P-O’s Murphy, Kephart set for ‘fun’ game
By Todd Irwin, tirwin@altoonamirror.comFact Box
Midsummer classic
What: Pennsylvania Softball Coaches Association District 6 All-Star Game
Opponent: District 4
Where: Penn State's Lady Lion Field
When: Today, 6 p.m.
Last year: District 6 won, 6-5
Pregame: A Hall of Fame induction ceremony will precede the game at 5:15.
They spent their whole careers competing against one another, and now girls from Philipsburg-Osceola, Bald Eagle Area, Bellefonte, Penns Valley and State College will be teammates.
They'll be teaming up to play in the annual Pennsylvania Softball Coaches Association District 6 All-Star Game against District 4 at 6 p.m. today at Penn State's Lady Lion Field.
Two Lady Mounties - four-time District 6 All-Star pitcher Brittany Murphy and outfielder Lyndz Kephart - will play in the game.
"It's kind of nice to finish up my career playing in it," said Murphy, who will be attending Penn State in the fall but is not planning to play softball.
"I've been going to it since I was a freshman, and now it's nice to be playing in it. I've already played with a lot of them on summer teams, so I'm used to playing with them."
"I guess it means a lot to me," Kephart said. "I've gotten to go the games the past couple couple years, and I thought they were really cool. Now I get to be picked for it, so it's really cool.
"I'm pretty excited to be playing in it. We've all been playing summer ball with each other, and it's really cool we're just not playing against them."
For friends Murphy and Kephart, it will be the last time they'll get to play each other.
"It will be fun," Murphy said, "but it will also be sad. She is one of my best friends. It will kind of sad to move on."
"I'm glad they picked her," Kephart said of Murphy, "because we're best friends. We'll have a lot of fun."
It's a scaled-back game this year. In the past, there have been as many as two games prior to the main game, and only Centre County players are on the District 6 roster this year.
Also on the roster are Bald Eagle Area outfielders Kasey Corl and Kristy Fisher and pitcher Elizabeth Hackett, Penns Valley first baseman Chelsey Neff, catcher Chelsea Reish and third baseman Erin Van Vactor, Bellefonte shortstop Taryn O'Connor and outfielder Alie Smith and State College second baseman Jess Sefter.
One of the goals of the players is to have fun, but for competitors like Murphy, a win is another goal.
"I definitely want to win, of course," she said, "have fun and have one last game with all of those girls."
HOF class in spotlight
Eight former stars, including five from the Mirror's coverage area, will be inducted into the District 6 Hall of Fame before the game at 5:15 p.m.
Central Cambria graduates Rachel Kemock and Jenna Benyack, Bellwood-Antis' Melissa Sitman and Trista Kovac and P-O's Becky Ritter will be inducted along with Penns Valley's Kari Lucas and Brittany Corl and West Branch's Bobbi Kyler.
