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Fairfield knocks York Catholic to reach first district title game


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Fairfield's Gena Eiker roped a three-run homer in the bottom of the first and the Green Knights were off and running to a 9-4, District 3 semifinal victory against York Catholic on Friday in York Springs.

The victory propels Fairfield to its first appearance in a district championship game in program history. The softball team will look to join the girls' soccer and girls' track teams as first-time district champs in school history in their respective sports this year.

"We have a lot of good athletes here at Fairfield, right now," Eiker said. "We'd love to be able to do what soccer and track have already done this year and get ourselves noticed."

 

Fairfield (12-9) will face Upper Dauphin/Camp Hill for the Class 2A district crown on Tuesday at a site and time to be announced.

"We've got a very good group of girls here and I'm so proud of them," 25-year Fairfield coach Terry Weikert said. "I've had a lot of good assistant coaches in my time here, none better than the staff that I have this year."

Eiker's drive cleared Irish shortstop Ali Logsdon and found open space in the gap in left-center. With no fence, the ball rolled forever and Eiker was able to circle the bases, touching home just as the York Catholic outfielders were able to get to the ball.

"It got everyone hyped up and got us on the board," Eiker said of her home run. "It was nice to get finally get my first home run of the season."

Fairfield's lone senior, Jordan Pryor, added the team's fourth run of the day when she homered to lead off the third and the Knights took a 6-1 lead into the fifth.

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York Catholic (8-10) sliced the lead in half when Rachel Mills doubled with two down in the fifth, then Sadie Wurzbach singled home Logsdon with one out in the sixth.

That ended the day in the circle for Knight hurler Courtney Harbaugh, who was lifted after 5 1/3 innings where she allowed four runs (one earned) on eight hits with five strikeouts and no walks.

Haylee Wastler replaced Harbaugh and retired the next two hitters, then worked around a one walk in the seventh to earn the save.

"We've used both pitchers all year and they've both done well for us," Weikert said. "Sometimes the one we'd start wouldn't do too well, but usually, when we brought the other one in, she'd do a good job."

Wastler and Ashley Roberts each provided a pair of knocks for the Knights, while the Irish were paced by two hits apiece from Mills and Becca Baum.