Agape Freedom Sports LLC

WRITTEN BY: JERIC YURKANIN

When it rains, it pours.

That was the scene Tuesday late afternoon at the Valley View softball field in Archbald, where the Abington Heights Lady Comets met the Valley View Lady Cougars under gray skies, steady rain, and a cold spring chill that never really went away.

But the weather was not the only thing pouring down.

Abington Heights brought the storm with them.

From the opening innings, the Lady Comets came out swinging like a team sending a message. The rain fell from the sky, but the fireworks came from their bats. Ball after ball was driven hard. Some found the gaps. Some cleared the fence. And by the fifth inning, Abington Heights had built an eight-run lead and showed no signs of cooling off. Abington Heights had four players hit home runs. Adrianna Conrad hit two, while Avary Brister, Avery Venesky, and Eva Kane each hit one.

Dropping Comets on the Lady Cougars.

Valley View tried to answer, but nothing seemed to find safe grass. Every ball the Lady Cougars put in play seemed to get swallowed up by the Abington Heights defense before it could touch the ground. There were no soft landings, no lucky bounces, and no room to breathe.

And in the circle, Adrianna Conrad was throwing lightning bolts.

The Lady Cougars struggled to catch up to her rhythm, her command, and her power. Conrad controlled the game, kept Valley View off balance, and gave Abington Heights the kind of dominant performance championship teams need this time of year.

Then came one of the biggest swings of the night.

Avary Brister stepped in and launched a grand slam, adding another thunderclap to an already stormy afternoon. In my opinion, Brister is one of the top softball players in District 2, and she has gone unnoticed by too many people. College programs better start paying attention before someone else does, because she is the real deal.

By the end, it was not just raining at Valley View.

It was raining Comets.

Abington Heights rolled to a 12-0 mercy-rule win in six innings, handing Valley View one of its toughest losses in recent years. For the Lady Comets, this was more than just another regular-season win. It was a statement.

The playoffs are coming. A District 2 title is in sight. A state run is the dream.

But championship roads are not built in one night. They are built one inning, one pitch, one swing, and one game at a time.

And on Tuesday, in the rain and cold, Abington Heights looked like a team ready for that road.

But here is how it all started and ended:

Top 1st — Abington at bat:

Eva Kane pops out to second baseman Navaeh Evans. One out. Adrianna Conrad homers on a fly ball to right field.

Abington 1, Valley View 0

“I think Adrianna getting a home run in the first inning and getting us on the board early gave us a boost of confidence and tons of energy in the dugout. We just tried to collect hits every inning to keep our energy going, and the spark came alive early. We continued to gather hits all game long,” said Abington’s Avery Venesky.

Avary Brister pops out to third baseman Ella Swingle. Two outs. Isabella DeRiggi strikes out swinging. Three outs.

Bottom 1st — Valley View at bat:

Ella Swingle grounds out, shortstop Isabella DeRiggi to first baseman Evelyn Henkels. One out. Cora Castellani pops out to first baseman Henkels. Abbi Call is hit by pitch. Gibbs grounds into a fielder’s choice, second baseman Eva Kane to shortstop DeRiggi. Call out advancing to second. Three outs.

Top 2nd: Abington at Bat:

Brianna Bustos grounds out to first baseman Abbi Call. One out. Riley McColligan grounds out, second baseman Evans to first baseman Call. Two outs. Evelyn Henkels walks. Ella Long strikes out swinging. Three outs.

Bottom 2nd — Valley View at bat:

Zoie Krupovich grounds out to first baseman Henkels. One out. Ashlan Palickar pops out to first baseman Henkels. Two outs. Coral Kelly strikes out looking. Three outs.

Top 3rd — Abington at bat:

Avery Venesky walks. Eva Kane singles on a line drive to left fielder Mady Minelli. Kane advances to second on the throw. Venesky advances to third. Adrianna Conrad walks. Venesky remains at third. Kane remains at second. Avary Brister homers on a line drive to center field.

Venesky scores. Kane scores. O’Malley scores.

Grand slam!!!!!

Abington 5, Valley View 0

“Having a player like Avary Brister is honestly a one-in-a-million thing. I’ve played with and against some of the top girls in the country, and she is right there with anyone. I would take Avary in any situation and know she will get it done,” said Adrianna Conrad.

“After having two strikes on me, I knew anything close, I had to drive it wherever it was given. I got the perfect pitch down the middle, and I drove it right to center. It felt great off the bat. I love being able to help my team score after the girls in front of me worked hard to get on base,” said Abington’s Avary Brister.

She added, “The key to my approach is to wait for a pitch that I know I can drive. I can’t chase anything that isn’t perfect, especially with less than two strikes. Every time I step into the box, I block everything out and remember that I have a lot of great girls behind me, and I just have fun and play the game I know I can play.”

