LINGLESTOWN — The Chambersburg softball team put up a big highlight very early in the season on Wednesday afternoon.
Playing at Central Dauphin in a Mid Penn Commonwealth game, the Trojans scored a pair of runs in the top of the eighth inning and Sanay Jones pitched a scoreless bottom of the inning to give Chambersburg an 8-6 win over the defending PIAA champions.
Addy Gsell
“What a gutsy win for the girls,” Trojan coach Chris Skultety said. “The best thing I saw was when we made some physical and mental errors got behind two different times, no one pointed fingers or got rattled or put their heads down — they stuck together as a team and got it done together.”
In the top of the 8th, with one out, Erissa Varner singled and scored on a base hit by Addy Gsell, who then scored on a triple to right field by Marley Onomastico. The Rams got one runner on base in the bottom of the inning, but Jones secured the final 3 outs.
Skultety said, “Sanay gutted through the last three innings (1 hit, 3 walks) and was effective keeping them off the board.”
Central Dauphin led 4-0 after two innings off starter Issie Slimmer, who allowed 6 runs in 5 innings, but only 2 that were earned.
Chambersburg battled back with 3 runs in the third. Varner led off with a triple and scored on an error. Onomastico got a base hit and, after a fielder’s choice, Kylee Perry hit an RBI single. The last run scored on a ground ball by Piper Jones.
The Trojans tied it in the fourth when Josey Snavely walked, Varner produced a bunt single, Gsell moved them up with a sacrifice and a grounder by Onomastico scored Snavely.
After falling behind 6-4, Chambersburg rallied again in the top of the sixth to tie the game. Hensley Brookens walked to lead off, and after an out, Varner walked. The runs scored on a single by Gsell and a fielder’s choice by Onomastico.
“The top of our lineup pounded the ball and even their outs were hit hard,” Skultety said. “Erissa set the table and Addy, Marley and Kylee took care of the rest.”
Varner and Gsell were each 3-for-4, Perry was 3-for-5 and Onomastic was 2-for-5. Gsell and Onomastico each knocked in 3 runs.
Skultety said, “That’s a tough place to play, and to come out with an early win like that, it’s exciting.”