Audrina Fry, Williams Valley softball. (Photo by Bob Lipsky)

BLOOMSBURG — Abby Lorson led a 10-hit attack with a double and a home run to power South Williamsport past Williams Valley 9-5 on Monday in a PIAA Class AA softball semifinal at Central Columbia Elementary School.

With the win, the District 4 champion Mounties (18-5) return to the state championship game for the second straight season. They will meet District 7 champion Neshannock (25-0), which routed District 7 runner-up Chartiers-Houston 12-1 in five innings in the other semifinal. They will play for state gold at 11 a.m. Thursday at Penn State’s Nittany Lion Softball Park.

Neshannock topped South Williamsport 12-2 in last year’s Class AA state final.

For Williams Valley (23-3), Audrina Fry hit a three-run home run, while Quin Smeltz smacked a two-run double. Delaney Bixler added a 2-for-3 day at the plate for the Vikings.

South Williamsport broke a scoreless tie by plating five runs in the bottom of the third inning. Abby Lorson finished the day 2-for-3 with four RBIs.

Catcher Lily Reidy added a 2-for-3 day that included a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs. Sage Lorson added a single, two runs and two RBIs for the Mounties. Winning pitcher Alizabeth Schuler went 2-for-4 with two runs and one RBI for South Williamsport.

Williams Valley cut the deficit to 5-3 on Fry’s three-run blast off the scoreboard in the fourth inning and tied the game 5-5 on Quin Smeltz’s two-run double in the fifth.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, South Williamsport responded with four runs to go ahead to stay. Reidy and Abby Lorson each hit a two-run home run in the outburst.

Sage Smeltz went 4.1 innings in the circle for the Vikings, allowing nine runs on nine hits. She walked three and struck out one. Olivia Hand came on in relief and tossed 1.2 innings of scoreless softball.

The game marked the end of the high school careers of Sage Smeltz, Kayla Hand, Jasmine Hechler, Miley Mahoney, Ally Underkoffler and Fry.

Over the past two seasons, Williams Valley has posted a 42-9 record with two District 11 Class AA championships. They’ve gone 3-2 in the state tournament over that span, reaching the PIAA quarterfinals in 2024 and the semifinals this season.

Game Summary

PIAA Class AA Semifinal

At Central Columbia Elementary

WILLIAMS VALLEY (5) — Kobularik ss 3 1 1 0, K. Hand cf 4 1 1 0, S. Smeltz p-1b 3 0 1 0, Q. Smeltz c 3 1 1 2, Fry 1b-3b 3 1 1 3, O. Hand 3b-p 3 0 0 0, Underkoffler dp 3 0 0 0, Brill 2b 3 0 0 0, Bixler rf 3 0 2 0, Mahoney lf 0 0 0 0, Hechler cr 0 1 0 0. Totals 28 5 7 5.

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT (9) — Goodman ss 3 0 0 0, Hills cf 4 0 0 0, Schuler p 4 2 2 1, Reidy c 3 2 2 2, Cardone 3b 2 1 1 0, S. Lorson rf 2 2 1 2, A. Lorson 1b 3 1 2 4, Pinkerton lf 3 0 1 0, Holtzapple dp 3 1 1 0. Totals 27 9 10 9.

WV (23-3)                000      320   0 — 5

SW (18-5)              005      040   x — 9

E — Williams Valley 0, South Williamsport 1

LOB — Williams Valley 3, South Williamsport 4

2B — Q. Smeltz, A. Lorson

HR — Fry, Reidy, A. Lorson

SAC — Kobularik, Goodman

Williams Valley

                                       IP     H      R       ER    BB    K

S.Smeltz L,15-2       4.1     9       9       9        3       1

O.Hand                    1.2     1        0       0       0       0

South Williamsport

                  IP     H      R       ER    BB    K

Schuler W           7       7       5         4       0       5

WP — Schuler.