It was a strange and unsatisfying week for the Solanco baseball team. The Mules did not walk a batter or commit an error in either of their two games but still lost both. Lebanon nipped Solanco 2-1 last Thursday. Pitching dominated the first five innings with Mules' starter Brady Thomas turning in another good performance with help from a defense that turned two double plays. "We couldn't get the bats going," Solanco coach Tom Fish said. Lebanon went ahead with a two-out, two-run double in the sixth. The Mules did not go quietly. Eric Lefevre kept Solanco alive with a two-out RBI single in the top of the seventh and went to second on the throw, but the next batter struck out to end the game. "It was a tough loss," said Fish. "Lebanon had been struggling and we certainly expected to win. But they played solid ball and our bats were quiet."
A couple of baserunning miscues contributed to Solanco's 1-0 loss to visiting Conestoga Valley Monday, April 28. Mules pitcher Zack Leonard fanned 10. "He gave up one seemingly innocent run in the first inning and then shut them down," said Fish. Solanco threatened in nearly every inning but could not dent the scoreboard. "I can't remember a week where you don't walk a batter or commit an error but you lose two games," Fish said. "That's hard to do." The Mules have put up better offensive stats this season compared to last year, but that has not always translated into runs. "It's hard to say," said Fish. “We have a better batting average and higher on base percentage, but haven't been able to come up with the big hit. Last year, we won the close games but we've been losing them this year." Entering the week, the Mules remained in the hunt for a league playoff berth but have been eliminated from district playoff contention. Part of the reason Solanco is still alive is because they were able to defeat Section One powerhouses Penn Manor and Warwick in crossover games. "For us to beat a Division I pitcher (for Warwick) pretty handily and then lose to Lebanon [is surprising]," said Fish. Comments are closed.
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