Abington Heights’ Eva Kane throws the ball during the District 2 Class 5A softball championship game against North Pocono on Wednesday at the University of Scranton’s Magis Field. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Valley View’s Abbi Call pitches during the PIAA Class 4A softball first round game in Archbald on Monday, June 1, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Mid Valley’s Abigail Mackey looks to bunt against Lake-Lehman during the District 2 Class 3A softball championship game Tuesday at Wilkes University. Frank Lauri / contributing photographer
Montrose’s MycKenna Kublo bats against Dunmore during the District 2 Class 2A softball championship game Wednesday at the University of Scranton’s Magis Field. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Holy Cross’ Jules Galella throws to first during the District 2 Class 1A softball championship game against Old Forge on Tuesday at Marywood University. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Abington Heights’ Eva Kane throws the ball during the District 2 Class 5A softball championship game against North Pocono on Wednesday at the University of Scranton’s Magis Field. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Class 5A
2-1 Abington Heights (22-1) vs. 1-1 West Chester East (22-2)
When: Thursday, 4 p.m.
Where: Patriots Park, Allentown
Admission: Tickets can be purchased online through Hometown Ticketing. Go to www.piaa.org, click on the link and find the game you’d like to attend. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate for $10.
How they got here: District 2 champion Abington Heights defeated Upper Moreland, 6-0, in the first round. District 1 champion West Chester East defeated Greencastle-Antrim, 5-1, in the first round.
Up next: The winner moves onto the state semifinals Monday to face off with the winner of District 1 runner-up Springfield Delco (20-3) and District 1 third-place Upper Dublin (17-8).
Breakdown: The Lady Comets enter Thursday’s game with a 17-game winning streak, and haven’t lost since April 11 on the road at District 4 school Loyalsock. … West Chester East is riding a seven-game win streak with its last loss coming May 4 against Downingtown West. … The two teams are ranked No. 2 and No 3 in the latest Trib HSSN state rankings. … Abington Heights has been on fire since losing to the Lancers, allowing no more than four runs in any game with 10 shutouts. … Adrianna Condrad has been on a tear in the postseason. Coming off a win over North Pocono where she struck out 10, the Syracuse commit followed it up with a double and home run at the plate, and a four-hit, 16-strikeout performance in the circle against Upper Moreland. … The top three in the Lady Comets’ order are lethal. Eva Kane, one of the top leadoff hitters in the state, had a home run against Upper Moreland, while Avary Brister was hitting close to .700 at one point in the season. All three are hitting at nearly .500 or above. … The last time the Lady Comets reached this point of the postseason was 2023 where they beat Oxford, 9-7, in the quarters before falling to Northern in the semis. … For West Chester East, it’s the third straight berth into the state quarterfinals. Last season, the District 1 champ reached the semifinals before losing to Greencastle, which they just defeated Monday. Historically, they are 9-8 in states and 1-1 against District 2 competition, beating Pittston Area in 2019 and losing to West Scranton in 2021. … West Chester East has some good hitters in the lineup, led by a real strong junior class, but senior Carly Bickle leads the way. The Bucknell commit is hitting .463 with 38 hits, 31 RBIs and 20 runs. Juniors Ava Cross, Caelyn Rodriguez and Ava Ferri are all batting .450 or higher. … In the circle, it’s all about Ferri, who is 23-1 with an ERA of 1.35. She has 128 strikeouts, but has walked 40 batters. She struck out eight against Greencastle.
Class 4A
2-1 Valley View (21-3) vs. 12-1 Archbishop Carroll (17-5)
When: Thursday, 2 p.m.
Where: Patriots Park, Allentown
Admission: Tickets can be purchased online through Hometown Ticketing. Go to www.piaa.org, click on the link and find the game you’d like to attend. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate for $10.
How they got here: District 2 champion Valley View defeated District 3 runner-up Northern Lebanon in the first round, 5-0. District 12 champion Archbishop Carroll defeated District 11 runner-up North Schuylkill, 3-2, in its first-round game.
Up next: The winner moves into the state semifinals Monday to play the winner of the quarterfinal between District 1 champ Pope John Paul II (13-9) and District 11 champion Blue Mountain (24-2).
