Valley View’s Abbi Call delivers a pitch againt Tunkhannock in the District 2 Class 4A softball championship game at Wilkes University’s Ralston Athletic Complex in Edwardsville on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. BILL TARUTIS / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Valley View’s Abbi Call, right, celebrates at home plate after hitting a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning to break a scoreless tie against Tunkhannock in the District 2 Class 4A softball championship game at Wilkes University’s Ralston Athletic Complex in Edwardsville on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. BILL TARUTIS / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Tunkhannock’s Michaela Howell delivers a pitch against Valley View in the District 2 Class 4A softball championship game at Wilkes University’s Ralston Athletic Complex in Edwardsville on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. BILL TARUTIS / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Tunkhannock first baseman Kayden Bamberger makes the catch for the out against Valley View in the District 2 Class 4A softball championship game at Wilkes University’s Ralston Athletic Complex in Edwardsville on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. BILL TARUTIS / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Valley View’s Cora Castellani, center, hugs her coach after the Cougars defeated Tunkhannock 1-0 to win the District 2 Class 4A softball championship at Wilkes University’s Ralston Athletic Complex in Edwardsville on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. BILL TARUTIS / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Valley View shortstop Cora Castellani, left, tags out Tunkhannock’s MaKenzie Bevan at second base in the District 2 Class 4A softball championship game at Wilkes University’s Ralston Athletic Complex in Edwardsville on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. BILL TARUTIS / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Valley View’s Lilly Smith takes a lead from second base against Tunkhannock in the District 2 Class 4A softball championship game at Wilkes University’s Ralston Athletic Complex in Edwardsville on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. BILL TARUTIS / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Tunkhannock’s Alli Kinney squares to bunt against Valley View in the District 2 Class 4A softball championship game at Wilkes University’s Ralston Athletic Complex in Edwardsville on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. BILL TARUTIS / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Tunkhannock’s Jordyn Burnaford, right, is forced out at home plate by Valley View catcher Maggie Hallett in the District 2 Class 4A softball championship game at Wilkes University’s Ralston Athletic Complex in Edwardsville on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. BILL TARUTIS / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
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Valley View’s Abbi Call delivers a pitch againt Tunkhannock in the District 2 Class 4A softball championship game at Wilkes University’s Ralston Athletic Complex in Edwardsville on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. BILL TARUTIS / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
EDWARDSVILLE — Abbi Call is already one of the most accomplished softball players in the history of Valley View’s historic program. The Clemson commit racked up many accolades: league all-stars, all-state selections and a state championship. She can now add four-time district champion to that résumé.
Call pitched a complete-game two-hitter with six strikeouts, and her sixth-inning home run proved the difference as No. 2 Valley View topped No. 1 Tunkhannock, 1-0, to win the Cougars’ fourth straight District 2 Class 4A championship Wednesday evening at Wilkes University.
The win was the fourth straight for Valley View over Tunkhannock in the title game and advanced the Cougars to face District 3 runner-up Northern Lebanon in the first round of the PIAA Class 4A playoffs on Monday.
“This means so much to me,” Call said. “This game will humble you in so many ways no matter who you are. I think we do such a great job working as a team. Everyone contributes and does their job and that’s how we keep doing this.”
Locked in a pitchers duel with Tunkhannock freshman sensation Michaela Howell, neither team generated much traffic through five innings, as only one runner reached scoring position for either team.
With one out in the top of the sixth inning, Call knew it might be her last chance at the plate. She talked over strategy with head coach Mia Wascura, stepped in the box, saw her pitch and took advantage, sending a pitch over the wall in center field for the game’s first and only run.
“She (Wascura) told me to relax and just do my thing,” Call said. “The team has confidence in me in pressure situations. I took a deep breath, saw my pitch and hit it.”
“She’s a big-time player and that’s exactly what I told her (Call). That kid knows how to handle the pressure,” Wascura said. “I don’t know if in my career I’ll coach another kid like Abbi Call. She’s so smooth, does things that you can’t teach and everyone on the team feeds off her. The last two weeks she’s been locked in and is a next-level athlete.”
Even though Valley View had the lead, Call still had six more outs to get and against a lineup like Tunkhannock’s, that is no easy task. In the bottom of the sixth, Tunkhannock’s Lucy Karp worked a nine-pitch walk with one out, Addisyn Waterman reached on an infield single and Makenzie Bevan was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out.
The jam put no panic into the Cougars. Alli Kinney hit a rocket that was fielded cleanly by third baseman Coral Kelly, who fired home to get the force out. Then, Call got Howell to ground out to first to end the inning.
“When the ball was hit to me, I knew exactly what to do and that was throw home to get the force,” Kelly said. “We practice those situations all the time. We all take pride in our fielding and knowing what to do in those pressure situations.”
“I cannot tell you how many hard balls that we’ve been hitting at Coral in practice,” Wascura said. “She’s a world-class kid, never bats an eye. She’s young, I’m tough on her, and she could handle it. We’re super proud of her.”
With the jam behind her, Call finished in style, retiring Tunkhannock in order in the seventh inning with Kelly moving to her left to field another rocket ground ball for the second out of the inning. Kiana Hannon then flew out to right fielder Ashlan Palickar for the final out and set off a celebration.
“My fielders were amazing today,” Call said. “It’s the absolute best feeling to know that when I’m pitching I have great fielders behind me.”
Tunkhannock’s season concludes with a 21-2 record, and its fourth straight district runner-up finish. The loss was the Lady Tigers’ first to an opponent from Pennsylvania this season. Its only other loss came to Chardon, Ohio, at the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
“We just didn’t get timely hitting. We had kids on base their in the sixth with a good chance and just couldn’t get it done,” Tunkhannock coach Bob Hegedty said. “She (Call) is a tough pitcher, and today they were better than us. We have a younger team, so we’re going to get back to work and hopefully try and get back here next year.”
Up next for Valley View is Northern Lebanon, the same first-round opponent as last season when the Lady Cougars picked up a 1-0 victory on their way to a state championship.
“This is the fun part,” Wascura said of the state playoffs. “We’re going to watch a lot of film on them, look at their tendencies and continue to practice hard like we always do. I’m excited and ready to go.”