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Lampeter-Strasburg, Solanco notch big softball wins


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GARRETT FIELD, WILLOW STREET — The best athletes typically want to win so badly, it hurts.

Especially being down a run. Late. Versus their rivals.

So when Lampeter-Strasburg sophomore Caroline Braungard singled home teammates Delaney Baker and Jordan Weaver with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, turning a one-run deficit versus Section Three foe Donegal into a one-run lead and eventual 3-1 victory, it brought on a couple of different reactions.

“I started freaking out on second base,” recalled Braungard after the game. “I was shaking, and I was so excited. I could not believe it, I was just so shaken up … and then I knew we had to come out that last little defensive inning and shut them down.”

Then there was the Pioneers’ flame-throwing pitcher, Weaver, hobbled after having tripped around third base and crashing safely home when Donegal catcher Morgan Biesecker couldn’t hold on to the relay throw at the plate.

Lampeter-Strasburg (9-0) had the lead. But who would pitch the Pioneers to victory in the seventh inning?

“There was no way…” Weaver began. “Nothing was stopping me from coming out there at the end.”

After giving up a single to Kaitlyn Witmer—whose second inning double had given the Indians a 1-0 lead—Weaver shut down the side, the final two outs coming via strikeout to maintain the Pioneers’ lead in Section Three after the first go-round of section play.

A victory by Donegal (5-3) would have evened up the section standings with the Pioneers and Manheim Central at one loss apiece.

“They’re good competition and they bring out the best in us when we play,” Weaver said of the Indians. “We take it as any other game, yea its Donegal, they’re a good team, we’re a good team, too, we just have to come out and play better.”

INFLICTING THE PAIN

Jordyn Kondras singled leading off the bottom of the sixth off Indians’ pitcher Makyla Yoder, who struck out seven through the first four innings. But after a sacrifice, Baker (2-for-2, R) singled, and Weaver was hit by a pitch of all things to load the bases.

Yoder defensed a bunt try by flipping to Siebecker at home, forcing Kondras, and bringing Braungard to the plate.

“She always gets me on the high ones,” Braungard said of Donegal’s junior pitcher, having stuck out in the second inning. “When I got that pitch, I had two strikes, I said to myself, ‘Caroline, you know what she’s going to throw you.’ I had my hands a little bit higher, choked up a little bit and then popped it over (shortstop).”

Designated player Natalie Carson followed with an RBI single to right to set the final margin.

ALL TIED IN SECTION TWO

While the Pioneers averted momentary disaster in the Section Three, the race for Section Two just got interesting Wednesday afternoon when Solanco defeated previously league unbeaten Garden Spot, 7-3, in Quarryville.

The Golden Mares (6-2 overall, 4-1 League) put up four unearned runs in the first innings as the visiting Spartans (6-2, 4-1) finished the game with a fluky nine errors.

Meanwhile, Mares’ freshman pitcher Hanna Phillips held Spot at bay with fourteen strikeouts, and sophomore designated player Liz Mowrer knocked in a pair of add-on runs with a single and sacrifice fly to keep the game out of reach.

“It just broke their heart,” Mowrer said. “When we added the third (add-on) run, they knew it was over. It was critical.”

Abby Heidelbaugh scored three runs, and along with Randi Rambo (2-for-4, triple, two runs) and Kalyn Burger added an RBI hit.

“I couldn’t have done it without my team,” Phillips said on the complete game victory. “(The run support) just put a smile to my face.”

Also at 4-1 is Elizabethtown, a 17-2 winner over Lebanon, leaving Section Two in a three-way tie heading into crossover play on Friday.

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Solanco 7, Garden Spot 3

GS          0  0  0    0  0  0    0 — 3  8  9

SL          4  0  0    0  0  0    x — 7  7  1

SO-BB — Taylor Martin (4-1); Hanna Phillips (14-2)

WP — Phillips

LP — Martin

2B — GS 1 (Elizabeth King)

3B — SL 1 (Randi Rambo)

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Lampeter-Strasburg 1, Donegal 0

DN         0  1  0    0  0  0    0 — 1  4  0

LS          0  0  0    0  0  3    x — 3  7  1

SO-BB — Makyla Yoder (7-0); Jordan Weaver (11-1)

WP — Weaver

LP — Yoder

2B — DN 1 (Kaitlyn Witmer); LS 1 (Hanna Garber)