Breakdown: To be the champ, you need to beat the champ. And thus far, no one has. Valley View rides a nine-game winning streak into Thursday and faces an Archbishop Carroll team making just its third appearance in the state tournament. … It’s a simple equation. If you can’t score, you can’t win. That’s the problem opponents are having against Clemson commit Abbi Call and her flawless defense as the group ran its streak to 44 straight innings without allowing a run in the first-round win over Northern Lebanon. The Cougars haven’t allowed a run to cross home in seven games, and didn’t even allow Northern Lebanon to get a runner to third Monday. … The Cougars have homered in the last three playoff games as Bryant commit Zoie Krupovich went deep against Wallenpaupack and Call hit back-to-back sixth-inning home runs against Tunkhannock and Northern Lebanon. Call is hitting .636, while LeMoyne commit Ella Swingle has been dangerous on the bases, leading the team with 32 runs and 14 steals. … Archbishop Carroll is kind of a mystery here. Historically, District 12 doesn’t fare well in the state tournament as Archbishop Carroll is 0-2 lifetime in PIAA action. This year is the exception as the district’s third seed, Bonner-Prendergast, upset undefeated and top-seed Kennard Dale, 1-0, Monday to advance two teams in the quarterfinals. Valley View beat Kennard-Dale, 6-0, in last year’s Class 4A state final. … Archbishop Carroll is hard to get a read on. It beat North Schuylkill, 3-2, as pitcher Olivia Zanetich held the Spartans to three hits, while striking out eight. Junior Emily Russ leads the team in every offensive category with a .583 average and bests in runs (29), hits (35) and RBIs (16).
Class 3A
2-1 Mid Valley (20-3) vs. 1-1 Villa Joseph Marie (11-8)
When: Thursday, 2 p.m.
Where: Parkland High School
Admission: Tickets can be purchased online through Hometown Ticketing. Go to www.piaa.org, click on the link and find the game you’d like to attend. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate for $10.
How they got here: District 2 champion Mid Valley defeated District 4 runner-up Warrior Run, 2-0. District 1 champ Villa Joseph Marie defeated District 12 champion Nazareth Academy, 13-6.
Up next: The winner moves into the state semifinals Monday to play the winner of the quarterfinal between District 11 champion Pine Grove (24-2) and District 4 champ Mifflinburg (23-0).
Breakdown: Coming off its seventh straight district title, Mid Valley fought off a battle from District 4 Cinderella story Warrior Run in the first round where the Spartanettes had just two hits. … Villa Joseph Marie got some revenge in beating Nazareth Academy after losing to them, 3-0, in the first round last season. … Like Valley View, Mid Valley is built around its stellar defense and pitching. Junior pitcher Ava Hazelton is sitting right on 600 career strikeouts and is 61-8 in her Spartanettes career. … Mid Valley has allowed just one run in the postseason: a home run by Lake-Lehman’s Hannah Chipego in the District 2 championship game at Wilkes. … The Spartanettes are going to be a force for the next few years as Mid Valley started just two seniors in the District 2 final. Coach Michael Piercy’s group has four girls — Ariana Davey, Angela Laskowski, Parker Bennett and Marley Morano — all hitting over .400. They are also all underclassmen. … This is Mid Valley’s 18th PIAA appearance, and the Spartanettes have had success in the quarterfinals with a 7-2 record. … Villa Joseph Marie started off the season by losing five of its first seven games, but has won three straight heading into Thursday’s game. … Freshman Katie Stanton leads the way with a .444 average, and junior Faith Fox is hitting .429. … The team has used five pitchers this season with Fox appearing in 11 games. She has a 5-3 record with a 3.84 ERA. … As a group, the team only has 100 strikeouts, so opponents have done a good job of putting the ball in play. … This is the seventh PIAA appearance for the school, although there was huge gap. Villa Joseph Marie made it in 1998, and didn’t qualify again until 2021, but has made it four of the last six years. The team is 3-2 in PIAA quarterfinals.
Class 2A
2-1 Montrose (19-2) vs. 7-4 Chartiers-Houston (19-4)
When: Thursday, 3 p.m.
Where: Bald Eagle Area HS, Bellefonte
Admission: Tickets can be purchased online through Hometown Ticketing. Go to www.piaa.org, click on the link and find the game you’d like to attend. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate for $10.
How they got here: District 2 champion Montrose blanked District 4 champ Northwest, 5-0, in the first round. Chartiers-Houston, the No. 4 seed from District 7, shut out District 6 champion Bellwood-Antis, 2-0.
Up next: The winner advances to Monday’s semifinals against the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between District 11 champion Schuylkill Haven (17-7) and District 1 champion Bristol (22-1).
