Kane’s Grand Slam, Condrad’s Dominance Send Abington Heights to the State Championship Game
By: Justin Bradley | SportzWire | June 8, 2026 | Photo courtesy Justin Focus
The Abington Heights Lady Comets are one win away from state gold.
Behind a timely inside the park grand slam from Eva Kane and a dominant shutout performance from Adrianna Condrad, Abington Heights defeated the Upper Dublin Cardinals, 7-0, in the PIAA Class 5A Semifinals on Monday at Patriots Park in Allentown.
The victory sends the Lady Comets to the PIAA Class 5A Championship Game and continues a remarkable season that has seen Abington Heights establish itself as one of Pennsylvania’s premier softball programs.
The decisive moment came in the second inning.
After Evelyn Henkels delivered an RBI single to open the scoring, Kane stepped to the plate and launched a shot to right field for an inside the park grand slam, turning a one-run lead into a commanding 5-0 advantage. The blast accounted for four of her game-high four RBIs and gave the Lady Comets all the offense they would need.
While Kane provided the fireworks, Condrad controlled the game from start to finish.
The junior left-hander tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits while striking out 14 and walking three. Upper Dublin never advanced a runner across home plate as Condrad repeatedly shut down threats and overpowered Cardinal hitters throughout the afternoon.
Abington Heights added two more runs later in the contest and continued to pressure Upper Dublin on the bases. The Lady Comets stole five bases, with Avary Brister swiping two and contributing a team-leading two hits.
Brister also reached a major milestone during the victory, collecting the 100th hit of her varsity career and adding another memorable achievement to an already historic season for the Lady Comets.
Defensively, Abington Heights was flawless. The Lady Comets committed no errors behind Condrad, while catcher Riley McColligan anchored the defense and handled 14 chances.
Upper Dublin was led offensively by Sarah O’Brien, who collected two of the Cardinals’ three hits. Kyla Garrison battled through seven innings in the circle, striking out nine despite taking the loss.
For Abington Heights, the victory was another example of the balanced formula that has carried the program throughout the postseason, timely hitting, aggressive base-running, elite defense, and a dominant presence in the circle.
Now, the Lady Comets are headed to the biggest stage of the season.
Nina’s Bites Players of the Game
Adrianna Condrad
- Complete-game shutout
- 3 hits allowed, 14 strikeouts
Eva Kane
- Grand Slam & 4 RBI’s
Top Performers
Abington Heights Lady Comets
- Eva Kane: 1-for-3, Grand Slam, 4 RBI, Run Scored
- Adrianna Condrad: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 14 K
- Avary Brister: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 stolen bases, 100th Career Hit
- Evelyn Henkels: 1-for-3, RBI, stolen base
- Ava Venesky: 1-for-2, 2 runs scored, walk
- Riley McColligan: Run scored, walk
Upper Dublin Cardinals
- Sarah O’Brien: 2-for-3
- Paige McKenna: 1-for-3
- Kyla Garrison: 7 IP, 9 strikeouts
- Kate Brannigan: Walk, strong defensive effort at shortstop
What’s Next
Abington Heights advances to the PIAA Class 5A Championship Game and will face the winner of Monday night’s District 7 semifinal between Shaler and Thomas Jefferson.
The Lady Comets are now one victory away from capturing PIAA Class 5A state gold and capping off one of the most successful seasons in program history.
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