Agape Freedom Sports Media LLC

WRITTEN BY: JERIC YURKANIN

WILLIAMSPORT PA:

The Valley All-Stars, a combined team of Mid Valley and Valley View 8-, 9-, and 10-year-olds, found their way back into the win column Thursday morning.

After suffering a tough loss in the opening round of the Pennsylvania State Tournament in Williamsport the day before, there was only one question hanging over the field: How would they respond?

The answer came quickly.

They responded like a championship-caliber team.

From the very first pitch, it was obvious this wasn’t a team carrying yesterday’s disappointment. They looked confident, energized, and determined to prove they belonged on the state stage. By the end of the morning, they had done exactly that with a dominant 10-0 victory, another shutout, and another no-hitter.

Pitchers Nora Piercy and Grace Eboli were simply electric.

They weren’t just throwing softballs across the plate—they were firing lightning bolts. Every fastball seemed to explode through the strike zone, leaving hitters frozen or swinging at air. The duo combined to overpower the lineup from start to finish, reminding everyone why this Valley team has been one of the toughest groups to face all summer.

The game started exactly the way Piercy likes it.

Three batters stepped into the box.

Three batters walked back to the dugout.

Blake S. struck out swinging. Grace C. struck out swinging. Nora L. struck out looking.

Three up. Three down.

Three lightning bolts.

The Valley offense wasted no time backing its ace.

Eliza Iyoob ripped a line-drive single to get things started before Piercy worked a walk. 

Although Grace Eboli popped out to shortstop, the pressure never stopped. A passed ball allowed Iyoob to race home while Piercy advanced to third. Moments later, Liliana Smargiassi grounded out to the pitcher, bringing Piercy home for a quick 2-0 Valley lead.

The next inning?

Same game.

Same story.

More lightning.

Samantha M. struck out swinging. Emmalin S. struck out swinging. Olivia E. struck out swinging.

Another three-up, three-down inning.

No hits.

Just Piercy doing what she does best—stacking strikeouts one batter at a time.

The Valley added another run in the bottom of the second.

Emma Fredericks grounded out to the pitcher before Mackenzie Thomas reached on a walk. Thomas immediately went to work on the bases, stealing second and then third before Tiara Krupovitch lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Thomas to sprint home and extend the lead to 3-0.

The defense continued to shine in the third inning as Piercy stayed in complete control. Claire K. struck out swinging, Alicia A. struck out looking, Madison K. reached on a walk, and Ivy struck out looking to end yet another scoreless frame.

The Valley offense was held in check in the bottom half of the inning as the LYA District All-Stars turned in one of their best defensive innings. Madelyn Matthews popped out to first, Aubrey Altier lined out to second, and Brielle Dixon struck out swinging.

Then Grace Eboli took over in the circle.

If Piercy brought the lightning, Eboli brought the thunder.

Sloane M., Findlay W., and Blake S. all struck out swinging as Eboli slammed the door shut. Three more batters. Three more strikeouts. The no-hitter was still alive, and you could feel the momentum building in Valley’s dugout.

Then came the storm.

In the bottom of the fourth, Eliza Iyoob walked and immediately turned into a blur on the bases. She stole second, advanced to third on an error, and moments later crossed the plate on the same miscue to make it 4-0.

Eboli then showed the crowd she can do much more than dominate in the circle.

She crushed a fly ball to center field and never stopped running, circling the bases for an inside-the-park home run. Piercy scored ahead of her as the Valley lead suddenly ballooned to 6-0.

The offense kept pouring it on.

Liliana Smargiassi singled. Adaline Owens followed with a single. Emma Fredericks then ripped a hit and aggressively took second base, driving home Smargiassi in the process. With her father serving as one of the assistant coaches—and a police officer—you could say she pulled off the perfect getaway. No one was catching her as Valley stretched the lead to 7-0.

Mackenzie Thomas followed with an RBI single, scoring Owens to make it 8-0.

Then Tiara Krupovitch stepped into the spotlight.

