The Butler County Community College softball team will host a squad from the Bronx in a best-of-3 series whose winner will earn a berth in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III national championship in Syracuse, N.Y.

The Pioneers (10-4) will face Monroe College-Bronx (24-14) for the NJCAA Division III Northeast District title at Laura J. Doerr Memorial Park, Saxonburg.

Monroe College-Bronx on Tuesday beat Suffolk County Community College, of Selden, N.Y., 5-4 in the deciding game of the best-of-3 NJCAA Division III Region 15 championship. Suffolk County (23-7-1) had been ranked fifth among the 63 programs in Division III.

The Pioneers (10-4) are the NJCAA Division III Region 20 champions.

Game 1 between BC3 and the Express is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday and Game 2, at 5:30 p.m.

Game 3, if needed, is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday.

Sunday is a rain date.

The NJCAA Division III national softball championship will be held at Carrier Park Field of Dreams, Syracuse, May 25-28.

Members of the Butler County Community College softball team are, front row, from left, Ashley Brenneman, trainer; Rebecca Scears, Marissa Melius, Casey Kretzer, Taylor Schultz, Kristen Woolstrum, Brittney Friters and Amanda Dailey. Second row, from left, Jim Jones, assistant coach; Lauren Hesidenz, Bailey Rickenbrode, Dan Beebe, head coach; Makayla McBryar, trainer; Jamie Roberts and Eric Anderson, scorekeeper. The Pioneers on Friday begin a best-of-3 series against Monroe College-Bronx for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Northeast District title at Laura J. Doerr Memorial Park, Saxonburg. Submitted Photo

Steve Dietz

BC3’s Marissa Melius and Olivia Vissari, each a graduate of Knoch High School, are among the top hitters in the NJCAA Division III. Melius is first with a .647 batting average and Vissari, fifth at .606.

Cinthia Ramirez leads Monroe College-Bronx with a .403 batting average.

Other players on BC3’s squad are Amanda Dailey, Moniteau; Brittney Friters, Karns City; Lauren Hesidenz, Butler; Bailey Rickenbrode, Knoch; Jamie Roberts, Taylor Allderdice; Rebecca Scears, Grove City; Taylor Schultz, Moniteau and Kristen Woolstrum, Cochranton.

Dailey, Hesidenz, Rickenbrode, Vissari and Woolstrum were named to the 2022 Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference all-conference team, and the Pioneers’ Dan Beebe in 2022 was selected as WPCC coach of the year for a third time.