H.S. Highlights: 'Boro baseball wins on suicide squeeze
Waynesboro took a big risk on Tuesday afternoon in a Mid Penn Colonial Division baseball game against Boiling Springs.
But it paid off big time, and the Indians walked away with a 1-0 victory.
In the bottom of the second inning, with the game still scoreless, the Indians elected to try for a suicide squeeze. Bubba Hamilton led off the inning with a double and was moved to third on a groundout by Jarret Biesecker. The Indians then attempted a suicide squeeze, and Nick Irizarry delivered the game-winning bunt to drive in Hamilton.
From there, Kyle Hoffman's arm took over. He allowed only five hits in his second straight shutout victory. Hoffman struck out just one batter but did not allow more than one hit in any inning except the first.
Hamilton led the Indians (6-2, 2-1 MPC) with a pair of hits, and Irizarry also had a double.
TOP PERFORMER: McConnellsburg’s Chance Hawbaker had quite a day Tuesday. Not only did he win three events to help the Spartans’ boys track & field team pick up three wins, but he also tied a mark that had not been touched in quite a while.
In the 100, Hawbaker zipped to first place in 10.8, which tied the school record set by Barry Spriggs way back in 1983.
McConnellsburg coach Josh Strait said, “Chance came in ready to go this season and has been all business. He’s stayed after practice working extra hard. It was a perfect day with the weather and he got off to a perfect start. And the kid from Tussey Mountain ran an 11.0, so Chance was pushed.
“It all came together today and I’m proud of him.”
Hawbaker also won the 200 in 23.3 and the high jump at 5-8.
The Spartans defeated Tussey 114-35, Mount Union 106-49 and Chestnut Ridge 89.5-60.5 to run their record to 9-0 (5-0 ICC). Josh Booth won both hurdles events and anchored the winning 4x400 relay.
DISAPPOINTING DEFEAT: For the second time this season, Chambersburg’s baseball team suffered a Mid Penn Commonwealth Division in extra innings.
After going up 8-7 in the top of the ninth inning, the Trojans got a bit wild and gave up a two-RBI single, losing 9-8.
“We’ve been in several of these types of games, and we’ve won a couple,” Chambersburg coach Scott Folmar said. “But four out of the five losses we have have been like this. We just keep preaching that we’re in all these games, and they just need to understand that we’re maybe only one hit or one defensive play away from winning several of these games.”
Chambersburg (5-5, 3-4 MPC) had plenty of hits, finishing with 12 singles and a double from Hayden Kissel.
Hunter Brindle finished 4-for-6 with two RBIs, Manning Brookens with 2-for-6 and drove in two runs, and Kevin Carbaugh smacked a trio of singles.
In the top of the ninth, Kissel led off with a walk, then Brookens hit a single to put runners on first and second. Brindle delivered with an RBI single.
But Red Land (5-2, 6-3 MPC) answered right back. Despite getting two outs, the Trojans walked three and Noah Keister made them pay with a two-run single. Keister finished 2-for-3 with five RBIs.
TRACK SPLIT: Chambersburg traveled to Mifflin County and came back with a split of their Mid Penn Commonwealth track & field meet, with the girls taking a 113-37 win and the boys falling 79-71.
Trojan girls coach Chris Monheim said, “We had our best meet by far. I wish we had another shot at the teams we’ve already faced.”
Abby Zeger had a big day for Chambersburg (2-2, 2-2 MPC), winning the long (16-0) and triple (34-1) jumps and the pole vault (9-0), hitting career bests in both jumps. Reagan Winebrenner won the shot put and discus with a PR in the shot (36-0), and Mathia McKey hit her best (111-0.5) to win the javelin.
On the track, Cirsten Kelly took the 100 and 200, and Kaylee Mowery won the 400 on her first try.
The boys meet came down the 4x400 relay and the Huskies won by less than a second.
“The last time we were at Mifflin County it also came down to that relay and they won it, and both times they got off to a good start and we almost caught them at the end,” Chambersburg coach Bob Walker said. “We had three close relays today and won only one of them.”
Kelton Chastulik won the shot put and discus for the Trojans (1-3, 1-3 MPC), Tyler Fritz won his first long jump and Nate Reed was second in the javelin with his best throw (152-8.5). Quintan Barbour was second in the 400 with his best time (52.9).
Baseball
Big Spring 6, James Buchanan 5: Big Spring scored two runs in the top of the seventh in a Mid Penn Colonial Division matchup to gain the edge it needed over James Buchanan. Despite putting the game-tying run on base, the Rockets (3-4, 0-3 MPC) couldn’t finish, flying out twice in the bottom of the seventh.
