Franklin-Fulton: Five games to watch this week
While the dust has settled on the first full week of spring sports, there are still some exciting area matchups that can give us a better look at local talent.
Here are five games to watch this week across Franklin and Fulton counties.
Monday, Cedar Cliff at Shippensburg softball, 4:15
Our first glance at the Shippensburg softball team was an exciting one. The Lady Hounds had 18 hits while scoring 14 runs against Mechanicsburg, including an eight-run explosion in the second inning. But Monday, Shippensburg takes on Cedar Cliff from the tough Mid Penn Commonwealth Division. The Colts have lost two in a row by deficits of five or more, so Shippensburg's bats has the chance to give the team an edge.
Watch out for Sami Barmont at the plate, who went 4-for-5 with three RBIs, including a two-run homer against Mechanicsburg. But Cedar Cliff has an ace in the circle in Tiffany White who could cause trouble for Shippensburg bats.
Tuesday, Cumberland Valley at Chambersburg softball, 4:15
It will be the battle of the unbeaten Mid Penn Commonwealth teams Tuesday as the 3-0 Cumberland Valley softball team travels to Chambersburg to take on the red-hot Trojans. Chambersburg is fresh off a 3-game week where it held off Mifflin County in an extra-inning victory, and kept the home run coming in a 14-8 win over Waynesboro where the Lady Trojans sent four home runs over the fence-- two from Leah Hunt. Sammi Bender and Katie Overcash also hit home runs.
“It’s going to take a good effort for a team to come in and shut us down," Chambersburg coach Chris Skultety said. "Not saying there aren’t pitchers who can’t do it, but it’s going to take a good effort."
But Cumberland Valley comes to town with a pitcher who just might do that, with Jen Hanshaw in the circle. She boasts a 23-4 career record with 1.34 ERA and 146 strikeouts. Cumberland Valley will also meet two other local teams this weekend as the Greencastle-Antrim and Waynesboro softball teams will participate in the CV softball tournament to be held Saturday.
Tuesday, State College at Chambersburg boys volleyball, 6
The Chambersburg volleyball team faces its first divisional test as the Trojans welcome State College Tuesday after playing in the competitive Bulldog Invitational last weekend. The volleyball team went 3-1 in pool play during the invitational, but fell in the first round of the championship bracket and still has some rust to dust off.
"We had a lot of errors and inconsistencies in crucial points at different points throughout the day," Chambersburg coach Marta Cummings said. "We were able to battle back some but we had to many mental lapses that interfered with our potential to win and go further."
State College also fell in the first round at the Bulldog Invitational in a two-set sweep of the eventual champion Northeastern.
Thursday, Central Dauphin East at Chambersburg girls lacrosse, 7
The Chambersburg girls lacrosse team has not found much luck to start the season, as the Lady Trojans were outscored 41-10 in their first two games. But with Central Dauphin East coming to town, Chambersburg has a chance to gain some momentum.
CD East was one of Chambersburg's few wins last season in which the Trojans earned a 12-7 victory. Prior to an 18-2 win over Danville, CD East scored just four goals through two games against non-league opponents.
In its opening contests, Chambersburg saw obvious room for improvement but continues to have a positive attitude towards its future, despite it's history. Some of the bright spots on the roster come from its veterans, that include attacker Kendyl Stewart, midfielder Liza Ernst and defender Madison Schmus.
Friday, McConnellsburg at Southern Fulton baseball, 4:30
The rivalry that took the area by storm during basketball season makes its way to the diamond Friday when McConnellsburg travels to Southern Fulton in another epic Fulton County showdown.
Southern Fulton still feels the sting of its first regular season loss in almost a year in a 5-4 loss to Chestnut Ridge last week-- and will surely try to avoid another, especially to its biggest rival on its home field. Prior to last week, McConnellsburg was the last team to have beaten Southern Fulton in the regular season in a 3-2 victory on April 9, 2015.
The Spartans only win so far this season came from an extra-inning thriller over Everett. Southern Fulton, on the other hand, has picked up right where it left off last season, with two decisive wins, including a mercy rule decision over Tussey Mountain thanks to balanced work at the plate.