Hope Jones threw a two-hit shutout Tuesday when Tunkhannock defeated Dallas, 3-0, in a District 2 Class 4A softball semifinal hortened to 5 ½ innings because of rain.
The win sent Tunkhannock into Thursday’s championship game against Wyoming Area and also qualified the Lady Tigers for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 4A state tournament.
Jones walked four and struck out seven.
Tunkhannock scored one run in the bottom of the second and two in the fourth.
Kendra Schultz went 2-for-2, scored one run and drove in another.
Sarah Traver and Hailey Farr also had hits and RBI while Faith Jones and Jenna Simmons had hits and scored runs.
Mia Dixon and Peyton Ross had the Dallas hits.
Dallas took the field for the bottom of the sixth inning, but was called back to the dugout because of rain. The game could not be resumed.
While Tunkhannock moves into state play, Dallas used a pair of playoff wins to establish hope for improvement in the future.
“We beat Valley View, which we haven’t been able to do in a few years,” Dallas coach Joyce Tinner said. “Overall, I’m pleased. We only lose one senior in Maddie (Kelley).
“We have everyone else returning and we have some good new kids coming up next year, so it will be good competition, which makes everyone better.”
May 30
SOFTBALL
Holy Redeemer 2
Lake-Lehman 0
The unbeaten, two-time defending state champion Royals used a pair of fourth-inning runs to fight through a challenge from Lake-Lehman in the District 2 Class 3A semifinals.
Both finalists, Holy Redeemer and Mid Valley, advance to the state tournament.
Morgan Bienkowski doubled and Brittany Hebda singled in the bottom of the fourth to get the Royals started. Abby Shorts broke the scoreless tie by bunting in a run. Taylor Josefowicz drove in the other on a sacrifice fly.
Corinna Scoblick had two hits and Chloe VanGorder one for Lake-Lehman.
May 27
SOFTBALL
Tunkhannock 3
Scranton Prep 0
Hope Jones and Kendra Schultz combined on a two-hit shutout to get the host Lady Tigers through the District 2 Class 4A quarterfinals.
Tunkhannock scored three times in the first inning with Paige Mokychic driving in two runs while Faith Jones drove in the other and scored one.
Hope Jones got the win, working 5 1/3 innings and giving up two hits while striking out eight and walking just one. Schultz got the last five outs for the save, striking out three without allowing a hit or walk.
May 26
SOFTBALL
Dallas 5
Valley View 1
Maddie Kelley scored twice and limited Valley View to one run as the seventh-seeded Mountaineers knocked the second-seeded Cougars out in the District 2 Class 4A quarterfinals.
Kelley pitched a three-hitter with two walks and five strikeouts. She went 2-for-4 with a double.
The Mountaineers went ahead to stay with two runs in the top of the first.
Kelley led off with a double to left center and eventually scored on a Kendra Saba single. Saba stole second and scored on a Sam Kern single to center.
Valley View closed within a run in the bottom of the first, but Kelley shut out the Cougars the rest of the way.
Dallas added two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh.
Mia Dixon started the sixth with a single. Gianna Spaciano doubled to right. Kern picked up her second RBI with a sacrifice fly.
Peyton Ross, who finished 2-for-4 with a double, singled to put runners on the corners. Christina Schuppert then singled to drive in Spaciano.
Kelley singled to start the seventh, took second on a Saba bunt and scored on a Mia Dixon single.
Lake-Lehman 8
Hanover Area 1
Abbey Hogan threw a three-hitter when fourth-seeded Lake-Lehman handled fifth-seeded Hanover Area in a District 2 Class 3A quarterfinal.
Hogan struck out three and did not walk a batter while also going 2-for-4 at the plate and scoring a run.
Hunter Kline went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs to lead an offense that broke open a 2-1 game by scoring twice in the bottom of the fifth and four times in the bottom of the sixth.
Chloe Van Gorder, Corrina Scoblick and Savannah Purdy all had two hits and drove in a run. Van Gorder doubled twice and scored twice.
Amy Supey also had two hits and scored a run.
Cassie Konopki hit a home run.
