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Chambersburg puts together complete game, shuts down Central York in District 3 softball opening round


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The Chambersburg infield was kept quite busy on Tuesday afternoon during the Trojans' District 3 Class AAAA first round softball game at Central York.

Chambersburg sophomore pitcher Laken Myers was instructed to keep the ball low on the Panthers' hitters and the righty complied.

Myers limited the No. 7 Panthers to just four hits and recorded 10 groundball outs, as the No. 10 Trojans used four early runs to come away with a 5-1 victory.

"Me and (catcher) Lily (Nolan) worked good together," Myers said. "It was definitely our goal to keep the ball down."

The Trojans (14-7) advance to play No. 2 Daniel Boone on Thursday in the quarterfinals, at a site and time to be determined. Daniel Boone eliminated No. 15 Dallastown, 1-0, on Tuesday. Myers threw a complete game, allowing just four hits, striking out four and walking one.

"We came in thinking we needed to keep the ball down," Chambersburg co-head coach Ted Bittinger said. "Some things we had seen, we felt that Central was a good middle-of-the-plate-and-up hitting team. They would single and double you to death. Laken did her job. She's been very instrumental in our end-of-the-season run we have had to make it into districts."

Chambersburg, which won its last seven games of the regular season, started off hot on Tuesday as the first three batters reached and scored.

Alexis Shearer led off with a base hit to center and Chelsea Sommerville (2-for-4) followed by legging out a bunt single down the third-base line. Nolan delivered an RBI single to center before Central's starting pitcher Kayla Resh recorded back-to-back strikeouts.

But, Chambersburg's Leah Hunt (3-for-4) put the Trojans back into the scoring column by striking a 2-2 pitch to left center for a two-run double. The Trojans led 3-0 after just a half inning.

"That's been another trademark of this team," Bittinger said of getting on the board early. "We have been able to do that in a few of the games we've had during this stretch."

The Trojans tacked on another run in the second using a hit batsmen, a stolen base and an error to score it.

Central (20-3) got on the board in the bottom of the third inning when Lorna Colberg scored on a two out wild pitch and an error on a play at the plate. But, the home team would only muster two more hits after the third and the final 10 Panthers hitters were retired in order to end the game.

"Their pitcher threw exceptionally well today," Central head coach Shane Walker said. "I think both pitchers had a very good game. We gave up some uncharacteristic outs that in this game you can't afford to give the other team anything. You need to make them earn it."

No Central batter had multiple hits and they were retired in order in four of the seven innings.

"We have been kind of a breakout team all year and we've been having that one inning where we would break out and that one inning didn't come (today)," Walker said. "Once you start playing districts, everybody's good."

The YAIAA champion Panthers graduate eight seniors from this year's team, a group Walker choked up about as he reflected on his time with them.

"That's the hardest part about today," Walker said. "I've been around a lot of these kids since they played 10-U and they have shown great leadership and have bought in to the stuff we have been doing. I'm really hoping the underclassmen saw that character and commitment."

Chambersburg 5, Central York 1

Chambersburg3100100—5102Central York0010000—142

CB, Laken Myers and Lily Nolan. CY, Kayla Resh and Briannah Dobson.

SO-BB — CB, Myers 4-1. CY, Resh 4-0; W — Myers; L — Resh; 2B — CB, Leah Hunt, Alyia Kauffman, Tara Harmon.