Valley View Edges North Pocono to Claim Section 5 Title, Punch Ticket to States
By: Justin Bradley | Sportzwire | July 4, 2025 | Photo courtesy Justin Focus Photography
ASHLEY, Pa. — In a classic Fourth of July showdown between two powerhouse programs, Valley View (Carbino Club/Archbald) outlasted North Pocono DandyLion, 3-1, in the Section 5 Majors Division softball championship Thursday afternoon at Bobby Strish Field.
With the win, Valley View advances to the Pennsylvania state tournament, hosted in Nanticoke.
Both squads brought top-tier pitching and defense to the championship stage, but it was Valley View’s timely hitting in the later innings that proved the difference.
Alana Lopuhovsky and Serena Lesh went toe-to-toe in a brilliant pitcher’s duel. Lopuhovsky earned the win for Valley View, scattering four hits and one run over six innings while striking out 10 and walking two. Lesh was equally impressive in the circle for North Pocono, striking out 10 of her own and allowing just five hits and three runs in a complete-game effort.
The score remained knotted through two innings until Valley View struck first in the top of the third. Kali Mercatili laced a double into the outfield to drive in the game’s first run and give Valley View a 1-0 lead.
North Pocono responded in the bottom of the fourth. McKinley Washko drove in the tying run with a sharp single down the left field line, making it 1-1 and keeping the pressure on.
In the fifth, Valley View broke the deadlock. Paislee Vangarelli delivered a go-ahead RBI single, and Kiley Burke followed with a crucial triple that extended the lead to 3-1.
Burke finished 2-for-2 to lead Valley View offensively, while Mercatili and Vangarelli each drove in a run during the team’s three-run push.
North Pocono kept fighting, getting hits from Washko, Lesh, Molly Loringer, and Payton Schmidt, but Valley View’s defense held strong — including a critical double play that erased a late-inning threat.
North Pocono also flashed leather, turning a double play of their own in the early innings to stall Valley View’s momentum.
With the victory, Valley View captures the Section 5 crown and moves on to represent the region at the Pennsylvania Majors state tournament in Nanticoke, where the road to a Little League state title officially begins.
