Class 6A<\/p>\n
Defending champ: Williamsport.<\/p>\n
Dates: Quarterfinals, May 19; Semifinals, May 21; Finals, May 27.<\/p>\n
Moving on: Only the District 2 champ moves into the state tournament and will play the third seed from District 3.<\/p>\n
Tentative seeds (as of Friday): 1. Williamsport (16-3), 2. West Scranton (11-8), 3. Hazleton Area (9-11), 4. Scranton (5-14), 5. Wilkes-Barre Area (4-16), 6. Wyoming Valley West (2-15).<\/p>\n
Favorite: Williamsport.<\/p>\n
Bracket buster: West Scranton.<\/p>\n
Breakdown: For all intensive purposes, this class is probably the easiest to figure out. Williamsport, out of District 4 and the defending champ, is having another strong season. But the Millionaires haven\u2019t had the best luck against District 2 teams, losing to both Tunkhannock and Holy Redeemer. District 4 has some good softball, and the Millionaires have played a good nonleague schedule as well. The top two batters in the lineup \u2013 Emma Vollman and Kinsley Cannode \u2013 gave Tunkhannock fits. They combined for two home runs, and scored three of Williamsport\u2019s five runs. Pitcher Ashlyn Robinson did struggle with the Tigers\u2019 lineup, giving up 18 hits. \u2026 West Scranton is a year older and improved from last year\u2019s run to the semifinals where the Invaders lost to Williamsport, 5-1, on Millionaire Mountain. West has two major advantages. One, they play in the Lackawanna League Division I, which is a battle every night. And two, they also hold wins over the remaining Class 6A teams in the bracket, including a mercy-rule win at Hazleton Area, a possible semifinal opponent. Catcher Mia Tallo leads the lineup with bests in average (.491), hits (28) and RBIs (27). Sophomore pitcher Kaleiah Connor has shown growth from last year, and has more than 100 strikeouts. \u2026 Hazleton Area seems to be the other team in the bracket that\u2019s capable of a run to the final. The Cougars can hit the ball, scoring runs in bunch. The issue is they also give up runs \u2014 including a 13-spot to West Scranton. The Cougars play well in big games. They hung tough with Tunkhannock twice, fell, 4-0, to one-loss Blue Mountain, and have victories over Pittston Area and Dallas.<\/p>\n
Prediction: West Scranton has battled Valley View\u2019s Abbi Call, Abington Heights\u2019 Adrianna Condrad, North Pocono\u2019s Amelia Bell and Mid Valley\u2019s Ava Hazelton. That\u2019s four of the top pitchers in the state. Give the edge to the Lady Invaders here.<\/p>\n
Class 5A<\/p>\n
Defending champ: North Pocono.<\/p>\n
Dates: Quarterfinals, May 19; Semifinals, May 21; Finals, May 27.<\/p>\n
Moving on: Only the District 2 champ moves into the state tournament and will play the fourth seed from District 1.<\/p>\n
Tentative seeds (as of Friday): 1. Abington Heights (19-1), 2. North Pocono (15-5), 3. Pittston Area (11-8), 4. Crestwood (11-8), 5. Delaware Valley (6-14), 6. Shikellamy (4-15).<\/p>\n
Favorite: Abington Heights.<\/p>\n
Bracket buster: Pittston Area.<\/p>\n
Breakdown: It looks like an all-Lackawanna League final could be on the horizon. Abington Heights won Division I of the league, and has only one loss \u2014 falling on the road to District 4 Loyalsock. The scary part is the Lady Comets are still pretty young. Adrianna Condrad, a Syracuse commit, is putting together a special season in her first year in the circle. The junior played first base last season while another Division I pitcher, Lauren Stalica, threw in her senior year. Junior Avary Brister is making a serious case for state Class 5A Player of the Year. She\u2019s hitting at a .650 clip with 42 hits, 40 RBIs and 38 runs scored with 13 doubles and eight home runs. \u2026 Don\u2019t sleep on North Pocono as the Lady Trojans have a knack of performing in big-game situations. Plus, they just took Abington Heights to extra innings in the regular-season finale. The Lady Trojans rallied from the early deficit to win their first district title in 50 years in a one-run win over the Lady Comets in 2025. Last year\u2019s winning pitcher, Ariella Bell, is working her way back from an injury with only four appearances in 2026, but sister Amelia Bell has been productive in