Warriors top Mounts

After a pair of upset wins in the District Three Class 6A softball tournament, Ephrata had hopes of keeping its Cinderella story alive Tuesday as it faced topseeded Warwick in the semifinal round. It the end, though, Warwick topped the Mounts 10-1 in Lititz — but the game felt tighter than the score line showed.

The Warriors (17-3) opened the scoring in the bottom half of the third inning after center fielder Emily Beale, who bunted her way onto first base. Beale advanced on a double by senior pitcher Katelyn “Lefty” Minney.

Beale then scored on a passed ball, with Minney following suit a few pitches later, and Warwick was off and running with a 2-0 lead.

Minney was dominant on the mound. She was perfect through the first four frames, striking out seven. She also had herself a day offensively, going 3 for 4 at the plate.

“My biggest thing, especially being the senior captain, I really just want to be the leader and show the younger girls how to be a team leader,” Minney said.

“She just goes out there and really sets the tone,” Warriors coach Mark Hough said.

Warwick opened the bottom of the fourth inning with a leadoff triple off the bat of shortstop Roxana Smithson. Designated player Jenna Ober dropped down a bunt and Smithson scored, making the squeeze play a success and giving the Warriors a 3-0 lead.

Minney’s bid for a perfect game ended in the top of the fifth with a walk of Mounts third baseman Addy Snyder. Snyder then swiped second base, and Ephrata got on the board via a single from right fielder Maddie Russell.

Ephrata (11-11) made some noise in the top of the fifth inning, but a diving stop at short by Smithson took away a run from the Mounts. Minney proceeded to strike out the next two batters, and the Mounts stranded runners on second and third.

Warwick then put the game to rest, scoring seven runs over the next two frames.

The Warriors will face second-seeded Chambersburg on Thursday in the district championship game. Both those teams have claimed one of the district’s three PIAA state playoff spot.

Ephrata still has life, though. The Mounts moved into the consolation bracket, where they’ll face third-seeded Penn Manor — which Chambersburg beat 7-5 Tuesday — for the third and final spot in the PIAA state playoffs.

“(We’ll get on the scouting report and come out tomorrow and really finetune ourselves and get ready for the next one,” Ephrata coach Katie Yohe said.