Breakdown: Montrose has won 14 games in a row. Its last loss came April 18 to Dunmore, 5-4. In fact, both its losses came within a three-day span. It lost to Riverside, 7-4, on April 15. … The Lady Meteors are making their fourth PIAA appearance (2-3) and first since 1994. Their first-round win was its first since the 1979 Class 2A first round, 7-5, over Lawrenceville Catholic. … Freshman pitcher Alayna Mott has been strong in the circle. going 14-1 with a 1.85 ERA and 108 strikeouts. She also is batting .356 (16 for 45) with four doubles, 16 runs and 11 RBIs. … Junior catcher MycKenna leads the offense at .514 (37 for 72) with seven doubles, four triples, four home runs, 36 runs and 37 RBIs. … Sophomore outfielder Kyleise Kublo follows at .468 (36 for 77) with seven doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 36 runs and 33 RBIs. … Senior second baseman Ally Legg bats .411 (30 for 73) with seven doubles, 30 runs and 19 RBIs. … Junior Cara Evans (26 for 62, 23 RBIs) and freshman Anna Evans (31 for 74, 15 RBIs) both bat .419. … Montrose is a young team with Legg the lone senior on the roster. … Chartiers-Houston is making its 25th PIAA appearance (38-23) and has reached the championship game six times (1-5). Its lone win came in the 2010 Class 1A final. The Buccaneers are looking to reach the state semifinals for the third straight season. … Charties-Houston started the season 14-0. It has outscored its opposition, 260-35, with 11 shutouts. … In the first-round win over Bellwood-Antis, junior pitcher Taryne Drilak twirled a three-hit shutout with eight strikeouts, retiring 16 of the final 18 batters. The Buccaneers got their runs on a squeeze bunt by Sydney English in the fourth inning and a RBI single by Aubree Randolph in the fifth inning. … Lauren Rush and Seanna Riggle are the team’s lone seniors. Rush was a first-team all-state shortstop in Class 2A last season. … This truly is a road game for both teams. Chartiers-Houston will travel 166 miles to Bald Eagle Area High School, while Montrose will travel 153 miles.
Class 1A
2-1 Holy Cross (19-3) vs. 6-1 Claysburg Kimmel (20-4)
When: Thursday, 3 p.m.
Where: Elm Park, Williamsport
Admission: Tickets can be purchased online through Hometown Ticketing. Go to www.piaa.org, click on the link and find the game you’d like to attend. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate for $10.
How they got here: District 2 champion Holy Cross beat District 4 champion in the first round, 9-1. District 6 champ Claysburg Kimmel downed District 5 runner-up Meyersdale, 9-4.
Up next: The winner advances to Monday’s semifinals against the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between District 4 runner-up Bucktail (17-5) and District 11 champion Tri-Valley (18-5).
Breakdown: This is a rematch of last year’s quarterfinal at Central Mountain High School in Mill Hill, won by Claysburg Kimmel in eight innings, 5-4. Holy Cross jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Claysburg Kimmel scored one run in the top of the fourth and three in the sixth to tie. Isabella Paris then hit a home run leading off the top of the eighth to give the Lady Bulldogs the win. … Paris, a sophomore, is back. She is batting .479 (35 for 73) with five doubles, four triples, nine home runs, 27 runs and 42 RBIs. In the circle, she is 14-3 with a 2.14 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 92 innings. … Senior Jaylee Swindell leads the team at .485 (33 for 68) with 11 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 27 runs and 19 RBIs. … Junior Savanna Crissman bats .387 (29 for 75) with seven doubles, four home runs, 35 runs and 15 RBIs. … Freshman Aleah Rightenour bats .361 (22 for 61) with four doubles, two home runs, 17 runs and 26 RBIs. … Senior McKenna Black is batting .347 (26 for 75) with three doubles, two triples, three home runs, 19 runs and 30 RBIs. … Besides Paris, senior Launa Musselman has also seen action in the circle in 10 games, going 6-1 with two saves, a 0.31 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 45.2 innings. … Claysburg Kimmel is making its 17th PIAA appearance (22-16) and is 7-6 in the quarterfinals. After beating Holy Cross last year, they lost to Northeast Bradford in the semifinals, 1-0, in eight innings. … Holy Cross is making its sixth PIAA appearance (4-5) and seeking its first trip to the state semifinals. … Senior pitcher Ava Schmidt is 19-3 with a 1.37 ERA and 200 strikeouts. She also is batting .446 (33 for 74) with 11 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 36 runs and 17 RBIs. … Senior catcher Peyton Graboske is batting .500 (33 for 66) with six doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 21 runs and 35 RBIs. … Junior shortstop Jules Galella is batting .471 (33 for 70) with six doubles, four home runs, 26 runs and 31 RBIs. … Junior outfielder Claire Helring is batting .417 (25 for 60) with two doubles, six home runs, 22 runs and 19 RBIs. … Junior Lila Kolcharno, freshmen McKinley Griffiths, Maya DeSantis and sophomore Kiera Bauman (.365) all bat .365 or higher. … The Lady Crusaders’ three losses came against district champions who are still alive in the state playoffs: Abington Heights (Class 5A), Mid Valley (Class 3A) and District 1 Bristol (Class 2A).
— SCOTT WALSH AND TOM FOX