The softball team played four games in four days, faced a bit of adversity but still came away with two wins. They improved to 5-5 in Section Two, falling in behind L-S (10-0) and Elizabethtown (7-3), and are 6-5 overall.
The Mares opened their marathon week in Neffsville on Monday, battling not only the Blue Streaks of Manheim Township (tied for second place in Section One) but gale force winds as well.
Down just 2-1 after 5.5 innings, the wheels began to fall as Township rallied for eight runs, including a grand slam, and went on to win 10-4.
"Well, Sierra (Dean) had some shoulder issues and had to leave the game," explained head coach Brett Miller. "So Skyla (Townsley) moved from third base to pitching and did the best she could. She just battles out there. I don't think she was even warmed up by the end of the game.
"Township hit the ball (14 hits) where we weren't," Miller continued, "and their pitcher is pretty effective. On the upside, we came back and scored three runs. We always seem to find a way to respond and give ourselves opportunities to keep scoring."
Dean's home run over center field in the fourth inning cut Township's lead in half, 2-1. Jade Eshleman's two run blast to right center sparked Solanco's seventh inning.
Crossover action continued in Quarryville Tuesday when the Mares hosted Penn Manor in a rain makeup from Friday, April 12. This slugfest was back-and-forth early before the Comets pulled away late and finished on top 14-8.
Eshleman's two run homer in the bottom of the first plated Dean, who doubled, and matched Manor's two runs scored in their first at bat.
Kara McClune's RBI single in the second plated Taryn Britigan, who walked, and put the Mares in front 3-2.
Both teams traded two runs in the third inning as well but the Comets heated up as the game progressed, scoring three in the fourth, four in the sixth and three in the seventh to pull away. They finished with 17 hits on the day.
Townsley homered in the sixth inning and Kendal Janssen's bases loaded walk in the seventh and a Comet error plated two more runs. Solanco finished with 11 hits.
Townsley got the start in the circle in this one, striking out six and walking six in the complete game effort.
"Penn Manor is always a challenge but right before the game we found out that Sierra couldn't pitch," Miller said. "So we shifted the lineup."
Wednesday the team traveled to Cedar Crest with six players, between both squads, either out sick or on the injured list, leaving the Mares with just one sub. And on top of that, the game went extra innings. Two in fact. And Solanco rallied, breaking a 5-5 tie with three runs in the top of the ninth to escape the Falcons with a win.
McClune tripled with one out and scored on an overthrow error, giving Solanco the lead. Eshleman padded that advantage with an inside the park homer. Becca Foulk crushed a triple and Hanna Phillips stepped up with a run scoring base hit, pushing the lead to 8-5.
The Falcons put the pressure on in their last at bat, scoring two runs and leaving the tying and winning run on base. "Noelle Schneider caught a fly ball in right field for the last out," Miller recalled. "That was a big catch. Desiree DeHaven, in left field, also made two important catches earlier in the game."
Crest broke in front with two runs in the first inning and made it 4-0 with one run in the fourth. The Mares finally got on board with a three spot in the top of the fifth. Britigan reached on an error, stole second and scored on Janssen's base hit. Townsley sacrificed Janssen to second and McClune and Eshleman smacked back-to-back RBI doubles.
Both teams, who combined for 29 total hits, traded two runs in the sixth, setting up a thriller of a seventh. DeHaven and Britigan sparked the sixth with two out base hits, setting the stage for Janssen's two run single.
Townsley picked up the win with six strikeouts and five walks.
On the road again Thursday, Solanco again came through in the clutch, defeating Susquehannock 4-2 in another come-from-behind win.
The Mares took the lead in the third with an Eshleman RBI single but gave up two in the bottom of the sixth. They load the bases in the seventh with a walk to Britigan, a single by Janssen and an error. Eshleman's walk tied the game and Foulk's popup behind second base dropped in, scoring two.
"After Monday's loss, we needed to win two of the next three," stated Miller. "And we did. The girls' are responding. The effort is definitely there."
BASEBALL
Coming off a hard-fought 1-0 loss to Penn Manor in Millersville, Friday, April 12, the baseball team found themselves in two more nail biters last week, hosting two winning 6A schools. The result was a pair of one run victories and moved the Mules to 5-4 in section play and 6-4 overall.
Solanco hosted Cedar Crest Wednesday and came away with a 2-1 thriller. Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Seth Harnish's two-out single plated Dawson Kreider, whose base hit was Solanco's first baserunner of the game and his first at bat of the season. Joel McGuire doubled to left and set the table for Harnish.
"What a clutch hit," said head coach Tom Fish. "And just like that, we were up 2-1. Corey Stively pitched a quick 1-2-3 seventh inning and we stole one!"
Stively went the distance on the hill, fanning 11 batters and yielding one run on three hits.
"He was actually being out-dueled by the Cedar Crest pitcher who had a perfect game going with two out in the bottom of the sixth," Fish explained. "But four pitches later, we had the lead."