Grace Academy 8, Mercersburg Academy 7: Mercersburg took the lead in the top of the seventh in a non-league game against Grace Academy, but the Knights scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to take the win. Will Oakley took the loss for the Blue Storm (11-3).
Softball
Waynesboro 12, Boiling Springs 2: Waynesboro racked up nine hits and jumped on six errors in a Mid Penn Colonial Division victory.
Nicole Kreimer led the way with three hits, while Sara Gsell had two singles and two RBIs for the Maidens (5-3, 2-1 MPC). Lauren Hunsecker picked up her first win on the mound, striking out eight and allowing just five hits in the five-inning win.
Big Spring 4, James Buchanan 3: Alyssa Blair came up to pinch hit for James Buchanan and hit a triple to knock in the tying run in the top of the seventh, but Big Spring scored a walk-off run in the bottom of the inning to lock in a win. Nina Shatzer allowed six hits and struck out three for the Rockets (4-2, 1-2 MPC).
“Our defense was shaky behind Nina (Shatzer) today,” James Buchanan coach Troy Pittman said. “Five errors and hitting was not consistent throughout the lineup. Big Spring defense was solid and their pitchers did a good job keeping our batters off balance.”
Boys track & field
Shippensburg 83, James Buchanan 67: Shippensburg did not start strong on the track, losing five of the first six events, but the Greyhounds pulled out a Mid Penn Colonial Division win over JB. Cody Gustafson led the Greyhounds (2-2, 2-2 MPC), winning the triple and the long jumps. For the Rockets (1-2, 1-2 MPC), Chas Shelly won both sprints.
Greencastle 124, Big Spring 25: Greencastle-Antrim won all but two events to claim a dominating Mid Penn Colonial Division win over Big Spring. Campbell Parker and Kyrin Zimmerman both won a pair of field events.
Boiling Springs 88, Waynesboro 55: Waynesboro suffered its second straight loss in Mid Penn Colonial Division action. Ogo Akamelu highlighted the day for the Indians (2-2, 2-2 MPC). He won the 110 and the 300 hurdles and was a member of the winning 4x100.
Southern Fulton 134, Faith Christian 10: Southern Fulton had a dominating non-league victory to even its record at 6-6. Leading the way in the field was Zach Sigel with victories in the shot and the discus. Sage Minter won the pole vault and the 300 hurdles, and Chase Varner picked up wins on the track in the 400 and the 800.
Girls track & field
Shippensburg 92.5, James Buchanan 57.5: Natalie Nye broke her own school record in the pole vault, added a win in the 800 and led Shippensburg to an Mid Penn Colonial win over James Buchanan. The other multiple winner for Ship (3-1, 3-1 MPC) was Teddi Powell, who took first in both distance races. For the Rockets (0-3, 0-3 MPC), Mickey Heinbaugh won the triple and long jumps and Leah Winger was first in both hurdles races.
Boiling Springs 88, Waynesboro 62: Madeline Spears and and Seviye Christian won a pair of events for Waynesboro (1-3, 1-3 MPC), but it wasn’t enough to beat Boiling Springs in a Mid Penn Colonial Division meet.
Greencastle 80, Big Spring 69: Madison Hurley had a pair of victories to lead Greencastle (2-1, 2-1 MPC) to a Colonial Division win over Big Spring. Hurley was the victor in the 1,600 and the 3,200. Jenay Faulker and Laurel Merriman each had a first- and two second-places in the field.
McConnellsburg goes 2-1: The Spartans (4-4, 3-1 ICC) defeated Tussey Mountain (109-39) and Mount Union (81-69), but were beaten by Chestnut Ridge (93-57) in an ICC quad meet. McKenzie Gelvin swept the sprints (100, 200 and 400), and Kellyn Perry took first in the 800 and triple jump.
Southern Fulton 125, Faith Christian 22: Emily Bradshaw, Linsey Pryor and Celina Merchant all won a pair of individual events to lead Southern Fulton (9-3) to a non-league victory. Bradshaw won the 1,600 and the 200; Pryor was first in the triple and the long jumps; and Merchant captured both hurdle events.
Girls lacrosse
Cumberland Valley 19, Chambersburg 5: Chambersburg went down early, and could never recover in a Mid Penn Commonwealth Division loss to Cumberland Valley. Avery Rife had two goals for the Trojans (1-7, 1-5 MPC).
“We came out strong, but they quickly got away from us,” Trojan coach Katie Feairheller said. “I think the girls showed so much improvement compared to past years playing CV. In the past three seasons, we had only scored one goal against them, and this year, we had five. We continue to grow as a team and each year get a little stronger.”