Whitney High’s varsity softball team earned the Pioneer Valley League’s second and final playoff spot and opened the Sac-Joaquin Section, Division IV playoffs Wednesday.

The entire DIV playoffs will be played at Arnaiz Stadium in Stockton.

Whitney (17-11 overall) opened up against Dixon Wednesday in the single-elimination first round. The rest of the tournament is double elimination.

If Whitney beat Dixon and another opponent Wednesday then it will play in the semi-finals Friday. The section championship will start at noon Saturday with a second game following if necessary because of the double-elimination format.

Whitney, which went 2-2 in the playoffs last year, earned second place despite having an 8-4 PVL record like Lincoln this year. The Wildcats advanced to the playoffs because they beat Lincoln in both meetings this season.

Whitney won at Placer 7-3 May 6 while Lincoln beat El Dorado 6-1 May 7 in its final game. Colfax lost to league-champion Bear River 6-5 May 7 or else there would have been a three-way tie for second place.

Whitney junior Tegan Schmidt threw all seven innings against Placer, allowing three earned runs, eight hits and two walks while striking out six.

Whitney’s Courtney Galli (2-for-3, two runs, RBI, double, triple), Stephanie Nippert (2-4, two runs, two RBI, homer) and Schmidt (2-4, run, three steals) led the offense.