The softball team opened the Lancaster-Lebanon League tournament with a home game against Section Three runner-up Manheim Central (13-7) on Friday, May 12 and quickly took control. A six-run second inning erased a 1-0 deficit and fueled a 9-1 victory.

"It was somewhat what we expected," said head coach Brett Miller. "Their pitcher has thrown well enough for them to be competitive. We just hit the ball very well and they had some costly errors. It was a playoff victory and an experience we needed to build upon."

Winning pitcher Anna Sexton (7k, 0w) sparked the six-run second with a full count single and scored on Delaney Gote's double. Zoey Evans and Ava Martin connected for back-to-back RBI triples, pushing the lead to 3-1. Kira Roark's misplayed hit and Holly Grube's two out double made it 5-1 before Sexton (2-4) stepped to the plate again, this time delivering a run scoring single.

After three scoreless innings, Solanco refocused and plated three more runs with Roark's two-run base hit doing the most damage. Roark finished with 3RBI on the day.

"We lost a little focus there for a couple of innings but got the result we wanted," Miller said. "Anna settled down after that first inning and held them down. We still need to be more consistent."

Monday Solanco traveled to Millersville for a semifinals date with Section One runner-up Warwick (16-5). Both teams finished with eight hits, but the Warriors made good on three home runs and took advantage of four Solanco errors to finish on top, 11-4.

"I thought we were playing the game faster than it was meant to be played," said Miller. "We were rushing, both offensively and defensively."

Warwick set the tone early, jumping out to a 2-0 lead on a walk and a one out, two run homer.

Solanco countered just as quickly, scoring three in the bottom half, but that lead did not last for long as Warwick regained control in the top of the second and never looked back.

Josie Janssen's one out triple sparked the bottom of the first. She scored on Grube's full count triple to right center. Sara DeFrancesco's fielder's choice plated Grube and Gote's full count double pushed in Sexton who reached on a base hit.

Warwick took advantage of two errors, a sac bunt, and a solo homer to take the lead for good. They picked up a single run in the fourth and then broke the game open with five in the fifth, using a two-run homer and three passed ball steals of home to put the game out of reach.

Solanco did try to rally in the fourth and scratched out one more run but it wasn't enough.

"Sometimes experiences come at a cost," said Miller. "It was one game and now we prepare for the next one, where we'll have the home field advantage. We could pick up one game, two games or four games but we have to get that first one."

TRACK

The track team earned a handful of medals, turned in a couple of personal records and set a new school record on a wet and dreary day at the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championships held Friday and Saturday at Hempfield High School.

The girls' 4x100 relay team of Katie Urbine, Oli Oravitz, Sarah Bard, and Emma Housekeeper broke their own school record with a 48.81 and finished second behind McCaskey (48.08).

"They took another second off their time and are currently ranked third in the district," lauded head coach Jen McDowell.

Oravitz medaled in all three of her individual events as well. She was third in the long jump (17-7), fourth in the 100 (12.61) and fifth in the triple jump (35-8.5). "Both of her jumps and her 100 time are new personal records," said McDowell. "And Emma Housekeeper had a half-second PR in the 200 which will get her into districts."

Also placing for the girls was Urbine and Martha Weaver. Urbine, the top seed in the pole vault, settled for third place, clearing 11-6 and Weaver threw 34-10.25 to claim eighth place in the shot put.

Leading the boys' team was Josiah Forren with a sixth-place triple jump of 41-11 and Noah Baber who finished seventh in the high jump, clearing 5-10, and was eighth in the long jump (20-10).

"Our throwers struggled a bit," said McDowell. "But Josiah's jump was a new PR."

Braden Caldwell was just out of the medal round, placing ninth in the shot put (46-7.5).