Union’s Mia Preuhs no-hits Carmichaels to win pitchers’ duel in Class A title game
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Thursday, May 29, 2025 | 8:15 PM
Union celebrates with starting pitcher Mia Preuhs after shutting out Carmichaels during the WPIAL Class A championships game Thursday at Lilley Field.
Union starting pitcher Mia Preuhs shuts out Carmichaels during the WPIAL Class A championships game Thursday at Lilley Field.
Union’s Olivia Benedict celebrates as she scores the game-winning run against Carmichaels during the WPIAL Class A championships game Thursday at Lilley Field.
Carmichaels starting pitcher Bailey Barnyak kept Union off the scoreboard until the sixth inning during the WPIAL Class A championships game Thursday at Lilley Field.
Union’s Irelyn Fisher celebrates with Olivia Benedict after Benedict scored the game-winning run against Carmichaels in the WPIAL Class A championships game Thursday at Lilley Field.
Union celebrates with the trophy after beating Carmichaels in the WPIAL Class A championships game Thursday at Lilley Field.
Union celebrates with Korynne Shannon after her two-run home run against Carmichaels during the WPIAL Class A championships game Thursday at Lilley Field.
Union softball coach Doug Fisher didn’t appear ready Thursday to slap a dynasty label on his team just yet.
Even as the Scotties, led by star right-hander Mia Preuhs’ fifth no-hitter of the season, were celebrating their third WPIAL Class A championship in four years, a 3-0 victory over Carmichaels at Cal (Pa.)’s Lilley Field.
Perhaps winning an elusive PIAA title could do the trick.
“I’m not saying anything until we’ve got gold at states. I’m sure they all want another crack at it,” Fisher said as he looked toward his players, many of whom were on Union’s 2023 Class A state runner-up team that lost a 6-3 decision to District 11 Tri-Valley.
The Scotties also won a WPIAL title in 2022.
Union (19-2), which finished as WPIAL runner-up in 2024, will open its sixth consecutive trip to the PIAA playoffs with a first-round game Monday against Purchase Line, the District 6 third-place team, at a site and time to be determined.
In its victory, Union scored all its runs with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning to back Preuhs’ no-hitter and deal previously unbeaten Carmichaels (16-1) its first loss.
Preuhs, a senior Canisius commit, struck out 16, walked four and hit a batter.
“We’ve got to regroup this weekend and be ready to go Monday,” Carmichaels coach Dave Briggs said. “The first one’s always the toughest.”
The Mighty Mikes will open PIAA tournament play with a first-round game at a site and time to be determined against the winner of Friday’s District 5 championship game between Berlin Brothersvalley and Fannett-Metal.
Union and Carmichaels were scoreless and hitless until Union’s Maddie Settle singled with one out in the fifth against Carmichaels right-hander Bailey Barnyak.
Union, aided by Carmichaels shortstop Carys McConnell’s throwing error, broke through with all its runs in the sixth.
After Barnyak retired the first two Union batters, Olivia Benedict doubled and Maggie Joseph reached on an infield single, sending Benedict to third.
When McConnell threw wildly to first, Benedict scored and Joseph advanced to second.
Sophomore Korynne Shannon’s two-run homer — her third long ball in two games — capped the uprising.
“Man, the insurance with that homer was big,” Fisher said. “I was going to bunt her. I almost said it. I was getting ready to call it, and she ended up hitting it. Good thing I didn’t do that. It could’ve been a different outcome.”
Preuhs, too, was glad it worked out that way.
“It was like I felt a weight off my shoulders,” she said. “Korynne has been on fire the last couple games.”
Shannon, who homered twice in Union’s 15-0 semifinal victory over Jefferson-Morgan on May 23, said she felt the energy in the Union dugout after her latest blast.
“We were all hyped,” she said. “I did watch it (go over the fence), actually. I watched someone (in the crowd) catch it.”
Tough-luck losing pitcher Barnyak wound up with a four-hitter for Carmichaels. She struck out 12 batters, walked two and hit another with a pitch.
The loss for Carmichaels came a day after the Mikes baseball team was no-hit in the WPIAL Class A championship game by Serra Catholic’s Tyler Skaggs in a 9-0 loss to the Eagles at EQT Park, the Frontier League Washington Wild Things’ home stadium.
On the softball side, Carmichaels’ best chance to score came in the fifth when the Mikes loaded the bases with one out. Preuhs escaped the jam with the help of an inning-ending double play.
“She bent a little bit and didn’t break,” Fisher said. “That was something to be proud of, as much as the no-hitter.”
After Preuhs struck out Barnyak, she hit Ke’Lani Chun with a pitch and issued back-to-back walks to Avery Voithofer and Payton Plavi.
But the rally fizzled amid a convoluted, inning-ending play as Preuhs struck out Duski Staggers swinging, and Chun was tagged out trying to score from third base after the ball got past catcher Irelyn Fisher to end the threat.
“I thought it was a passed ball. I was yelling for (Chun) to go,” Briggs said. “I didn’t know. We were just going to go, no matter what.”
In as tightly a contested contest as this, perhaps Doug Fisher put it best: “One little mistake could win a game.”
Tags: Carmichaels, Union
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