Pictured above: Tunkhannock’s Ella McNeff in a file photo from the previous meeting with Pittston Area. (Tim Drewes Photo)
Kaya Hannon struck out 12 in a four-hitter while Ella McNeff had three hits, including the game’s biggest, Sunday afternoon when Tunkhannock captured the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 softball title with a 4-1 victory over Pittston Area.
The game, which was played at Lake-Lehman, became necessary when the two 2022 state finalists split their regular-season meetings and beat everyone else twice to finish 11-1 in the division. On the day when the District 2 playoff pairings became official, the Lady Tigers and Lady Patriots decided the only regular-season division race that ended in a tie.
Hannon carried a two-hit shutout into the bottom of the seventh.
Tunkhannock struck first in the top of the first inning. The Lady Tigers combined a Pittston Area infield error, two walks and aggressive base-running into two runs.
The score remained at 2-0 until the seventh inning.
Kallie Booth and Ava Callahan singled in the bottom of the first inning.
Faced with runners on the corners and two out, Hannon got an inning-ending strikeout, starting a streak of 16 straight batters she retired. Half of those outs came on strikeouts.
Pittston Area’s Gianna Adams, who did not allow an earned run until the seventh, struck out 18.
Adams struck out the side in order in the second, then fanned the last two batters in each inning the rest of the way.
The Lady Tigers gave Hannon some breathing room before the bottom of the seventh.
Emily Patton and McKenzie Hannon started the top of the inning with consecutive singles. It was the second hit of the game for McKenzie Hannon.
McNeff, who also doubled for the game’s only other extra-base hit, tripled to center field with one out to drive in two runs.
Adams and Callahan started the bottom of the seventh with two straight singles.
Courtesy runner Natalya Soto went from first to third on Callahan’s second hit of the game and scored on a fielder’s choice.
Hannon ended the game with her final two strikeouts.
Both teams enter the postseason as defending champions and top seeds.
Tunkhannock (19-1) hosts Nanticoke in a District 2 Class 4A quarterfinal Tuesday.
Pittston Area (15-3) has a bye into the District 2-4 Class 5A Subregional semifinal, which it will host Wednesday.