Avary continued, “My teammates give me so much confidence and motivation in big moments like this. Just knowing they always have my back, whether I perform in that moment or not, means they will support me either way. My team is full of amazing girls, and I know someone will always back me up and step up even if I can’t.”

Next, Isabella DeRiggi is hit by pitch. Brianna Bustos hits a pop fly and reaches on an error by second baseman Evans. DeRiggi advances to second. Riley McColligan walks. DeRiggi advances to third. Bustos advances to second. Henkels lines out to left fielder Minelli. DeRiggi remains at third. Bustos remains at second. McColligan remains at first. One out. Long strikes out looking. DeRiggi remains at third. Bustos remains at second. McColligan remains at first. Two outs. Venesky pops out to first baseman Call. Three outs.

Bottom 3rd — Valley View at bat:

Minelli walks. Evans flies out to right fielder Avery Venesky. Minelli remains at first. One out. Ella Swingle lines out to left fielder Avary Brister. Minelli remains at first. Two outs. Cora Castellani strikes out swinging. Three outs.

Top 4th – Abington at Bat:

Eva Kane walks. Conrad homers on a line drive to center field. Kane scores.

Abington 7, Valley View 0

Brister singles on a line drive to left fielder. DeRiggi singles on a line drive to right fielder. Brister scores.

Abington 8, Valley View 0

Bustos grounds out to first baseman Call. One out. DeRiggi advances to second. McColligan walks. DeRiggi remains at second. Henkels strikes out swinging. Two outs. DeRiggi remains at second. McColligan remains at first. Riley Duggan strikes out swinging. Three outs.

Bottom 4th Valley View at Bat:

Liv Lemoncelli grounds out, second baseman Kane to first baseman Henkels. One out. Lucy Gibbs strikes out swinging. Two outs. Krupovich strikes out swinging. Three outs.

Top 5th — Abington at bat:

Adamsky strikes out swinging. One out. Kane homers on a line drive to left field.

“I go up with the mindset that I need to get on base.  I’ll take a walk if it’s there because I have great hitters after me, but if I get a pitch in the zone that I can drive I’m on it. I’ve been a little more aggressive lately and it’s really working for me.” Said Abingtons Eva Kane.

Abington 9, Valley View 0

Conrad grounds out, pitcher Lemoncelli to first baseman Evans. Two outs. Brister singles on a line drive to center fielder Krupovich. DeRiggi strikes out swinging. Three outs.

Bottom 5th — Valley View at bat:

Palickar strikes out looking. One out. Kelly grounds out to first baseman Henkels. Two outs. Minelli pops out to center fielder Bustos. Three outs.

Top 6- Abington at Bat:

Bustos strikes out looking. One out. McColligan hits a hard ground ball and reaches on an error by third baseman Swingle. O’Malley doubles on a line drive to center fielder Krupovich. McColligan advances to third. Long strikes out looking, Lemoncelli pitching. McColligan remains at third. O’Malley remains at second. Two outs. Venesky homers on a line drive to center field. McColligan scores. O’Malley scores.

“For my home run, I was just looking to put the ball into play, and the second the ball came off my bat, I knew it was gone. The energy from our team’s parents, my teammates, and my coaches just added to the moment. Especially being a senior and getting to have that experience with my teammates is so special. I couldn’t ask for a better group of girls to do it with,” said Avery Venesky.

Abington 12, Valley View 0

Kane hits a hard ground ball and reaches on an error by third baseman Swingle. Conrad strikes out swinging. Three outs.

Bottom 6th — Valley View at bat:

Evans pops out to shortstop Riff. One out. Swingle grounds out, second baseman Kane to first baseman Duggan. Two outs. Castellani strikes out swinging. Three outs.

That’s ball game.

Storm ended.

Final: Abington 12, Valley View 0

“We knew coming into this game that Valley View is not a pushover team by any means. They put up two great games against North Pocono this season, and even though our game today ended up being a high-scoring game for us, at the end of the day, they are still a great team. We knew we just had to go in confident, with tons of energy, and get on base any way we could. And that’s exactly what we did,” said Abington’s Avery Venesky.

Abington Heights delivered a complete, overpowering performance from start to finish, rolling to a 12-0 victory behind dominance both at the plate and in the circle. Adrianna Conrad was the centerpiece of it all, firing a no-hitter across six shutout innings while striking out six and allowing just one baserunner.

“Honestly, my movement was off for most of the game tonight. But that’s why I love my team. They were so on point tonight. There were no errors, and they recorded 12 outs, which I couldn’t be prouder of. My team really killed it tonight,” said Abington pitcher Adrianna Conrad.

She added, “It was such a confidence booster for us just seeing our lineup really explode tonight. It’s really preparing us to be ready for the playoffs coming up soon.”

Adrianna continued, “The tone was everything. Scoring first made it easy to carry some positive energy onto the field.”

