The 2023 softball team will go down in Solanco history tied for second place for most wins in a season. The 2018 team ran up 24 wins and were Lancaster-Lebanon League co-champs. Twenty years earlier (1998), the girls finished third in district play and capped the year with 22 wins, matching this year's squad who also suffered five losses, including the last three of the season.

"If you look at those 22 wins, we put together a pretty good season," said head coach Brett Miller, who announced earlier this year that he was retiring. "Can't let those last three games define the season. You have to focus on the 22 wins."

In Miller's 34 years at the helm, Solanco has had seven seasons of 20 or more wins and four more at 19. They captured 19 section titles, including this season, and three L-L League crowns (1995, 2005, 2018) and three times were runners up. The 2018 team went to the 5A state semifinals where they fell to eventual champ Lampeter-Strasburg. Solanco defeated the Pioneers twice this season. L-S went on to earn the District Three 4A title.

Highlighting this season was the play of five members of the team recently announced as First Team all-stars. Considered as the top 18 players in the section, Anna Sexton, Holly Grube, Josie Janssen, Sara DeFrancesco and Kira Roark were recognized.

"It's a nice individual recognition that requires a team to achieve," said Miller. "Holly, a junior, is a three-time all-star. She finished with 30 hits, including a team-high eight triples and a .538 batting average.

"Anna, our only senior starter, received her second all-star nomination as a pitcher/third baseman," he continued. "She rose to the occasion and improved as the season rolled along."

Sexton finished with a 13-4 record in the circle. She struck out 83 batters, walked 26, and held the fifth highest batting average on the team with a .410.

Janssen, a junior outfielder, led with 39 runs scored and tied DeFrancesco, who led with 10 doubles, with 13 walks. She finished with a .381 batting average that included 21 RBI.

Roark, a freshman, tied Ava Fedoruk, also a freshman, with a team-high 31 hits. She batted .451 on the year while Fedoruk followed Grube with a .473 average.

Janssen, DeFrancesco, a sophomore catcher and third base/pitcher Roark will all return, along with Grube, with the goal of surpassing that 22-win mark.

"Overall, we were far more productive offensively than we anticipated," said Miller. "The freshmen were thrust into positions that were probably not tailored for them. The whole team worked hard, and they all gained experience that they will hopefully build upon next year."

As far as Miller's numbers...in 34 years he racked up 548 wins against 197 losses which averages out to about 16 wins and 5.7 losses a season. Most teams would be happy with that. Solanco strives for more. Those 34 years also include 418 wins against Lancaster-Lebanon League opponents and 123 losses, a winning percentage of 77.

"I think I'll miss the practices and the exchanges with the girls the most," Miller said. "There have been many conversations over the years but teaching and coaching...they go together," he added. "And it has run its course."

For this reporter, coach Miller and I have put together 34 years of conversations as well. Every season, from start to finish, I would call coach Miller once a week, at our regularly scheduled time. It started out strictly to get the game results and details. No internet back then. But the conversations evolved over the years and what took 15 or so minutes often grew to a half an hour, some weeks more. I would sometimes talk with his wife. Occasionally the kids would answer the phone. I looked forward to those conversations that many times included talk of basketball, my favorite sport, or ice hockey, Mr. Miller's. I honestly don't think we ever missed a week. Many players have passed through his impressive program. I was fortunate enough to be able to write about most of them, privileged to be able to stand in the dugout, and grateful to have gained a friend in the process.