Following in the footsteps of her older sister, Zoie Krupovitch—a two-time PIAA Class 4A state champion at Valley View who is headed to Bryant University to play Division I softball this fall—Tiara lined a single into left field. Fredericks scored, Thomas moved to second, and Valley wasn’t finished yet.

After Ariana L. struck out, Madelyn Matthews delivered a fly-ball single and advanced to second on an error. Thomas scored on the play before Tiara was tagged out trying to score.

The damage, however, had already been done.

Mercy rule.

Ballgame.

Valley 10, LYA District All-Stars 0.

“Our players are resilient. They fought hard in the opening game but came up just short against a Bullskin team that was solid top to bottom. Their immediate focus on the next game, after yesterday’s loss, impressed me the most. They locked in and it was a great team effort.” Said Valley Head Coach, Jonathon Eboli 

One day after a heartbreaking loss, the Valley All-Stars answered in the best way possible—with dominant pitching, timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and the kind of performance that reminded everyone they absolutely belong on the state’s biggest stage.

The Valley finished with eight hits, played flawless defense without committing an error, and swiped six bases in a complete team effort. Grace Eboli led the offense with an inside-the-park home run and two RBIs, while Tiara Krupovitch also drove in two runs. Emma Fredericks doubled and knocked in a run, while Liliana Smargiassi, Mackenzie Thomas, Madelyn Matthews, Eliza Iyoob, Adaline Owens, and Tiara Krupovitch each collected a hit. Mackenzie Thomas continued to wreak havoc on the bases with three stolen bases, while Eliza Iyoob, Nora Piercy, and Tiara Krupovitch each added a steal..

The story of the morning, however, belonged inside the circle. Nora Piercy was nearly untouchable, tossing three no-hit innings, allowing just one walk while striking out nine of the 10 batters she faced. Grace Eboli came on in relief and slammed the door shut, firing one perfect inning, striking out all three batters she faced to complete the combined four-inning no-hitter. Together, the duo struck out 12 of the 13 hitters they faced. 

“Nora and Grace combined for a gem today.  We are very proud of their work ethic all year.  Nora set the tone early by throwing strikes and Grace continued with the same effort. The coaches prepared a great gameplan and the girls executed it. We were set to go 6 innings if needed, but the offense provided the spark to end it in 4. They are ready to go tomorrow.”Said Valley Head Coach, Jonathon Eboli 

Jonathan continued: “We want to see our team stay fundamentally sound and aggressive.  We play our best when we throw strikes, put the ball in play and do the little things right. This has been an amazing experience playing at the state tournament level and we are appreciative of the Carbino Club and Mid Valley Little Leagues for all the support.  We’ve received an outpouring of support from the Mid Valley and Valley View communities and we’re thankful for it.”

For the LYA District All-Stars, starting pitcher Nora L. battled through 3⅔ innings, allowing seven hits, seven runs (six earned) while striking out two. Olivia E. finished the game in relief, surrendering one hit and three runs. After yesterday’s disappointment, the Valley All-Stars didn’t just bounce back—they sent a message to the rest of the state tournament that they’re far from finished.

As the final out settled into a Valley glove, the celebration began. Smiles spread across the faces of players, coaches, and families who had made the trip to South Williamsport. Less than 24 hours after a difficult opening-round loss, these young girls showed exactly what sports are all about—resilience.

They didn’t dwell on yesterday. They responded with confidence, energy, and one of their most complete performances of the summer. Sometimes the best teams aren’t defined by how they handle victory, but by how they answer adversity.

Valley now moves forward in the Pennsylvania State Tournament with renewed confidence and momentum.

If Thursday morning was any indication, this team has the pitching, defense, speed, and timely hitting to compete with anyone left in the field. Led by the lightning in the circle from Nora Piercy and Grace Eboli, an offense that produced 10 runs on eight hits, and a defense that never committed an error, the Valley All-Stars reminded everyone watching that they’re still very much alive.

The road through Williamsport isn’t over yet—and after this statement win, no team will be looking forward to seeing Valley in the opposite dugout.

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