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Home runs galore help Chambersburg into MPC final


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Tara Harmon is no stranger to home runs.

She has belted three this season and nine in her career with the Chambersburg softball team.

But her two-run shot in Tuesday's Mid Penn Conference semifinal against West Perry was particularly special. Not only did it help ensure a spot for the Trojans in the MPC championship game with a 9-3 win over the Mustangs, it also gave Harmon a pair of incredible milestones. Her fourth-inning home run was her 100th career hit and accounted for her 99th and 100th career RBIs.

"At the beginning of the game, coach (Chris Skultelty) said three more hits would get me to 100 hits," Harmon said. "But we had talked about it earlier, and I was kind of getting down on myself because I went through a slump and I thought I was never going to get it.

"When I hit the home run and Coach came over, that's when I realized it was my 100th hit. I was so excited. Having it on a home run was even more special."

With the victory, the Trojans (18-3) advance to face Lower Dauphin (17-2) in the title game, which will be at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Big Spring.

Harmon finished the game with four hits and two RBIs, and she wasn't the only heavy hitter for Chambersburg, which finished with 13 hits. Laken Myers and Sam Bender each had a pair of hits, and Bender and Dori Loukopoulos also had two-run home runs to go along with Harmon's. All but two Trojans finished with a hit.

"That's a murderer's row right down to 6-7 in the lineup," West Perry coach Andy Foose said. "We were throwing everything - high, low, in, out. I did my scouting report and tried to pitch around certain girls, but then another one comes up and hits it out there. They're champions; that's a good ball team."

Skultety said, "We were teeing off today. We were focused and had good at-bats. We still can improve; leaving the bases loaded twice, we could've broken that game open. I'm nitpicking, of course - scoring four runs in the first inning is good, but we could've had more."

West Perry (18-1) also managed to smash one over the fence; Emily Zaring had a two-run home run in the first inning.