Sometimes things just plain work out for everyone, even better than anticipated.

The 2019 Knoch High School softball season falls into that category.

Knoch had its 2018 season ended by a 10-0 WPIAL playoff loss to eventual district champion Mount Pleasant. Coach Tim Knappenberger resigned his post after that season ended.

Often times, coaches resign because they are at retirement age, are accepting another coaching position elsewhere or they notice the cupboard is bare in terms of quality players in their program for the immediate or near future.

In Knappenberger's case, it was none of the above.

He left the Knoch program because his daughter — and Knights pitcher — Celia Knappenberger was graduating and headed to Saint Vincent College to play softball there. Tim Knappenberger wanted to be able to watch his daughter play ball in college.

You can't fault any parent for that.

And had he returned to coach the Knights, Knappenberger would have missed much of this spring's journey that ended with Saint Vincent winning the Presidents' Athletic Conference championship and Celia being named the PAC Player of the Year as a freshman.

That decision certainly worked out for him and his family.

Because Knappenberger stepped out at Knoch, Gary Coe was able to step in as coach. His daughter, Brynnae, is a freshman at Knoch this season. She became a starting outfielder and is hitting over .300 on the year.

Gary Coe got to do more than watch his daughter play. He got to take over the reins of a young, experienced softball team.

Despite having only two seniors — shortstop Monica Gourley and first baseman Erin Luffy — in the starting lineup, Knoch returned a number of players who started last year.

This team reeled off 13 straght wins at one point, went undefeated in section play and reached the WPIAL 4A semifinals.

After being shut out by Elizabeth Forward at that point, the Knights played Thomas Jefferson for the right to become the WPIAL's third entrant into the state tournament. All Knoch did was bang out 13 hits and score seven runs against a pitcher coming off three shutouts in her last four games.

That win sent Knoch into the state tourney —where it will face Grove City on Monday — for the first time in the program's history.

Celia Knappenberger shined at Saint Vincent. Her replacement on the mound at Knoch, Amanda Fischer, has been shining as well. Fischer hasn't walked more than 10 batters all season.

In the case of the Knappenberger family and Knoch softball, all truly has ended well.

For everyone.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle