You buy a dozen eggs at the market. While taking them from your vehicle to your residence you drop the bag containing the eggs. As you react by pivoting from anger to apprehension and back, you open the carton to find one unbroken egg.

A metaphor for Lancaster-Lebanon League softball, which opened the 2026 District 3 playoffs with 12 teams competing across four classifications. Now, 12 days later, one team remains alive: Northern Lebanon.

The Vikings (20-5) are experiencing déjà vu all over again. After falling to Kennard-Dale in the District 3 Class 4A championship game for the second straight year, Northern Lebanon opens the PIAA tournament against Valley View. For the second straight year.

Looking to reverse last year’s result, the Vikings travel north of Wilkes-Barre to Archbald to face the defending Class 4A state champion Cougars Monday at 4 p.m.

On the road to last year’s state title, Valley View beat the Vikings 1-0 in the first round.

Once again, it will not be an easy task for Northern Lebanon.

Valley View (20-3) won its fourth straight District 2 title with a 1-0 victory over Tunkhannock.

Playing the Washington Generals to Valley View’s Harlem Globetrotters, Tunkhannock has played in — and lost — the last four title games to the Cougars.

Two of the Cougars’ three losses this year are to District 2 Class 5A champion Abington Heights (6-0 and 12-0).

Senior pitcher Abbi Call’s solo home run in the sixth inning, her team-high eighth homer of the season, was the only run in the victory over Tunkhannock.

Call, a Clemson recruit, leads the team in average (.654), RBIs (32) and hits (34).

Zoie Krupovich (.408 average, 30 hits, 24 RBIs, five homers) and Ella Swingle (.378, 28 hits, 31 runs, team-high four triples) are the top three bats for the Cougars, who hit .367 as a team.

Call also gets the call in the circle. She fashioned a 2.10 ERA this season while going 14-2. She has 135 strikeouts against 40 walks, holding opposing batters to a .143 average in 86.2 innings.

Backing Call in the circle has been sophomore Grace Munley (6-1, 2.85 ERA, 51.2 IP, 68 strikeouts, 25 walks).

In last year’s state tournament opener, Call held the Vikings to two hits: singles by Addison Kubica and the since-graduated Olivia Shutter. She struck out six and didn’t issue a walk,

Shutter was nearly as stingy in the circle, allowing three hits. One was the difference-maker: Taylor Cawley’s sixth-inning solo home run. Shutter walked three and struck out six.

Steph Palkovic leads the Vikings with a .415 average, 32 RBIs and eight doubles. Addison Hollenbach (.389, 22 RBIs, six doubles), Sophia Roye (.368, 21 RBIs), Ryleigh Hopkins (.356, 24 RBIs), Alyssa Shirey (.352, 22 RBIs, five doubles) and Kubica (.349, 24 RBIs, six doubles) are the top sticks for the Vikings.

With Shutter’s graduation, Hollenbach took over in the circle for her senior season, going 11-5 with a 2.16 ERA. She’s walked 33 while striking out 127 in 100.1 innings.

Spelling Hollenbach, and prepping for her elevation to staff ace, Roye was 7-0 with a 2.10 ERA as a freshman, walking 22 while striking out 60 in 46.2 innings.


Two L-L baseball teams win District 3 gold; crowning PIAA track and field champs [L-L Sports Podcast]

All of the spring sports playoffs are in full swing, and we’re here to talk about it.

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