Hannah James hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning Thursday to lift Tunkhannock to a 3-2 victory, expanding the Lady Tigers’ Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 softball lead and ending a 28-game winning streak by visiting Pittston Area.
The game matched state contenders and the top two Big Schools in the Riverfront Sports Super Six Softball Power Rankings of District 2 teams.
No. 2 Tunkhannock, a state Class 4A finalist each of the past two seasons, improved to 4-0 in the division and 6-0 overall.
Defending state Class 5A champion Pittston Area, the top-ranked team in the Super Six, fell to 2-1 and 3-1.
Kaya Hannon led the way for the Lady Tigers, tossing a four-hitter while being the only player in the game with two hits. She struck out nine without walking a batter and was 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Hannon led off the bottom of the first with a single through the right side and scored on Gabby Wood’s RBI double.
Pittston Area went ahead 2-1 in the top of the fourth inning, which started on a Kallie Booth single. Ava Callahan’s RBI single to center field drove in the second run of the inning to put the Lady Patriots in front.
McKenzie Hannon led off the bottom of the fifth with a walk and scored on the James home run.
Pittston Area’s only extra-base hit came when Bella Giardina led off the seventh with a double.
The Lady Patriots had runners on the corners with one out before Hannon got her last strikeout and second baseman Ella McNeff snagged a game-ending line drive.
