STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The last of the the high school state championships is the 5A softball title on the line between Lampeter-Strasburg and Armstrong. A thriller of a game that ends well for the Pioneers.
Three seniors from the 2018 state championship team are Friday’s captains; Cam Byler, Daisy Frank and Chloe Blantz.
The game is scoreless in the first but in the second, the River Hawks bring in four that gives Pioneers head coach Gene Charles a reason to call time out and talk things over.
In the next inning, Blantz cranks one out to center. She brought home Brooke Zuber and Ally Raub and they cut Armstrong's lead in half, 4-2.
In the bottom of the third, pitcher Kevia Middleton got a hold of it and lets it rip right out of the park to take a trip around the diamond. Raub then goes up the middle for Emily Platt to make her way home just in time. A popup then allows another to score and just like that the Pioneers are up by one.
The River Hawks regain the lead scoring two in the fourth.
To the bottom of the fifth – Sydney Weichler took a hit deep to center. She brought home Zuber and Raub. Weichler is brought home by Frank with another slice up right up the gut to put the icing on the cake in the fifth Byler got everything and then some. Towards center, off the scoreboard for a two run homer to cap off the Pioneers near perfect season, winning 10-7
“That has been my dream. I just want to hit one out at Penn State in the championship game. Didn’t happen my sophomore year but to do it my senior year. My last game. It feels amazing and the fact that it helped our team win, is just even better, Cam Byler, LS senior first base.
The team only suffered one loss the entire season.
“I’d like to say, we finished that way we started. It’s really fun for us to be able to come back here. Especially, like you said, three times. Then to win it especially because the last time we lost. We didn’t want our last time playing to be a loss again, said Blantz, senior shortstop.
“Not a lot of people get to experience this. So, being able to get this and get her all three years that I’ve played is really incredible," Daisy Frank, senior second base.
“Wow, how sweet it is. How sweet it is. To be back here, there times in a row. Too win two of them. I feel blessed but I have a great group of kids around me obviously and right now I don’t know what to say. This is a great feeling," said Gene Charles, LS head coach.