the circle with an 14-3 record, an ERA around 2.00, and 100 strikeouts. Sophomore Avarie Roscioli is one of the top players in District 2 as she leads the Lady Trojans in average (.553), runs (20), hits (26) and RBIs (17). She just hit two home runs in Friday\u2019s game against Abington Heights. \u2026 Pittston Area is one to keep an eye on in the bracket as this is its final year in Class 5A, moving up to Class 6A in the next two-year cycle. If the Patriots can limit the errors in the field, they have the batting lineup to keep up with anyone in this bracket. Senior Samantha Herbert has been sensational, hitting .478 with 33 hits and 31 RBIs. Gabby Roman is also having a breakout junior year with 26 RBIs, while University of Scranton commit Liliana Hintze has 26 hits and has scored 27 times. \u2026 Crestwood is another team with some offensive pop. The Comets are still pretty young, and have a strong junior-high team waiting in the wings. They are another team, if they limit fielding miscues, could cause issues at the plate.<\/p>\n
Prediction: If Abington Heights is firing on all cylinders, they are going to be at a tough out \u2014 districts or states.<\/p>\n
Class 4A<\/p>\n
Defending champ: Valley View.<\/p>\n
Dates: Quarterfinals, May 18 Semifinals, May 20; Finals, May 26.<\/p>\n
Moving on: Only the District 2 champ moves into the state tournament and will play the runner-up from District 3.<\/p>\n
Tentative seeds (as of Friday): 1. Tunkhannock (19-1), 2. Valley View (17-3), 3. Wyoming Area (12-6), 4. Wallenpaupack (10-9), 5. Dallas (10-10), 6. Berwick (10-10), 7. Hanover Area (6-12), 8. Greater Nanticoke Area (4-16).<\/p>\n
Favorite: Tunkhannock.<\/p>\n
Bracket buster: Wallenpaupack.<\/p>\n
Breakdown: If the seeds hold true to form, prepare for another Tunkhannock-Valley View clash in the championship. If so, it would be the fifth straight year with Valley View holding a 3-1 edge. The winner here has history in making deep state runs. The Tigers and Cougars have played in three of the last five state championships in Class 4A. \u2026 Tunkhannock won the WVC Division 1 for second straight season, and has only one loss in 2026, losing to a team from Ohio. The Tigers, which start just two seniors, are a perfect blend of speed and power. Leadoff hitter Addisyn Waterman is a stolen-base machine, while the middle of Tunkhannock\u2019s lineup \u2014 Taryn Newswanger, Michaela Howell and Makenzie Bevan \u2014 are deep-ball threats with every swing. Howell, a freshman, has been sensational in the circle with three no-hitters and more than 150 strikeouts. \u2026 Valley View, the defending PIAA Class 4A state champ, lost some key pieces off that team, but still has plenty of talent. Abbi Call, a Clemson commit, is one of the best hitters in the entire state, and recently struck out 20 in one game against Scranton Prep. The Cougars also have two other Division I commits, Ella Swingle (LeMoyne) and Zoie Krupovich (Bryant). Valley View\u2019s sophomore class is also strong. Ashlyn Palickar and Maggie Hallett are second and third, respectively, in batting average, while Grace Munley has done a great job in the circle, splitting time with Call. She\u2019s 6-1 this year with a 2.96 ERA and 64 strikeouts. \u2026 Teams No. 3 through No. 5 \u2014 Wyoming Area, Wallenpaupack and Dallas \u2014 are images of each other. The Lady Buckhorns could have the edge because of battling through the rigors of the Lackawanna League Division I. Wyoming Area is in the midst of a good season, with two wins over No. 6 seed Berwick and an early-season victory over Dallas, but hasn\u2019t played Tunkhannock. The Warriors lost to Tunkhannock, 11-0 in six innings, last year in the district semifinals. Dallas is extremely young, but seems to be finding its stride lately, which included a good showing Thursday against Lake-Lehman\u2019s Hannah Chipego. The Mountaineers have also played a good schedule with Tunkhannock twice, Valley View, North Pocono and Lake-Lehman. Wyoming Area enters as winners of eight of its last 10.<\/p>\n
Prediction: This will be the last Valley View-Tunkhannock district championship for at least two years. The Tigers move to Class 3A in the next two-year cycle. It\u2019s a coin flip between the two rivals.<\/p>\n
