After showing promise in their scrimmages against Kennard-Dale and Cumberland Valley, the softball team opened Section Two action with a home game Tuesday, March 30 against a struggling Lebanon squad. The result was a 15-0, three inning shutout.

Solanco scored all of their runs in a 45-minute first inning, using six hits and seven walks to control the outcome. Jade Eshleman's three-run triple to right field was the big hit of the day as Solanco batted around twice in the inning. Alyssa Schlagnhaufer pushed in three runs on a pair of base hits and Holly Grube walked twice and singled.

Marlee Haupt, a first-year junior pitcher, picked up the no-hit victory with seven strikeouts and zero walks.

"We're young but we have a lot of flexibility with our starters," said head coach Brett Miller. "Our pitchers can play first base, we have three players that are legitimate catchers, and our infielders can move around. We need to get as much experience as we can and as quickly as we can."

Solanco returns four starters. All-star senior Jade Eshleman will again handle the pitchers from her catcher position. Becca Foulk, a junior, moves from short to third base (and can catch), and Taryn Britigan, also a junior, takes charge at second base. In the outfield, Kendal Janssen holds down center field.

Freshman Emily Sims moves in to short and is the lead-off hitter. First year senior Paige Stoltzfus will see action at first base. Schlagnhaufer, a junior, will play left field and freshman Holly Grube holds down right field. In addition to Haupt, Anna Sexton, a sophomore, will pitch. Both can play first base.

"I think it will be an extremely challenging season," said Miller. "We were one player away from not being able to play Lebanon. Who is available to play could change from that morning to game time. Some things will be out of our control. What we need to focus on is consistency."

BASEBALL

The baseball team, with a roster of just 13, has high expectations. They went 15-5 in 2019 and finished second in Section Two. The Mules lost their first round L-L League playoff game against Central but rebounded with their first district win since 2007, edging Mechanicsburg 5-4 before falling in the quarterfinals to state runner-up Lampeter-Strasburg, 4-2.

They return just two players from that team. Senior third baseman Seth Harnish, a Section Two all-star, and senior Ethan Clary in the outfield.

"The rest of our squad has no varsity experience, but I assume several teams in the league are in the same boat," said head coach Tom Fish.

Clary and Harnish, along with sophomore Tyler Burger and senior Mitchell Moyer are projected to see action on the hill. Harnish, Clary and Moyer, along with Garrett Worthington, Ronnie Fulton and Nate Miller "will have the opportunity to earn every day playing time," said Fish. "Several underclassmen are also in the mix.

"I expect an unusual season," the coach continued. "Schedule, weather, health and luck will play a major factor like never before. I'm just happy we have a schedule that we can navigate. I'm anxious to see what we have. The guys have been working hard and are enjoying the nice weather."

Tuesday afternoon, March 30, the Mules got a chance to put that hard work into action as they traveled to Lebanon for the Section Two opener. After three scoreless innings, Solanco took a lead they never relinquished in a 5-3 win.

Sophomore Tyler Burger pitched five shutout innings and earned the win with eight strikeouts and three walks. He gave up just one hit. Harnish pitched the last two innings in relief.

"After a shaky sixth inning, where Lebanon scored three runs and cut the lead to 5-3, Seth settled down with three strikeouts and one walk in the seventh," Fish pointed out.

Solanco lit the board in the fourth. Burger reached on an error, stole second, was sacrificed to third by Austin Wenger's bunt and scored on a groundout by Harnish.

The Mules picked up four more runs in the fifth. Nate Miller opened with a leadoff single and scored on a double steal when Ethan Clary, who walked, stole second base. Ronnie Fulton followed with a perfect bunt that scored Clary. Fulton scored on Burger's triple to right and Burger came home on Wenger's ground out.

"We held on after that," said Fish. "I was happy for the guys to get that first game under our belt and to get the win. Defensively, Ethan made a great diving catch in center and our middle infielders, Austin and Nate, played flawlessly," he added. "Garrett Worthington also did a nice job behind the plate. It was a great day for baseball and for the season's first win."