Manheim Central tops Elco in L-L League Section 3 softball showdown

For the first five innings Friday, Manheim Central pitcher Riley Hostetter looked like Jennie Finch. Over the last two, more like Sydd Finch, but it was still enough.

On a pleasant, if chilly, evening Manheim Central defeated Elco 4-2 behind Hostetter’s pitching and Kayleigh Detz’s two-run, second-inning double.

The victory moves Manheim (9-5 league, 10-8) into a tie with the Raiders (9-5, 12-5) for second place in Section Three of the Lancaster-Lebanon League.

With one game left on the league schedule — Elco hosts Octorara on Monday, Manheim travels to Cocalico — it also gives the Barons the tiebreaker for the section’s second qualifier for the league playoffs.

Hostetter recorded 10 of her 12 strikeouts in the first five innings, allowing just two hits in Chloe Shirk’s second-inning single and Morgan Wilson’s fourth-inning double.

“She was solid on her game,” said Manheim coach Amanda Richards. “She came in with the mindset she had to be hitting spots. She was painting it, definitely.”

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Meanwhile, her mound counterpart, Gabby Smith, was walking on the wild side, issuing free passes to six of the first 14 batters. She also struck out six of the first 14.

She walked the first three batters of the game and, with two outs, forced in Manheim’s first run by hitting Mea Redcay.

Smith walked three of the first four batters of the second inning. Mackenzie Bernot scored on a wild pitch, but the real damage came off the bat of Detz, who blooped a two-run double behind third base to give the Barons a 4-0 lead.

After the rough start, Smith settled in allowing Emily Roeting’s fourth-inning single in addition to Detz’s hit. She finished with 11 strikeouts, and seven walks.

Hostetter cruised through five before Kenzie Deeks reached on an error leading off the sixth inning. Abby Hassler singled and Shirk doubled deep to right center. Getting a late start, Hassler had to hold at third as Deeks scored.

Wilson worked a walk in a 10-pitch at-bat, loading the bases with nobody out. After a strikeout, Manheim brought the infield in, a key to what happened next.

Makayla Noll grounded to Roeting at shortstop, who collided with Shirk running to third.

Initially, obstruction was called. After a conference, that was overturned and Shirk was called out for interference, with Hassler being sent back to third as Noll stood on first on a fielder’s choice. Hostetter got Abby Ruth on a comebacker to end the threat.

It got stranger still in the seventh. With one out, Smith singled. Deeks grounded to Makenzie Pearson at second, whose throw to Roeting for the force was high, pulling Roeting off the bag.

Smith was called safe, but after another conference, she was ruled out and Adelae Weiler pinch ran for Deeks.

Hassler singled and Shirk drove in her second run, singling home Weiler. With runners at second and third and two outs, Wilson smoked a pitch high and deep to left field, but foul. Hostetter then froze her for strike three to end it.

Raiders coach Allen Phillips called the two overturned decisions rally killers, but refused to hang the outcome on them.

“What are you going to do?” he said “We waited too long to get started. We just couldn’t get a flow going ’til the end.”