Class 3A<\/p>\n
Defending champ: Mid Valley.<\/p>\n
Dates: Quarterfinals, May 18; Semifinals, May 20; Finals, May 26.<\/p>\n
Moving on: Only the District 2 champ moves into the state tournament and will play the runner-up from District 4.<\/p>\n
Tentative seeds (as of Friday): 1. Lake-Lehman (18-2), 2. Mid Valley (16-3), 3. Carbondale Area (11-6), 4. Riverside (8-12), 5. Western Wayne (5-13), 6. Lakeland (5-13-1).<\/p>\n
Favorite: Mid Valley\/Lake-Lehman.<\/p>\n
Bracket buster: Western Wayne.<\/p>\n
Breakdown: This looks like a two-team race between Lake-Lehman and Mid Valley. The Spartanettes are going for their seventh straight district title, while Hannah Chipego is hoping to hoist gold before going to James Madison University in the fall. Last year\u2019s title tilt was a classic as Lake-Lehman jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Mid Valley rallied for a 6-4 victory at Wilkes. Chipego and Ava Hazelton combined for 23 strikeouts in the game, and it was small ball that sparked the Spartanettes rally. \u2026 Lake-Lehman has been on a roll, losing to two District 4 schools, Loyalsock and Athens. While Lake-Lehman starts several freshmen, it begins with Chipego and Kaitlyn Brudnicki. Chipego is a handful of strikeouts away from Gianna Adams\u2019 conference record of 834, and is batting over .600. Brudnicki, a Frostburg State commit, is also hitting .528 with 36 runs scored, 25 hits and 19 RBI from the leadoff spot. Freshman Julia Sholtis is also over the .500 average. \u2026 Hazelton is also one of the top pitchers in state. She has over 500 career strikeouts. While Parker Bennett has been steady at the plate, leading the team with a .482 average, the Spartanettes also have some talented freshmen as Marley Morano and Angela Laskowski are second and third on the team, respectively, in average. Two of Mid Valley\u2019s three losses, Tunkhannock and Holy Cross, are the top seeds in their respective classes. \u2026 Carbondale Area and Riverside both have lopsided losses to Mid Valley. Carbondale was shut out, 14-0, and Riverside lost, 17-2. Neither has played Lake-Lehman. \u2026 Western Wayne could be a tough out for the higher seeds. The Wildcats beat Holy Redeemer, and gave Holy Cross a battle recently, losing, 2-1.<\/p>\n
Prediction: This could be the best final of all six classes if Lake-Lehman and Mid Valley both reach it. It\u2019s mirror images of two great pitchers, two of the top coaches in District 2, and two gritty teams that know how to win big games. If they play 10 times, it\u2019s probably a 5-5 split.<\/p>\n
Class 2A<\/p>\n
Defending champ: Holy Redeemer.<\/p>\n
Dates: Quarterfinals, May 19; Semifinals, May 21; Finals, May 27.<\/p>\n
Moving on: Only the District 2 champ moves into the state tournament and will play the champion from District 4.<\/p>\n
Tentative seeds (as of Friday): 1. Montrose (16-2), 2. Dunmore (14-6), 3. Holy Redeemer (10-10), 4. Elk Lake (12-7), 5. Blue Ridge (7-11), 6. Lackawanna Trail (6-12-1), 7. Mountain View (5-15).<\/p>\n
Favorite: Dunmore.<\/p>\n
Bracket buster: Holy Redeemer.<\/p>\n
Breakdown: This is the class where you could see some chaos. It\u2019s also the toughest one to make sense of. Montrose, the Lackawanna League Division III champ, lost to Dunmore this season, and has wins over Elk Lake. Dunmore is looking for its first softball district title, and has played Holy Cross, Mid Valley and Old Forge in the Lackawanna League Division II. And no one in this class is as battle-tested as Holy Redeemer. \u2026 The Lady Meteors have six players hitting over .400 this year, including the Evans sisters, Anna and Cara. Cara is the defending PIAA Class 2A champ in tennis. \u2026 Dunmore\u2019s Rachel Walsh is one of the top players in Division II. She leads Dunmore in battling average and hits, and is also a solid pitcher who picked up her 400th career strikeout early in the season. Keep an eye on Aubrey Mizenko, who also has some pop at the plate. She\u2019s second on the team in hits and RBIs, and leads the Bucks in runs scored. \u2026 Holy Redeemer might have the toughest Class 2A schedule