyl 14-2 16-4
D11,L-Catasauqua 12-4 15-5
D11,L-Bangor 11-5 13-6
D11-Palmerton 7-8 11-8
Northwestern 7-9 10-10
No. Lehigh 5-11 7-13
SOUTH DIVISION
D11,L-So. Lehigh 11-5 13-6
D11-Salisbury 10-6 13-7
D11-Wilson 10-6 14-6
Palisades 6-10 8-11
Saucon Valley 2-13 3-16
Notre Dame 0-16 1-18
MOUNTAIN VALLEY CONFERENCE
Team MVC All
D11,L-Pleas. Vly 11-1 15-4
D11,L-Str'dsburg 11-1 13-6
D11,L-Lehighton 7-5 9-11
D11,L-PM East 6-6 8-11
ES North 4-8 6-11
ES South 3-9 4-14
PM West 0-12 2-17
Now for the league tournament semifinal predictions:
LEHIGH VALLEY CONFERENCE
Parkland 4, Northampton 0 -- Senior star Morgan Rentzheimer has shut out Northampton twice and there's no reason to think she can't do it again. The Konkrete Kids have two excellent freshman pitchers in Jillian Muthard and Taylor Keeney, but I wonder if the young Northampton hurlers are ready for this stage. Parkland has had all of the answers and winning ingredients all season. Can't go against them now.
Emmaus 6, Liberty 4 -- The Green Hornets won a slugfest that featured five home runs the last time they met. I see a lower-scoring game this time, but give the edge to Emmaus because this is a team that is used to playing at Pates Park. For some reason, the Green Hornets always seem to play better in May than in April and Olivia Marcks has been pitching very well.
COLONIAL LEAGUE
Bangor 7, Catasauqua 5 -- The Rough Riders have the edge in experience, having been through the playoff pressure last year. They have just been a little too inconsistent down the stretch for me to believe in them completely. The Slaters are a much younger team, and have had their share of ups and downs as well. Catty is favored in the eyes of most, but I believe this season full of surprises in the Colonial League has one more left.
Pen Argyl 8, Southern Lehigh 5 -- I covered this matched just a week or so ago and it was a tight one with the Green Knights prevailing 4-2. Two great coaches. Two great programs. Danielle Mullin's return has been a significant boost for the Spartans, but I like to go with proven commodities and Emily Smull and the Green Knights have been through this so many times before. Despite what I said in the Bangor-Catty comments, experience matters at this time of year and Pen Argyl is just a little more used to the big stage and the Green Knights are playing their best softball of the year at just the right time.
MVC
Pleasant Valley and Stroudsburg are easily the best two teams in this league and have been for years. These are the easiest two picks of the week.
Pleasant Valley 13, PM East 3
Stroudsburg 12, Lehighton 2.
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