WARREN, Pa. – DuBois Central Catholic captured its first-ever PIAA softball title when it won the Class 1A championship last week, and the Lady Cardinals are well represented in the YDL Sports Network awards and All-District teams presented by TapNPay+.
Sophomore pitcher Rylee Kulbatsky is the YDL Sports Network District 9 Player and Pitcher of the Year, while manager George Heigel is the YDL Sports Network Manager of the Year. Five Lady Cardinals, including Kulbatsky, are also All-District.
Northern Potter freshman pitcher Jaylyn Williammee also earns the YDL Sports Network Rookie of the Year after pitching the Lady Panthers into the PIAA playoffs in Class 1A in the school’s first year with a team since 2019.
A first- and second-team All-District 9 softball team was chosen. The team was chosen with each infield position separate (in other words a first, second, and third baseman along with a shortstop were picked) meaning the player must have played a majority of his games at the selected position.
2024 YDL SPORTS NETWORK DISTRICT 9 SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR/PITCHER OF THE YEAR POWERED BY TAPNPAY+
Rylee Kulbatsky, So., DuBois Central Catholic
Kulbatsky was nearly unhittable in the circle for the Lady Cardinals giving up just 50 hits in 126 innings pitched. She also allowed just 14 total runs, 11 earned, giving her an ERA of 0.61 as well as a WHIP of 0.59.
She went 19-2 while striking out 255 (14.2 per seven innings) and walking just 24.
In 23 outings, Kulbatsky struck out double-digit hitters 15 times including striking out at least 15 five times while reaching a career-high in strikeouts of 18 twice, including in the D9 title game win over Northern Potter. She also had 15 strikeouts in the PIAA title win over Carmichaels.
But perhaps the most astonishing pitching stat on the season for Kulbatsky was that she went from the seventh inning on April 10 against Elk County Catholic until the sixth inning of the District 9 semifinal game against Redbank Valley on May 22 without giving up back-to-back hits in a game, a stretch of 65 ⅔ innings.
In six postseason contests, Kulbatsky pitched 42 innings allowing 20 hits, six walks, and 4 runs (0.67 ERA, 0.62 WHIP).
If her pitching prowess wasn’t enough, Kulbatsky also hit .355 on the season with a .892 OPS. She had four doubles, a home run, six runs scored, and 17 RBIs.
Rylee Kulbatsky. Photo by Paul Burdick
2024 YDL SPORTS NETWORK DISTRICT 9 SOFTBALL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR/PITCHER OF THE YEAR POWERED BY TAPNPAY+
Jaylyn Williammee, Fr., Northern Potter
Williammee was a huge reason Northern Potter went from without having a team since 2019 to a second-place finish in District 9 Class 1A and the PIAA playoffs.
The Lady Panthers lost 2-1 in the D9 title game to eventual PIAA champion DuBois Central Catholic and then dropped a 3-1 decision to West Branch in the PIAA playoffs.
Williammee was outstanding in the circle going 14-6 with a 1.70 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP.
In 107 ⅓ innings pitched she struck out 213 (13.9 per seven innings) and walked just 22 with opponents hitting just .152 off of her.
Williammee also had two doubles, 11 RBIs, and 13 runs scored while hitting .208.
Jaylyn Williammee. Photo by Paul Burdick
2024 YDL SPORTS NETWORK DISTRICT 9 SOFTBALL MANAGER OF THE YEAR/PITCHER OF THE YEAR POWERED BY TAPNPAY+
George Heigel, DuBois Central Catholic
In his 11th and final year as manager of the Lady Cardinals, Heigel finally got what he set out to achieve when he took over the DCC program in 2013, a state title.
DCC went 23-2 on the season with the only two losses coming to Central Mountain (2-1), a Class 5A school that reached the PIAA semifinals, and Wellsville (N.Y.) (2-0), who won a state title in New York.
Following the loss to Wellsville on April 27, the Lady Cardinals closed the season with 14 straight victories including a 2-0 win over Carmichaels in the PIAA Class 1A title game.
In between, DCC also won its fifth consecutive District 9 Class 1A title and its eighth in Heigel’s 11 years (there was no season in 2020 because of COVID-19).
The PIAA Tournament berth was the ninth in 11 years for a Heigel-coached team with the Lady Cardinals reaching the PIAA title game for the third time since 2019 (2019, 2022, 2024). They were also in the PIAA semifinals for the sixth time since 2016.
