FAYETTEVILLE — The Chambersburg softball team does not have an answer for Sydney May.
The Cumberland Valley sophomore right-hander baffled the Trojan batters for the second time this season and the Eagles dealt Chambersburg a 2-0 defeat in a District 3 Class 6A semifinal softball game Tuesday afternoon at Norlo Park.
Kylee Miller
The Trojans (19-3) had their 10-game win streak halted. They will now host Governor Mifflin (17-4) on Thursday at 4:30 in the third-place game, while CV (16-5) takes on Central Dauphin (20-1) for the title. CD beat the Mustangs 7-0 in the other semifinal.
May handcuffed Chambersburg on four hits. She walked three (one intentional) and struck out 12.
In an earlier game this year, won 1-0 by the Trojans in 12 innings, May allowed just two hits and struck out 16.
“Lots of runners on base, and not performing when we had to,” Chambersburg coach Chris Skultety said. “It all comes down to us not executing with runners on base.”
Chambersburg had runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings and each inning ended with a May strikeout. In the fifth, the Trojans loaded the bases on a double by Brooke Leedy, a bunt single by Bree Paetow and an intentional walk to Sam Paetow, but May once again earned a strikeout to end the threat.
May said, “I didn’t really change anything from the last time, because it was working.”
Asked if her riseball was a key, she smiled and said, “Yeah, the riseball was a big part of it.”
Chambersburg’s batters either swung and missed that pitch, or popped it up. Of the Trojans’ nine non-strikeout outs, only two were grounders; three were pop-ups and four were caught line drives.
Skultety said, “We did not make them make a hard play for the third out. We either struck out or popped out. We weren’t patient — we swung at too many bad pitches. We did hit some line drives near the end, but they were right at them.”
One live drive snagged by Cumberland Valley shortstop Maddie Martin on a full dive to her left to leadoff hitter Jaden Stull in the third proved big. Bree Paetow walked, and after an out, Sam Paetow took a walk, too. But May ended that threat with another K.
The Eagles jumped on Chambersburg’s Kylee Miller in the top of the first inning for both of their runs. Annika Shearer was hit by a pitch and moved up on a grounder. Martin then flipped a soft drive into left field for a run-scoring double, and she scored when May belted a triple to the fence in right-center.
“Getting the lead was was really nice,” May said. “That kept us up the whole game.”
Miller did not allow another run, walked only one (intentionally) and fanned seven.
Eagles coach Gregg Williams said, “We had a Memorial Day practice and the girls were laser focused. It was the third time we’ve seen Miller this year, and that helped a little, too. I liked our chances.”
NOTES: Martin was 4-for-4 and May was 3-for-3 for CV … Addison Gsell had a triple for the Trojans and Bree Paetow was 2-for-3 with a walk … The Eagles were denied an insurance run in the top of the seventh when centerfielder Carly Benedict gunned down Grayson Trybulski at home plate after a single by Martin.