Penn Manor's softball team did not win the Section One crown, or the L-L League championships but they are currently just one of three L-L League softball teams (as of June 9) still alive in the post-season. Thursday, June 3 they topped Ephrata 3-1 to finish in third place in the District Three Class 6A bracket and then followed that up with last Monday's 4-1 upset win over Bethel Park in the opening round of the PIAA tournament in Norwin.

"I think the last time we won a first-round state playoff game was in 2015," said head coach Dave Stokes.

That year the Comets upended top seed Owen J. Roberts with Brittney Hook on the mound.

Fast-forward six years and Penn Manor worked another upset, knocking off previously undefeated Bethel Park (18-1), the District 7 6A champs, at Norwin.

"I thought we played a complete game," said Stokes. "Kylie Goss caught a ball in the gap, Bri Booth ran down a ball on the right field line for a critical out and Emily Riggs snagged a line drive at second. We made the plays that I see them make every day at practice."

Sophia Rineer, who went 2-4 with a double, opened play with a base hit but a fielder's choice and a pair of strikeouts ended the threat.

They strung a couple of hits together in the second inning and took the lead for good. Kaelin Gable singled, Booth bunted for a base hit and, with two outs, Rineer doubled in two runs.

Madi Trout's two out homer in the third pushed the lead to 3-zip before the Black Hawks got on board with a base hit, a walk, and an errant throw.

"That was a monster of a home run," said Stokes. "I really don't think they were used to playing from behind."

Bethel Park went three up, three down in the fifth and sixth innings and the Comets, who finished with six hits on the day, left one runner stranded in the same frames before picking up the final run of the game in the top of the seventh. Rineer reached on an error and scored two outs later on a base hit by Riggs.

In the circle, Bella Peters gave up three hits, struck out eight batters and walked three to push the Comets into the state quarterfinals.

"Statistically, Bella pitched well," said Stokes. "And Sophia Rineer is also playing well."

The Comets, seeded second in the District Three 6A bracket, settled for third place with Thursday's 8-1 win over L-L League foe Ephrata, thus qualifying for states for the first time since 2017.

"We beat them 22-2 during the regular season so I felt confident going in," stated Stokes, "even with the distraction of graduation, which we knew was pushed to Friday before the game even started."

This final score may have been closer but there was little doubt that the Comets were in control.

Tied at 1-1 after two complete, Manor plated seven runs over the next three innings to pull away. An RBI double by Riggs and a run scoring base hit by Trout made it 3-1 after the third. But the four run fourth was the biggest blow. Goss got things rolling with a one out double and scored on Rineer's double. Riggs chipped in with a two out double that scored Goss while an error pushed in the final run of the inning.

"We finished with 13 hits Audrey Paterson, Rineer and Emily Riggs, with a pair of doubles, each had two," Stokes recalled, "and Kylie made another great over the shoulder catch at the fence in left field."

Peters started in the circle and was relieved by Aralyn Hoffert in the sixth.

"Aralyn didn't give up a hit or have a runner reach base in those last two innings," recalled Stokes. "Both pitchers threw well."