in the state. The Royals played Valley View, Lake-Lehman twice, Pittston Area, Holy Cross, Notre Dame-Green Pond, Williamsport, Loyalsock and Crestwood. Loyalsock handed both Lake-Lehman and Abington Heights losses. Holy Redeemer senior Zoe Pecuch is one of the top players in the WVC. An all-state selection as a junior, Pecuch leads the Royals with a .477 average and has more than 20 hits. Freshman Ava Thomas is also starting to find her groove in the circle, winning eight of 12 games down the stretch. \u2026 Elk Lake, which saw its run of district championships end last season, hasn\u2019t played Holy Redeemer or Dunmore, but lost to Montrose twice.<\/p>\n
Prediction: It\u2019s hard to pick against Holy Redeemer, and its battle-tested schedule. Dunmore, though, will be a tough out for the Royals. An interest twist is the winner here could face undefeated Northwest Area, a former member of the WVC before moving to District 4, in the opening round of states.<\/p>\n
Class 1A<\/p>\n
Defending champ: Holy Cross.<\/p>\n
Dates: Quarterfinals, May 18; Semifinals, May 20; Finals, May 26.<\/p>\n
Moving on: Only the District 2 champ moves into the state tournament and will play the champion from District 11.<\/p>\n
Tentative seeds (as of Friday): 1. Holy Cross (16-3), 2. Old Forge (14-6), 3. Susquehanna Community (6-12), 4. Forest City (3-13).<\/p>\n
Favorite: Holy Cross.<\/p>\n
Bracket buster: none.<\/p>\n
Breakdown: There are five teams in Class 1A, but MMI Prep forfeited every game, making this a four-team bracket. \u2026 Holy Cross is the favorite here, advancing to the state quarterfinals last season before falling to Claysburg-Kimmel. The only three losses this season came to Mid Valley, one-loss Abington Heights and one-loss Bristol, while sweeping Old Forge in the regular season. A good majority of that team returns, and the Lady Crusaders haven\u2019t missed a beat, winning the Lackawanna League Division II. Joe Ross\u2019 squad has quite the senior punch with Peyton Graboske and Ava Schmidt. Graboske is batting almost .600, leading the team in hits (29) and RBIs (33), blasting eight home runs and recently picking up her 100th career RBI. Schmidt is a dual threat \u2013 a good bat at the plate with more than 100 career hits and 400 strikeouts in the circle. \u2026 Old Forge kept it close with Holy Cross in the team\u2019s first meeting at St. Anthony\u2019s Playground as a run in the bottom of the seventh gave the Lady Crusaders a 6-5 win. The Lady Devils, a senior-laden group that was 10-11 last season, picked up a win over Mid Valley this season, one of only three Spartanette losses. Kate O\u2019Hearn, a Bloomsburg commit, is hitting at .452, while Lilianna Lenceski, who led the team in average as a junior, again leads the team with a .512 batting average. Pitcher Kamryn Notari, a sophomore, is closing in on her 150th career strikeout. \u2026 The other two teams in the bracket, Susquehanna and Forest City, have combined for less than 10 wins. Forest City\u2019s two wins came against Susquehanna.<\/p>\n
Prediction: Holy Cross has the ingredients to make another run in the state bracket. Can Old Forge keep it close like in the first meeting of the year?<\/p>\n
\u2014 TOM FOX<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Class 6A Defending champ: Williamsport. Dates: Quarterfinals, May 19; Semifinals, May 21; Finals, May 27. Moving on: Only…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":147699,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[305,178,180,179,726],"class_list":["post-195027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-scranton","tag-high-school-sports","tag-scranton","tag-scranton-headlines","tag-scranton-news","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195027","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=195027"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195027\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/147699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=195027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=195027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=195027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}