Round three of Solanco vs. Elizabethtown took place on both teams' biggest stage of the season - the District Three Class 5A playoffs. After splitting the regular season with Solanco winning 3-2 in Elizabethtown on April 13 and the Bears returning the favor 3.5 weeks later in a slugfest in Quarryville, 10-9, the rubber match last Tuesday, back in Elizabethtown, decided who would move on. And it was the Bears and their four run sixth inning that delivered the blow Solanco hoped to avoid. The No. 6 seed hosts settled for a 6-1 win over the 10-8 Mares and lived to play another day.

"It's kind of unfortunate to meet another L-L team this early in the playoffs," said head coach Brett Miller. "But we played those two games at the end and that got us the higher seed and pushed us to a familiar foe."

Solanco scored its only run in the third. Holly Grube's base hit pushed in Emily Sims who reached on a fielder's choice. Etown knotted the score in the fourth on an error and an infield bunt base hit and scored what proved to be the winning run one inning later.

The visitors looked to respond when Becca Foulk worked a one-out walk in the sixth and Jade Eshleman followed with a base hit, but back-to-back pop outs ended the threat.

The Bears delivered the final blow in the bottom half, with a little help from the Mares. They opened with a single and a base hit. A grounder to third scored the first run. A hit batter loaded the bags and put the pressure on Anna Sexton. The sophomore got back-to-back force outs at home. The third out, however, came one batter too late as K.T. Geesey came to the plate and ripped a three-run triple before a popup ended the inning.

"The opportunity was there," said Miller, "but we didn't cash in, and they did. We were a bit generous at times. Anna threw well enough to win and the centerfielder (Kendal Janssen) made two impressive catches.

"Our goal was to get better and better as the season went along," he continued. "And we did that. Next year we have another opportunity. Everyone but Jade will be back.

"This will sting for awhile but if you look at our season as a whole, the success is there. This group works at it."

TRACK

Katie Urbine and Ryan Vanover represented Solanco at the District Three Track and Field Championships held May 21-22 at Seth Grove Stadium on the campus of Shippensburg University. One of them qualified for the PIAA championships.

Urbine, a sophomore, made the most of her district debut, placing third in the pole vault while also competing in the 100m sprint. Seeded in the top seven, Urbine cleared 11-6, tying her personal best while running the 100 between vaults and qualifying for states.

She clocked a 12.59 in the prelims and then went 12.72 in the semis, missing the finals by .01.

"She was seeded second going into the semifinals," said head coach Jen McDowell. "She did very well, considering she had to do the first run in the middle of the pole vault and then ran the semis after vaulting. The weather definitely made it tough."

Vanover, a senior, had a tough day and did not extend his season.

"It was a great accomplishment to make it to districts," said McDowell. "His best time was a 10.9 (handheld) so 11.14 FAT this season. He ran an 11.56 on Friday."

The last Solanco athlete to compete in states was Anna Cooney, who qualified in 2018 in the shot put. Cooney was recently named to the NCAA Division Three Outdoor Track and Field All-Region team for both hammer and shot put. She will compete in the NCAA Division Three Championships in both events. Cooney attends Widener University.