With playoffs just a handful of games away, Solanco's baseball team controls their own destiny. "We need to win the majority of our last five games if we want to keep playing."

The Mules took a step in the right direction with last Monday's 5-0 shutout over visiting Conestoga Valley. They opened with a one run lead in the first but did not take control until they put up four in the sixth. With one out in the first, Tyler Burger worked a full count walk, stole second and scored on a double by Seth Harnish.

Harnish, who fanned the first three batters of the game, went on to record 10 strikeouts against a single walk and surrendered just two hits on senior night.

"It was close to a one man show," said head coach Tom Fish, "with that man being our captain and senior leader, Seth Harnish. This was actually his first ever start on the mound in high school and he went all seven innings. His pace was exceptional, and he allowed just four baserunners, a walk in the third, a double in the fourth, a bunt single in the fifth and a base hit in the seventh," he added. "Never more than one baserunner at any point."

But the Mules were solid behind Harnish as well, playing error free baseball. "Our junior shortstop, Avery Jacobsen makes a nice play every game and he made a really tough play running down a difficult popup in the fifth," praised Fish. "And Ronnie Fulton, playing great in left field, ran down a deep shot in the fourth to end a potential CV rally."

Harnish sparked Solanco's sixth inning rally with a first pitch single. Nate Harnish and Nate Miller both doubled in runs before CV made a pitching change. That did little to slow the Mules. Kyle Stively connected for an infield base hit, Mitchell Moyer walked to load the bases and Ethan Clary singled in the last two runs of the game.

Under the lights at L-S on Wednesday, the Mules played almost dead-even with the Pioneers. Solanco held a 7-6 edge in hits and committed just one error to the hosts three. Logan Wagner and Jacobson combined for four strikeouts and four walks while the Pioneers pitchers struck out seven and walked three.

The key to this 4-2 loss was getting the big hit when needed. Down 4-1 after five complete, Solanco loaded the bases with three straight one out singles by N. Harnish, Miller and Wagner. Moyer reached on an error, knocking in one run, and cutting the lead to 4-2.

"After a strikeout, Ronnie Fulton lined out to the pitcher on a ball that, had it gotten past the pitcher, would have tied the game," noted Fish. "He hit it on the nose but their pitcher made a nice play. We

We went down quietly in the seventh.

"I thought we played a great game," he added. "It was an intense, well played high school baseball game."

Solanco scored its first run in the opening inning. S. Harnish singled in Austin Wenger who reached on a bunt base hit. L-S answered with three two out runs in the bottom half against starter Logan Wagner.

"We have some big games left that we can win, and if we do, we'll get to keep playing," Fish said. "The E-town game could go a long way in determining the second-place spot in Section Two and a trip to leagues."

TRACK

The track teams competed twice in four days and, despite some solid performances, managed just one win, an 83-67 victory over Garden Spot last Monday by the boys.

"Without having Ryan Vanover (injury), the boys stepped up," noted head coach Jen McDowell.

Elijah Reimold, winning all three jumps, and the pole vault, emerged as the top point-getter of the day. Connor Smith chipped in with wins in the shot and discus and a third in the javelin behind winner Brian Coleman as Solanco won every field event.

Highlighting the action on the track was Wyatt Tomison with a 3200 win and a personal best in the mile, good for second place. Brody Mellinger and Trent McDowell went 1-2 in the 300 hurdles and flipped places in the 110 highs with McDowell winning and Mellinger grabbing third.

Despite the girls bowing out 95.5 - 54.5 to the Spartans, Katie Urbine had a highlight day, winning the 100, 200, long jump and pole vault. Hannah Wood added wins in the shot and discus.

The teams also competed against Ephrata in a meet that started April 30 and due to the high wins, finished last Wednesday with pole vault, high jump and javelin concluding the meet. In a 95-54 loss, Wood was the standout, winning the shot, discus, and javelin. Urbine added two firsts, taking the long jump, and clearing a personal best 11-6 to capture the pole vault. Kara Peace added the top time in the open 400.

The boys' also fell short, 87-63, despite three more wins by Reimold. The junior won the high and long and cleared a personal best 10-6 to take the pole vault. John Sankus and Smith went 1-2 in the discus and Smith went on to earn seconds in the javelin (131 PR) and shot.

Ephrata gained ground on the track, winning all but two events. Vanover claimed the 100 and Tomison and Morales went 1-2 in the 3200.

SOFTBALL

After a dominating 18-3 victory over Ephrata back on April 5, Solanco was expecting to sweep the series against the Mountaineers on Friday, April 30. But that was before Covid reared its ugly head and shut the team down for 10 days.

Down 10-13 after four complete innings, Solanco plated two runs in the top of the fifth, closing the gap to one, 13-12 only to see the Mounts explode for nine runs in the bottom half, stealing a 22-12 victory.

"We looked like a team that hadn't played in ten days," said head coach Brett Miller. "Offensively we scored a lot but defensively, we gave up too many. We're still adjusting to our newfound positions," he added. "It was a back-and-forth game until they blew up.

"Pitching wise, Marlee Haupt (4K, 2W) and Holly Grube (1K, 4W) combined to scatter 16 hits," Miller noted. "This was Holly's first varsity pitching experience so you can't lose sight of that.

Last Monday the team pounded out 17 hits and turned things around with an 18-8 six inning win over Conestoga Valley. Down 4-1 after three complete innings, Solanco scored 17 runs over the next three innings to sweep the series against the Bucks.

Haupt and Grube combined for two strikeouts and five walks and surrendered nine hits.

"If we played Ephrata like we played CV, it might have been a different outcome," Miller stated. "The effort is there, we just need consistency, both defensively and pitching.

"Becca Foulk and Marlee Haupt both hit well and the Janssen sisters, in the outfield, both came up with some big catches," he added. "Overall, we're just happy to be back playing."