New Era correspondent Dave Byrne was in Newville on Tuesday for a District 3 Triple-A semifinal game featuring two-time defending L-L League champ Lampeter-Strasburg. The Pioneers won and set up a showdown against their rivals, Donegal, in the district title game. Here’s Dave’s report from Wednesday’s New Era:
NEWVILLE — When you reach this level of the postseason in softball, hits are few and runs are even rarer.
Lampeter-Strasburg made the most of its one scoring chance, and senior righthander Courtney Eckman drove the wagon home as the Pioneers defeated Susquehannock 2-0 Tuesday at the Heishman Softball Complex.
Sophomore catcher Katie Lynch’s two-run, first-inning single was all the offense L-S needed behind Eckman’s two-hit shutout.
Eckman struck out seven while walking two to propel the Pioneers (23-1 overall) to their first District 3 softball title game.
L-S will meet defending District 3 and PIAA champion Donegal for the Triple-A championship on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Harrisburg’s Brightbill Park.
Donegal returned to the finals with a 1-0 win over Hershey on Tuesday at Garrett Park in Willow Street.
L-S got this far once before, losing to Daniel Boone in the 2005 semifinals. Last year. the Pioneers were upset in the quarterfinals by Muhlenberg.
“I remember that game,” Eckman said. “I feel like I remember them all.”
File this one with the memories.
Keeping the Warriors (19-2) off balance with a steady mix of fastballs, changeups, risers and even an occasional screwball, Eckman carried a no-hitter through 3 2/3 innings before pitcher Megan Sheaf broke the spell for Susquehannock with a single into right field.
Catherine Schuing followed with a walk, but Eckman retired Chelsie DiPaola on a foul pop to Lynch to end what passed for Susquehannock’s only threat.
Eckman’s defense made sure there were no extended uprisings.
Capping a perfect 3-for-3 night in the field, L-S third baseman Ashley Lehman made a great play to her left to gun down Erin Clary leading off the sixth.
“That was a key play with their 2-3-4 hitters coming up,” L-S coach Tim Shoff noted. “Kudos to her.”
The next batter, Kelly Christ, lined to first baseman Monica Hershey and, with one out in the seventh, shortstop Lauren McHale backpedaled to snare DiPaola’s soft liner.
“They are wicked fast on defense,” Susquehannock coach Dave Pollick said with admiration.
“I feel like … I have an amazing eight girls behind me,” Eckman said. “I can always trust them. I feel comfortable with the ball getting hit.”
While L-S was near-perfect in the field, Susquehannock’s defense was flawed — fatally so in a first inning that was, for all intents and purposes, the whole game.
Eckman led off with a walk and, with one out, McHale grounded to the shortstop side of second base. It might not have been a double-play ball, but it surely would have been an easy force of courtesy runner Sarah Bianchi.
But Susquehannock got nothing as the ball went through Clary’s legs and into center field.
Mel Martin then tried to advance the runners with a bunt to Sheaf, who threw to second base for an apparent out.
But L-S appealed, arguing that DiPaola, who was covering the base, never touched the bag on the play.
The umpires agreed. The runners were safe all around, and the bases were loaded.
That brought up Lynch, who bounced a single back up the middle to bring in two runs.
Sheaf settled in after that, finishing with 12 strikeouts and allowing just three more baserunners.
But the damage had been done.
“We were just a nudge off,” Pollick offered. “It wasn’t a lot, but we just didn’t do the things we’ve been doing, all those little tiny things that you need to do to succeed.”
Tuesday night, success was spelled L-S.