George Heigel. Photo by Paul Burdick
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2024 YDL SPORTS NETWORK ALL-DISTRICT 9 SOFTBALL TEAMS POWERED BY TAPNPAY+
2024 YDL Sports Network All-District 9 First-Team Softball Powered by TapNPay+
C – Jessy Frank, Sr., DuBois Central Catholic: .432 avg, 1.201 OPS, 7 2B, 6 3B, 15 RBIs, 30 R
1B – Faith Dietrich, Sr., Forest Area: .642 avg, 1.807 OPS, 9 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 22 RBIs, 19 R
co-2B – Lauren Davidson, Sr., DuBois Central Catholic: .479 avg., 1.191 OPS, 7 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 22 RBIs, 29 R
co-2B – Rylee Coe, Sr., Cranberry: .453 avg., 1.150 OPS, 4 2B, 2 HR, 25 RBIs, 13 R
SS – Lucy Klawuhn, Sr., Elk County Catholic: .535 avg., 1.574 OPS, 9 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 27 RBIs, 30 R
3B – Melia Mitskavich, Sr., DuBois Central Catholic: .420 avg., 1.291 OPS, 11 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 28 RBIs, 35 R
OF – Morgan Pasternak, Sr., DuBois: .475 avg, 1.357 OPS, 8 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 20 RBIs, 22 R
OF – Ruby Singleton, Sr., Clearfield: .526 avg., 1.511 OPS, 12 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 19 RBIs, 26 R
OF – Addison Beimel, So., St. Marys: .397 avg., 1.058 OPS, 2 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 16 RBIs, 27 R, 20 SB
UTL – Kayley Risser, Sr., DuBois Central Catholic: .466 avg., 1.358 OPS, 6 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 32 RBIs, 35 R
UTL – Jada Polczynski, Sr.,, Karns City: .508 avg., 1.356 OPS, 5 2B, 3 HR, 27 RBIs, 21 R
Hitting Pitcher/DH –Addison Siple, So., Curwensville: .485 avg, 1.991 OPS, 6 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 36 RBIs, 30 R
Hitting Pitcher/DH – Ava Baronick, Jr., – DuBois: .433 avg, 1.474 OPS 9 2B, 9 HR, 36 RBIs, 11 R
P – Rylee Kulbatsky, So., DuBois Central Catholic: 19-2, 0.61 ERA, 0.59 WHIP, 126 IP, 255 K, 24 BB, 14.2 K/7
P – Avery Eckels, Jr., St. Marys: 17-3, 1.36 ERA, .957 WHIP, 123 ⅓ IP, 127 K, 17 BB, 7.2 K/7
2024 YDL Sports Network All-District 9 Second-Team Softball Powered by TapNPay+
co-C – Gianna Surra, Sr., St. Marys: .395 avg. .959 OPS, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 19 RBIs, 5 R
co-C- Carrie Drummond, Jr., Otto-Eldred: .456 avg., 1.240 OPS, 7 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 30 RBIs, 32 R
co-1B – Ciara Toven, Sr. Punxsutawney: .373 avg., 1.253 OPS, 8 2B, 6 HR, 25 RBIs, 18 R
co-1B – Kaylen Eozzo, So., St. Marys: .462, 1.206 OPS, 6 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 15 RBIs, 23 R
2B – Taylor Knowles, Fr., Northern Potter: .440 avg, 1.266 OPS, 9 2B, 1 HR, 29 RBIs, 21 R
co-SS – Molly Hanslovan, So., St. Marys: .378 avg., 1.243 OPS, 6 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 29 RBIs, 26 R
co-SS- Quinn White, So., Redbank Valley: .400, 1.307 OPS, 2 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 21 RBIs, 19 R
3B – Emma Haynes, So, Northern Potter: .424 avg. 1.019 OPS, 4 2B, 13 RBIs, 22 R
OF – Jadyn Shumaker, So., Cranberry: .375 avg., 1.045 OPS, 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 15 RBIs, 21 R
OF – Natalie Wischuck, Jr., Curwensville: .381 avg, 1.013 OPS, 6 2B, 2 3B, 14 RBIs, 14 R
OF – Giuliana Muccio, St. Marys: .455 avg., 1.243 OPS, 5 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBIs, 22 R
UTL – Lyrik Reed, Jr., Karns City: .500 avg, 1.192 OPS, 5 2B, 3 3B, 17 RBIs, 31 R
UTL – Rayel Hakes, Fr., Otto-Eldred: .500 avg., 1.321 OPS, 8 2B, 1 3B, 25 RBIs, 19 R; 32 IP, 1.75 ERA, .938 WHIP, 68 K, 14 BB
Hitting Pitcher//DH – Emily Mourer, Sr., Elk County Catholic: .467 avg., 1.493 OPS. 6 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 24 RBIs, 6 R
Hitting Pitcher/DH – Brinley Hallman, So., Punxsutawney: .508 avg, 1.593 OPS, 7 2B, 7 HR, 25 RBIs, 23 R
P – Addison Siple, So., Curwensville: 15-6, 2.12 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 119 IP, 228 K, 39 BB, 13.4 K/7
P – Jaylyn Williammee, Fr, Northern Potter: 14-6, 1.70 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 107 ⅓ IP, 213 K, 22 BB, 13.9 K/7
