After a pair of two-run wins over L-S and CV, the Mules were looking to ride that momentum through the final three games of the season but fell short of their goal. Friday, May 5 they dropped a 9-5 result against visiting Ephrata and one day later Section Three runner-up Donegal dealt them a 10-2 loss. They capped their season with a 7-0 victory over Lebanon on May 8 leaving them in fourth place in Section Two (7-8) and 9-11 overall.

"We ran out of steam," said head coach Mike Miller. "We gave up eight unearned runs to Ephrata and it is impossible to win games that way. Against Donegal, we were not able to get the bats going. We scored no runs with bases loaded and one out and again with bases loaded, no outs. It has been the story of our season where the waves we ride are either very high, or very low."

The Mules out-hit the Mounts 10-9 but the six errors proved too costly. Ephrata scored four runs in the first frame and led 5-0 before Solanco rallied in the bottom of the fourth, scoring four. Ty Burger, Nate Harnish and Dillon Dean reached with one out base hits and Lucas Vilk's single plated two. Owen McElroy singled in the third run and Austin Wenger followed with a line drive RBI to highlight Solanco's offense.

Ephrata quieted that rally with a three run fifth. The hosts came back with one in the bottom half when Dean's base hit plated Burger but the Mules went three up, three down over the final two innings.

On Saturday, Solanco again out-hit the opposition, 8-6, but six more errors prevented a victory at Donegal. Burger (2-3) was the only Mule to finish with two hits.

In the last game of the season, Burger pitched a complete game, two hit shutout at Lebanon, striking out six and walking two.

"This was a good one to go out on," said Miller. "Ty pitched a complete game while also hitting his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the sixth. The game was a great mix of defensive plays by Austin Wenger and offensive contributions from Burger, Harnish (3-3) and Underwood. We started seven seniors (Kaden Strong, Burger, Cody Moyer, Weston Beiler, Harnish, Joey Null and McElroy) that game as well.

"The season did not turn out like we hoped but we were pleased to have a big jump from last year and hope to see our returning talent make a bigger push forward next season," Miller added.

SOFTBALL

After wrapping up the school's 21st section title, and first since 2018, the softball team capped the regular season with 13 straight wins including a 12-7 win over Ephrata (May 5) and a 12-1 result against winless Lebanon Monday, May 8. They finish at 14-1.

"With the youthfulness we had this year I thought we could be competitive in the section," said head coach Brett Miller, "but I didn't quite expect to be that far ahead of the others."

'That far ahead' is a reference to Ephrata and Lampeter-Strasburg holding down second place at 9-6. The Pioneers handed Solanco its only blemish to date.

Kira Roark, Ava Fedoruk, and Ava Martin did the bulk of the damage with 3RBI each with Fedoruk and Martin, along with Holly Grube and Sara DeFrancesco ripping doubles.

Down 2-1 after the first inning, Solanco scored three in the second and never looked back. Their biggest inning was a five-run third where five hits, including a two-run single by Fedoruk, gave the visitors a 9-2 advantage.

Solanco led 12-3 heading into the seventh but Ephrata's four-run rally, highlighted by a three-run homer, fell short.

"We had to refocus a little in that final inning," said Miller. "Anna (Sexton) threw well enough to get the result we expected against a good program. We've done well against them this year, winning all three."

Solanco, scoring all the runs they needed in the first three innings, used a 13-hit attack to quickly eliminate Lebanon. Roark faced 21 batters, struck out 13 and gave up just one hit.

Zoey Evans (2-4, 3RBI), Fedoruk (2-3, 2RBI), DeFrancesco (2-3, 3RBI), and Sexton (3RBI) provided the bulk of the offense with Rebecca Harper (2-3 with a double) and Ella Sensenig (RBI double) adding a spark to the bottom of the lineup.

"Kira pitched a nice game, and we were able to rest a couple of players," noted Miller.

In a tune-up for the post-season, Solanco traveled to Fleetwood, the sixth ranked team in District 3 4A, and came home with their highest run output of the season. The visitors hung a 23-3 loss on the home team. "The girls are just dialed in right now," said assistant coach Jason McClune.

Grube's and Delany Gote connected for two-run homers while Martin's blast cleared the bases for three more runs. Josie Janssen's triple also plated three runs in the four inning game. Grube, Janssen and Fedoruk each finished with 4RBI.

TRACK

The track teams wrapped up the regular season with two tightly contested wins at Lampeter-Strasburg Monday, May 8. The boys won ten of 18 events but swept the long jump and won two of the three relays for a 79-71 result while the girls 78-72 result also featured a pair of relay wins and a solid performance on the track.

"Noah Baber cleared 6-4 and John Sankus, who won the shot and discus, had a big PR in the shot (48-6)," pointed out head coach Jen McDowell. "Paige Althoff also had a PR in the javelin (100-4, 2nd).

"We went into this meet knowing we had the league meet coming up," she added. "It was a good overall meet."

Baber also led a long jump sweep with Josiah Forren (1st in the triple) and Tucker Kyler following. Also in the field, Braden Caldwell followed Sankus with seconds in both the shot and discus.

Bradley Weder won the 110 and 300 hurdles and Ian Althoff was first in the 400 and anchored the winning 4x400 relay with Michael Bangura, Braighton Lenhart and Asher Eshleman leading the way. Lenhart, Bangura and Kyler, along with anchor Johnny Garcia, claimed the 4x100.

The girls opened with a 4x800 relay win with Emma Baxter, the 1600 meter winner, Groff, Emily Powl and Christine Wagner taking the lead. Sarah Bard, Powl, Clair Graybeal and Emma Housekeeper capped the action on the track with a 4x400 victory. Housekeeper was coming off a 400 win, Graybeal claimed the 100 hurdles and was second in the 300's and Bard was a winner in the 200.

Daria Neaves won the 3200, Maite Granji took the 800, was second in the pole vault behind Katie Urbine's 11-6 and finished third in the high jump. Althoff added seconds in the triple and javelin and Martha Weaver settled for second in the shot and was third in the discus.

The teams competed in the Battle for the Bridge Invitational on Friday. Freshman Isaac Esh, with a first-place finish in the 3200, was their only winner. Other top 4 finishers include: 4x100 relay team, third; Baber - second (high jump) and third (long jump); Forren - second (triple jump); Wyatt Armstrong - third (pole vault); Braden Caldwell - fourth (discus) and second (shot put); Sankus - fourth (shot put); Graybeal - second (200); Anna Linde - fourth (3200); Aubrey Bickford - third (3200); Danica Dempsey - second (high jump); Granja - second (pole vault); Weaver - third (discus), second (shot); Althoff - second (javelin); and Avery Caldwell - third (javelin).