Penn Manor's softball team just keeps on winning. They captured the Section One crown, went on to win the Lancaster-Lebanon League tournament and Thursday, June 2 continued to roll by clinching their first District Three 6A championship over league rival Manheim Township at Messiah University's Starry Athletic Complex. The 4-2 victory was their third two run win over the Streaks this season and pushed the Comets record to 24-2.

"This was the third time we had to beat a team three times," noted head coach Dave Stokes referring to Manor's three wins over Hempfield and Warwick. "These kids just don't let these games get too big for them. I'm almost speechless. They just keep achieving."

Township came out aggressive on the bases but was thrown out at home by Emily Riggs after a lead-off triple and out stealing second by catcher Jordan Bailey.

Manor jumped in front with one run in the bottom half. Riggs and Audrey Paterson worked consecutive two out walks and Riggs scored when Maddie Mitchell singled to center.

The Comets scored twice in the second inning. With one out, Bria Booth singled and Kaitlyn Ream drew a walk. Kira Green followed with a RBI single to center. Bailey smacked a grounder to short and, when the throw went wild, Ream raced home, pushing the lead to 3-0. After a walk to Riggs, Manor left the bases loaded.

Both teams managed one hit in the third inning and the Comets gained momentum when they turned a double play in the fourth. Megan Marks grounded to Green, at short, who dove for the stop and then, before getting up, flipped the ball to Riggs at second who fired over to Regan Soboleski at first.

Riggs stepped in to relieve starter Julie Bowmaster in the sixth and the Streaks rallied, scoring two runs on no hits to make things interesting. Riggs hit Annika Smith and Taylor Kittleman grounded to third, but the throw sailed over Booth at second base. Township then scored on a wild pitch.

"That was the first passed ball we've had this season that a runner scored," recalled Stokes. "I went out at that point to talk to them said we're still ahead one run with one out. Em you do what you do and everyone else just make the plays behind her."

The Comets tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Green singled with two outs and Bailey reached on a walk. Riggs followed with a base hit to center that scored Green, pushing the lead to a more comfortable 4-2 advantage.

In five innings of work, Bowmaster gave up four hits and struck out two. Riggs struck out three, allowed two unearned runs and earned the save.

"Julie is just unbelievable the way she goes about pitching," said Stokes. "She faced 17 batters over five innings and threw 40 pitches. Those are just crazy off the chart stats.

"I just can't be prouder of this group," he added. "And to win the school's first district title, they should be proud of that."

Four days later, back on their home field at Manor Middle School, the Comets advanced to the quarterfinals of the PIAA Class 6A state tournament when they broke open a close game against Garnet Valley, winning convincingly 9-0.

The Comets scored two in the first inning. Green opened with a walk and scored when Bailey grounded to third. The throw was high, leaving Green to advance from third. Two pitches later, Bailey, who advanced to third on the overthrow, scored on a passed ball.

"That's the luck you sometimes need to win," said Stokes. "Jordan was supposed to put down a bunt but wound up with that grounder to third that gets thrown away. If she gets the bunt down, we might not score at all. That set the tone."

The Comets did not get going again until the fifth but defensively denied GV, also in the fifth when Ream made a running shoestring catch of a drive by Madde Mendoza and doubled up Elisabeth O'Connor when she fired to Soboleski on first. Two innings earlier, the Comets picked off Ragan Bliss when Riggs, playing second base, snuck in behind Bliss to take catcher Bailey's throw.

GV's Anna Sidlowski had a no-hitter going into the fifth inning but that ended with Bailey's first pitch double. Riggs followed with a RBI double and Paterson's (1-2, 2 RBI) base hit put the Comets in front, 4-0. They left the bases loaded.

Bowmaster started the sixth inning but after an error, Stokes brought in Riggs, who finished with six strikeouts. Bowmaster struck out three, walked one and gave up two hits, neither of which made it out of the infield.

The Comets batted around plus one and put the game away in the sixth. Green and Bailey (2-4, 3 runs scored) reached on base hits and Riggs walked. Paterson's bases loaded walk pushed in Green and called for a pitching change as Sidlowski was replaced by Kelly Cornog who forced Soboleski to popup for the first out of the inning. Amelia Trout, in her first varsity start, replacing a vacationing Maddie Mitchell, cleared the bags when she crushed a triple to left that rolled to the fence. She scored on Booth's two-out base hit.

"Amelia's driving liner got past the outfielder and was the dagger," said Stokes. "Their starting pitcher was probably the best we've seen this season.

"This was another performance that has mirrored so many this year," he added.