Font ResizeNever mind the game the Panthers played in the other five innings.
It was all about the second and the fifth.
In that time, Lower Dauphin (23-2) picked up all six of its runs and eight of its 10 hits -- enough to advance the Falcons into the state tournament and send the Panthers home to prepare for next season after the 6-3 loss in the District 3 AAAA consolation game.
It was an abrupt end to a tumultuous week where the Panthers (19-5) were a hit away from playing for the District 3 championship and a guaranteed spot in the PIAA playoffs, before losing to Dallastown in 10 innings on Wednesday night. That game was originally to be played Tuesday before it was rained out.
The three-day span was emotionally draining for some.
"For me, yes it was. For the girls, no I thought they were in great spirits. In fact, I thought when we got to school I thought we would need a little pick-up, but kids don't remember; they let go of things pretty quickly," Central York coach Barry Brenneman said. "They were ready to go."
Lower Dauphin wasn't about to offer any sympathy, losing a 2-1 game to Central Dauphin on Wednesday, a game that also was suspended midway Tuesday because of rain.
Junior shortstop Jordyn Miller got Central York going Thursday, hugging the left field line with a low liner for a double to lead off the second inning. Two batters later,
But the lead was short lived, less because of what the Falcons did and more because of what the Panthers gave them.
After getting Elaine Gross to ground out back to the pitcher to start the bottom of the second, Central York starter Taylor Rohrbaugh walked the next two batters before giving up a single off of her glove to No. 9 hitter Megan Saich.
It was Rohrbaugh's only two walks of the game.
With the bases loaded, senior shortstop Casey Alcorn lined a ball over the shortstop to score the two batters who reached via walk. The next hitter, Krista Hoffman placed a ball between third base and shortstop to score Saich.
"We just tried not to get our heads down," Miller said of losing the lead.
The Panthers responded as Rohrbaugh needed 21 pitches to get through the next two innings, striking out two of the seven batters she faced.
Miller doubled again to start off the top of the fourth. After another single by Dziwis, Miller scored on a groundout by Kyla Caruso. Dziwis then scored on an RBI single by Darrian Schade to tie the score at three.
"We were on her all night," Miller said of Lower Dauphin pitcher Megan Donlan. "I don't think she had many strikeouts. We were hitting the ball and putting it in play."
Donlan had four strikeouts and the Panthers outhit the Falcons, 11-10.
But the Falcons' lineup is a dangerous one.
It starts with Alcorn, a senior shortstop with a Division I scholarship to East Carolina, and features sophomore first baseman Maddi Kotchey hitting fourth.
Alcorn had three hits and two RBIs. And Central York was very careful on how it pitched Kotchey, pitching everything away to the young lefthander whose batting average sits above .500 on the season.
Kotchey sent one of the few pitches she got to hit to centerfield for a single with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning. After another out, the Falcons pieced together four consecutive singles to score three more runs with two outs in the inning.
"Stringing the singles together worked for us tonight, but we have the ability to hit the long ball, as well. We've got several girls in our lineup that hit the ball extremely hard and extremely far. Those types of things didn't happen tonight," Lower Dauphin coach Steve Alcorn said. "The bottom of the lineup really came up strong for us. The middle and the bottom did the job pretty much tonight."
at Garrett Park
LOWER DAUPHIN 6, CENTRAL 3
Central 010 200 0 -- 3 11 1
Lo. Dauphin 003 030 0 -- 6 10 0
CY, Taylor Rohrbaugh and Ally Dziwis; LD, Megan Donlan and Krista Hoffman. SO-BB -- CY, Rohrbaugh 3-2; LD Donlan 4-0. W -- Donlan. L -- Rohrbaugh. 2B -- CY, Jordyn Miller 2. 3B -- CY, Miller.