Both teams played flawless defense.
One day later, the Mules hosted the York-Adams Division I leader Dallastown and prevailed 5-4 with some seventh inning drama. Starter Hayden Fox (4K, 4W) gave up three hits and two runs to start the game. Solanco countered with a four spot in the bottom half, gave up a solo run in the second, and maintained the lead through four more innings.
Dallastown tied the game in the top of the seventh with a two out, run scoring single. On the play, Joel McGuire hit the cutoff man, John Murray, who threw a strike to third base to get the final out of the inning.
Now, with the score tied, McGuire was hit by a pitch, sacrificed to second by Kreider, moved to third on a ground ball by Harnish, and scored on a wild pitch.
"We had that great first inning and then we hung on for dear life," Fish said. "It was an awesome win for the team. That first inning also featured an outstanding and potential game-saving catch in right field, with two runners on, by Tim Fetterman that would have made it 4-0 Dallastown. No doubt that amazing play helped us put four runs on the board in our half for a quick 4-2 lead."
Solanco opened its scoring when Kreider and Harnish worked a pair of base hits and Kreider scored when Fetterman reached on an error. Mike May doubled in Harnish and Murray came through with a clutch two out, two run double, plating Fetterman and May.
"Our defense, again, has been key," Fish stated. "We have just seven errors in ten games, which is remarkable for any high school team."
TRACK
On the road last Wednesday, April 17, the Mules dropped a tight one, 84-66 to Elizabethtown. Despite sweeping both the shot put and 400 meter run, Solanco won eight of the 18 events and one of the three relays. The Mules were also outscored in second place finishes, 10-5.
"It was a hard-fought battle," said head coach Ivan Haines. "We were missing athletes for various reasons. On the plus side. We have a lot of talented underclassmen not only winning events but picking up seconds and thirds."
Two of those underclassmen are juniors Colin Althoff and Dom Messano, both double winners against the Bears. Althoff led a sweep in the 400 with a 51.7. Angel Daniel Morales grabbed second with a 52.8 and Austin Wood was third (53.4).
"The 400 was the standout event of the meet," stated Haines. "Each of the athletes ran their personal best of the year."
Messano, who joined Althoff, Woods, and Daniel-Morales to win the 4x400 relay, grabbed his double in the field, posting the top long (19-2.5) and triple jumps (39-0.5).
Also in the field, Nate Neuhauser, a junior, earned the top throw in the shot put with a 42-6. Michael Keefer, also a junior, was second with a 38-1.5 and sophomore Shaneef Carter provided the sweep with a 36-0.5 that was good for third.
Neuhauser was also third in the discus (111-1), finishing behind Gabe LaMonica's second place toss of 111-5.
Other first place winners for the Mules included senior Jose Serrano-Silvia who won his first 800 with a 2:10.7 and Will Paredes who finished just 2/10th ahead of Althoff with an 11.6.
Solanco's fifth and final second place effort went to sophomore Lucas Boyd who cleared 9-0 in the pole vault.
David Harvey highlighted the third place finishers, placing in both the 110 (18.0) and 300 hurdles (45.4). Other third place winners included Adian McBride - mile (5:06.5), Paredes - 200 (24.4), freshman Joey Hartigan - 3200 (12:16.4), Michael Carey - pole vault (8-6) and freshman Elijah Reimold with a 35-6.75 - triple jump.
"Over 15 personal records were earned today," noted Haines.
The girls' meet went in a similar direction. They swept one event, won two of three relays and had two double winners in an 86-64 loss.
"I thought we matched up well with Elizabethtown except in the distance runs," stated Haines. They have a good distance team, taking 25 of 27 possible points. That was difficult to overcome but the girls did not give up."
Alana Yoder led a sweep in the 200 with a winning 27.2. Aleksa Burger was second (29.3) and freshman Haylee Byers took third (30.3). Yoder also won the 100 (13.4) and anchored the winning 4x400 relay with Carly Rose, Burger and Charlotte Melot and the 4x400 relay with Jadan Forren and Kerith Paine.
Paine went on to pick up her first win in the pole vault, clearing a personal best 8-6.
Adding a pair of wins in the field was Troyanna Miller with top throws in the shot (33-6.75) and discus (98-7).
Burger placed in three individual events, adding a second in the long jump (14-9) and third in the 100 (14.3).
Freshman Olivia Lasko placed second in the 100 hurdles (20.7) and the 300's (54.3), holding off teammate Greta Plechner (56.5) who cleared 4-8 in the high jump for second.
Forren and Hallie Brown went 2-3 in the 400 and Elaina Kreider added a third in the 3200.
Picking up points in the field was Casey Weder with a second in the triple jump (27-6) while Melot in the long jump and Peyton Jennings in both the shot (30-10.75) and javelin (84-5) added thirds.
"These girls will be the future leaders for next year," said Haines. "Once again, they earned over 10 personal bests as they continue to improve."
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