UNIVERSITY PARK — Things were looking good for Blackhawk after two innings of its PIAA Class 4A softball championship game Friday afternoon at Penn State’s Beard Field.
The Cougars collected six hits and had five runs on the board over their first two at-bats.
But defending state champion Valley View, this year’s District 2 titlist, rallied.
Valley View, on the strength of a nine-run fourth inning that saw it collect nine hits, hoisted the winner’s trophy again with a 13-8 victory.
“We talked after we won Monday (8-0 over District 1 champ Pope John Paul II), and we said to have fun this week, and I think the girls did,” Blackhawk coach Jim Riggio said. “We came up (Thursday) night and had a nice dinner and enjoyed the overall experience. I think we played loose. At the end of the day, if you would’ve told me in March that we would be playing for a state championship, I would be, ‘Where do I sign up?’ ”
Valley View, which produced 14 hits in the game, finished its season 24-3.
Behind the pitching of Clemson commit Abbi Call, Valley View came into the game with nine straight shutouts and 59 consecutive scoreless innings. But Blackhawk challenged Call offensively and finished with nine hits.
“The girls had a target on their back this year, and they knew it,” Valley View coach Mia Wascura said. “We talked a lot about it. I am a school counselor at our high school, and we want to manifest the positivity, celebrate the positives and flush out the negatives.
“We had to play at our best and not make any errors. When we do, because this is a game of failure, we stop it there and move forward. We don’t wallow in self pity. The girls got back up after the early adversity and kept playing, and good things happened from there.”
Blackhawk (15-6) played in its first PIAA title game in only the second state-tournament appearance in program history. It made its state-playoff debut last year, losing in the quarterfinals.
Valley View captured its fourth state title in its fifth championship game.
The 13 runs Valley View scored were the most Blackhawk gave up in a game this year. The previous high was in a 10-8 loss to section rival North Catholic in April.
Shortstop Cora Castellani got Valley View on the board in the third with a two-out fielder’s choice groundout.
Then came the fourth.
The first six Valley View batters in the inning collected hits off Blackhawk starter Kylie Prisuta. They all scored.
With two outs, Call, who came in batting .629 with 10 home runs and 36 RBIs, was walked intentionally to load the bases.
Catcher Maggie Hallett then lifted a blooper to right field that fell in when center fielder Addison Ramer and right fielder Ava Elich collided attempting to make the play. All three baserunners scored.
“We decided to walk (Call) and then gave up that little flare that kind of killed the inning,” Riggio said. “I think it was the right decision. But next thing we know, we’re down four or five runs.”
Valley View center fielder Zoie Krupovich and right fielder Ashlan Palickar followed with RBI base hits to cap the big inning.
“There was a lot of game left, and we had to make some adjustments at the plate,” Wascura said. “We had practiced and prepared. I can honestly tell you that we didn’t waver in our thought process of seeing a ball, hitting a ball and swinging at our pitch to hit. We got better approaches, and when one hit, it became infectious.
“These kids battled, and they rallied like I expected. That (nine runs in the fourth) had never happened in any game this year. The resiliency they have showed through in that inning.”
Elich, who got the worst of the collision of the Blackhawk outfielders, was assisted off the field and was on crutches with her left ankle and foot wrapped after the game.
Call gave up just three hits after the second inning. She improved to 18-2 this season. Her seven strikeouts put her at 179 for the season.
“I think we hit (Call) harder than anyone hit her all year, by far,” Riggio said. “She was probably the hardest thrower we had faced all year. But we were resilient and put bats on balls, one through nine. We kept saying, ‘Let’s get people on base and score a couple of runs and see what happens.’ ”
“God bless (Blackhawk),” Wascura said. “Abbi pitched 59 scoreless innings. Blackhawk is such a good team. They are well-coached, respectful and kudos to them for how they played and hit the ball. But I never once wavered in my belief that we would be OK.”
Call helped add insurance in the Valley View sixth with an RBI single. Krupovich then smacked a two-run homer to extend Valley View’s lead.
Senior Addison Ramer and sophomore Lara Selick combined to drive in all eight Blackhawk runs.
Ramer delivered a two-run double in the second, a two-run homer in the sixth and a sacrifice fly to left in the first. Selick had a pair of run-scoring singles in the first and second innings to go along with a sacrifice fly to right in the fourth.
Prisuta and shortstop Brynn Hysong also had two hits for Blackhawk.