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Highlights: JB softball postseason hopes looking up


With one week left in the regular season, the streaky James Buchanan softball team was teetering on a District 3 Class 4A berth - sitting in ninth place with the top 10 moving on to the tournament.

But Wednesday, the Rockets pulled off a big 3-1 win over Littlestown that will likely pay dividends for James Buchanan in the district power rankings.

Prior to Wednesday's defeat by James Buchanan, Littlestown was ranked sixth in 4A at 12-6.

Although the Rockets (9-10) are littered with inexperience, Wednesday's performance previewed a squad that was ready to advance to the postseason.

Jenna Mongold looked solid in the circle, striking out eight in the seven-inning outing. Batters hit the ball hard and often and capitalized on well-hit bunts. The defense limited Littlestown's opportunities and left eight runners on base.

"We have a lot of young kids out there and they stepped up tonight and played very well," James Buchanan coach Troy Pittman said. "I keep preaching the little things and we did them well tonight, and when you do that you win. That was important for us district-wise and just getting in will do a lot for their experience."

Mongold, Carly Caron and Maddie Bailey all brought in a run for the Rockets.

STARTING HOT: The Southern Fulton baseball team came out hot in a SHL/ICC game against Fannett-Metal, scoring nine runs in the bottom of the first inning. Five Indians finished with multiple RBIs, while Carl Potter struck out seven batters through five innings. In 88 pitches, Potter threw 55 for strikes.

Cooper Grove, Mitch Potter, Branden Lynch, Tanner Elbin and Eaven Gordon each brought in two runs, while Kyler Goshorn and Hunter Allen had RBIs for the Tigers.

Top performers

Baseball

  • Shippensburg locked up a nice 11-1 non-league win over Delone Catholic thanks in part to Colten Zeigler, who was 2-for-3 with three RBIs, and Trey Lynch who brought in three runs off his only hit of the day. Nate Holt earned the win on the mound, racking up seven strikeouts and allowing just five hits in five innings of work. 

Softball

  • Fannett-Metal claimed a 10-3 win over Southern Fulton thanks to a trio of hot hitters. Makayla O'Donel, Emily Metcalfe and Jamie Adams all had three hits for the Tigers. O'Donel scored four times and batted a run in, while Metcalfe had three RBIs. 

Track & field

  • Southern Fulton's Tim Wright hit a personal record in the javelin with a first-place throw of 183-6.5 against West Branch by more than 60 feet. 

Lacrosse

  • The Chambersburg boys lacrosse team lost a close battle with St. Maria Goretti, 14-13. Hayden Ocker led the Trojans with six goals. Riley Ocker, Brandin Cosey and Thomas Elia each had two goals and an assist. 
  • Although the Chambersburg girls lacrosse team fell to St. Maria Goretti 13-8, Franklin County natives still came home with a win. Victoria Baker (Greencastle) had four goals and an assist for Goretti, while Hanna Manning (Waynesboro) had 10 saves in the cage for the Gaels.  

SCORES

Baseball

Shippensburg (6-10) 11, Delone 1
Southern Fulton (13-3-1, 11-3 SHL/ 10-3 ICC) 15, Fannett-Metal (5-14, 4-11 SHL/ 3-10 ICC) 2
James Buchanan (15-4) 13, Hanover 2
Southern Huntingdon at Forbes Road, 4:30

Softball

James Buchanan (9-10) 3, Littlestown 1
Fannett-Metal (14-4, 11-4 SHL/ 10-4 ICC) 10, Southern Fulton (1-6) 3

Lacrosse

Boys, Goretti 14, Chambersburg 13
Girls, Goretti 13, Chambersburg 8