Her teammate Avary Brister loves having Adrianna on their team:

“I love playing with Adrianna because she is so great both on and off the field. On the field, she is a threat in all aspects. Whether it’s hitting or pitching, she does it all and continues to amaze me. Off the field, she is always cheering for everyone and being a huge supporter and leader for everyone to look up to. She is a great teammate, and I feel so lucky to be paired with her in the lineup,” said Brister.

Adrianna’s head coach, John Kelly, appreciated a player like Adrianna as well:

“Adrianna has always been a good hitter. She’s started every game since her freshman season. Her approach at the plate is very similar to her pitching. She knows the umpire’s zone, and she attacks it. Her approach is to swing at strikes. She seldom swings at balls out of the zone, which all good hitters do — attack the zone. If you do that and you have talent to hit, you’re very dangerous at the plate. Again, on the mound, she knows the umpire’s zone and attacks the strike zone. She uses all her pitches and can throw them in any count for strikes. She also studies hitters, and she knows what they like to hit. She watches previous games and how the other team approaches hitting. She’s a student of the game,” said Kelly.

She backed it up offensively with a monster night, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs, totaling eight bases. The Comets’ lineup was relentless up and down, led by Avary Brister’s 3-for-4 performance that included a grand slam and four RBIs, while also swiping a base. Eva Kane added another spark at the top, going 2-for-4 with three runs scored and five total bases, and Avery Venesky chipped in with a home run and three RBIs of her own. As a team, Abington piled up 10 hits, 12 runs, and worked six walks, constantly applying pressure and capitalizing on opportunities every inning.

For Valley View, it was a tough night against one of the area’s top teams, as the Cougars were held hitless and managed just one baserunner in the game. Abington’s defense backed Conrad’s no-hit effort cleanly, while Valley View struggled to generate any offensive rhythm, striking out six times and unable to string together contact. Defensively, the Cougars battled through adversity but were hurt by five errors that extended innings and allowed the Comets to break things open. In the circle, Grace Munley battled through 4.1 innings with six strikeouts but ran into a powerful Abington lineup that produced nine runs, eight earned, while Liv Lemoncelli provided relief and showed flashes with four strikeouts over 1.2 innings. Despite the final score, Valley View will look to regroup and clean up the defensive miscues as they push forward toward the postseason.

“Winning today’s game will add so much more confidence to this team as a whole, especially since Valley View holds the state championship title and has so many strong players on their team. It adds to our confidence level. Moving into the playoffs, we know we can’t underestimate any team we play. We are going to continue to go out and perform, work hard at practice, and all of our hard work will continue to show on the softball field,” said Avery Venesky.

Abington Heights head coach John Kelly added more:

“Offensively, the team works hard every day at practice. We know how teams like to pitch us, so we spend time working on how to attack the way they are going to pitch us. They work hard and listen, wanting to produce for each other. They know the zone and are patient, waiting for pitches they can handle. They’re disciplined at the plate. When you swing at good pitches, positive things happen.”

He continued, “It’s always important to play good defense in big games. They work hard at practice. They know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. They help each other daily when fielding at practice. They work on getting better every day. We say, ‘Work hard at practice. Make mistakes here and learn from them.’ Know your range and the players around you. Know everyone’s arm strength and be in good position to take throws, especially cuts from the outfield. Playing good defense is taking many quality reps every day at practice. Little things win big games.”

He added: “Whenever you face a quality team like Valley View, who is well-coached and has really good athleticism, you have to be at your best. Make all the routine plays. Don’t give them extra outs on defense. On offense, be aggressive and smart. There is no secret to success. Work hard every day. Your mindset should be that someone out there is outworking me. Repeating the same thing over and over with quality reps makes you successful. Some people say being good is boring because you repeat the same thing over and over, but the good ones and good teams know that’s what it takes. The team’s mentality is team first. They work hard for each other, pick each other up when someone is struggling, and don’t care who gets credit. They’re a true team. They pull for each other every day. The mindset is team first.”

Eva Kane praised her team for cheering each other on in every at-bat.

“Our energy stayed up all game. We knew we were playing a great team, and we needed to stay loud and cheer for each other every at-bat. The top of our lineup has really been strong, but every game, someone else steps up in our lineup too. Today, Avery Venesky hit her first home run. It was a great moment and gave us the 12-0 lead. Adge had an outstanding performance on the mound against a really good team,” said Kane.

And when the final out was made, the rain was still falling in Archbald.

But the storm on the field had already passed through.

It came wearing Abington Heights colors.

It came with power bats, clean defense, a no-hitter in the circle, and a lineup that looked dangerous from top to bottom. This was not just a win over a strong Valley View program. This was the kind of late-season performance that makes the rest of the district look up and take notice.

Because when April turns toward May, every game starts to carry a little more weight. Every inning feels bigger. Every mistake gets louder. Every swing can tell you something about who is ready for the postseason stage.

And Tuesday night, through the rain, the cold, and the gray sky over Valley View, Abington Heights looked ready.

The Lady Comets did not just play through the storm.

They became the storm.

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