FAYETTEVILLE — Now comes the big challenge.
The Chambersburg softball team disposed of Manheim Township 13-2 on Saturday afternoon at Norlo Park in a District 3 Class 6A quarterfinal game, pushing the Trojans (17-4) into the semifinals on Tuesday. Waiting for them is rival Central Dauphin (16-2), the No. 1 seed, which holds 4-2 and 2-1 wins over Chambersburg this season.
Kylee Perry
"Once again, we have three (Mid Penn) Commonwealth teams in the final four of districts (No. 2 Cumberland Valley is the other team)," Chambersburg coach Chris Skultety. "It just shows you how our league gets us all ready for the playoffs."
The Trojans' Kylee Perry, who slugged a grand slam in a huge 9-run third inning, said, "I think if we play against Central Dauphin the way we have been playing, we can beat them."
No. 5 seed Chambersburg, which has won 8 straight games and has already clinched a berth in the PIAA Tournament, and the Blue Streaks played an eventful first inning without any runs being scored.
Manheim Township (10-12) had runners on first and second on a hit batter (Paige Hughes), fielder's choice (Ashley Bryant) and a single (Sara Hess). Ava Stern then dropped a hit into left field. Bryant, however, got a very slow start off second base and leftfielder Erissa Varner alertly fired to third for an out. Pitcher Kori Leedy then got the final out on a grounder.
"Yeah, we'll take that," Skultety said. "You don't see many 7-5 fielder's choices."
In the bottom of the first, the Trojans loaded the bases with no outs on a single by Bree Paetow, a walk to Karley Skultety and a looping single to left by Addison Gsell. But Stern escaped on a pop-up, line drive and grounder, all to third baseman Hughes.
Skultety said, "After that play in the top of the inning, and then we loaded the bases, I thought we were ready to open it up right then."
Chambersburg had to wait only one more inning. In the second, Leedy reached on an infield hit and Marley Onomastico lined a double to left-center. Varner lofted a fly ball to deep center to bring in the first run, then Paetow hit a fly ball to left that carried just enough to hit the top of the fence and bounce over for a two-run home run and a 3-0 lead.
The Blue Streaks made it 3-1 in the top of the third with an unearned run. With two outs, Bryant singled and went to second on an errant pickoff attempt. She scored on a base hit by Hess.
But it didn't take long for the Trojans to get that run back and then some.
The first six batters of the bottom of the third reached base and Chambersburg ended up scoring nine times.
Malia Cramer walked, Perry hit a single and Sanay Jones brought them both in with a ringing double to left-center. After a wild pitch, Leedy's infield hit scored Jones. Onomastico ripped another double to plate the fourth run and Varner walked.
Paetow moved the runners up with a bunt, and after an out, Cramer's infield hit made it 8-1. Then Perry stepped up and tanked a shot well over the fence in left-center for a grand slam. Her first career home run was a big one, scoring four runs.
"I wasn't trying (for a home run), but I felt when I hit it, it might be one," Perry said. "I didn't even know it was a grand slam — I didn't know until I got back to the dugout."
Skultety said, "She's a freshman. I told her before she went up there that the pitcher was struggling, so look for the first pitch. She did, and she hammered it.
"The bottom of the order today was phenomenal. It's nice to see that. The regular season doesn't matter, because we have some players, like Jones and Onomastico, who have turned their seasons around."
The fifth through ninth hitters for Chambersburg totaled 8 hits and 9 runs batted in. Paetow was 3-for-3, including a single that scored her team's final run in the fourth.
Leedy went four innings, allowing 4 hits, no earned runs, no walks and struck out 3, while Issie Slimmer pitched the final inning, allowing a run on 2 hits.
