TUESDAY UPDATE: Solanco's district semifinal game with Lower Dauphin, originally scheduled for Tuesday, was postponed by rain and is now slated to be played Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Millersville University. Solanco's softball team advanced to the district semifinals for the fifth time in school history and the first time since 2007. The Mules defeated Dallastown 9-7 last Thursday in the district quarterfinals at Millersville. Solanco scored six first-inning runs, fell behind 7-6, and then rallied for the victory. Emily Parmer led off the game with a walk. Sam Graver moved Parmer up and reached on an error. Caitlyn Armstrong singled up the middle to plate Parmer and put runners on the corners. After Armstrong stole second, Maribeth Ault delivered a two-run double down the left field line. With two outs, Madi Sheaffer singled to score Ault. Morgan Hodson reached on an error and Kerri Mauger singled to knock in two.
Dallastown came all the way back and took a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the fifth. "They kept chipping away and the next thing you know they had the lead," Solanco coach Brett Miller said. "They have a good hitting team and they proved that." Solanco countered quickly. Graver tripled with one out in the sixth. Armstrong walked and Graver was thrown out at the plate when Ault hit a comebacker. Brittany Fisher walked to load the bases and Kortnee Kreider walked to force in the tying run. "These girls don't stop," Miller said of his team. "The girls really seemed unfazed and turned right around and won the game. That got the momentum back." In the seventh, Hodson walked. Mauger laid down a sacrifice bunt and the pitcher's throw to first went into right field. Hodson scored and Mauer wound up at third. Parmer lined an RBI single to left to give Solanco a two-run lead. Graver lined a single to right but Parmer was thrown out at the plate. With help from her defense, Kreider held Dallastown scoreless over the final two innings. The centerfielder Graver and rightfielder Mauger each made nice running catches in the game and Mauger got an assist at first base. "We needed to score one more run than them," said Miller. "We'll take two." Solanco is guaranteed two more games beginning Tuesday vs. Lower Dauphin at 6 p.m. in Millersville. The Mules move on to the district title game and secure a state berth with a win. If they lose they will play in the consolation game with the winner making the state tournament. Solanco has advanced to the state tournament twice in its previous four semifinal appearances. Solanco 1, Hempfield 0 Sam Graver and Kortnee Kreider led the Mules to a dramatic victory over Hempfield in the district opener Tuesday, May 20 in Willow Street. Graver knocked in the game's lone run and her throw from centerfield led to an out at the plate in the top of the seventh. Emily Parmer coaxed a walk with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Graver then lashed an opposite-field RBI triple to left-center. She was thrown out at the plate while trying to score on an overthrow, but Graver and Kreider made sure the run stood up. Hempfield's Aubrey Hartman started the top of the seventh with a ground single to right. The Mules' rightfielder charged in with the hope of nailing Hartman at first base but overran the ball enabling the runner to take second. Eschewing a bunt, the next batter was retired on a fly ball to left and Hartman was unable to advance. That brought Kate Hohman to the plate. Kreider nearly struck out Hohman but a close 2-2 pitch was ruled to be just low. On the 3-2 offering, Hohman smacked a single to center. Graver came in to field the ball and fired home in time to get the runner. The runner plowed into the Mules' catcher Parmer and jarred the ball loose, but was called out since runners are required to slide on a play at the plate. "It was a simple call," said Miller. "The only thing I was concerned about was making sure the other runner was sent back to second base." With the potential tying run now on second, Kreider struck out the next hitter to end the game. "It was a typical Hempfield-Solanco game," said Miller. Kreider and Hempfield's Lauren Lichtenwarner stayed out of trouble for the first five innings. Hempfield threatened in the top of the sixth. With two outs and runners on the corners, Lichtenwarner's line shot to right was foul by inches. Comments are closed.
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