On April 17, the Varsity Softball team played against Biglerville in a home game, and after only three innings, the Rams won 15-0 due to the mercy rule.

The Rams’ batting lineup was: junior outfielder Lexie Kopko, senior outfielder Crystal Mullins, junior infielder Jaedyn McKeon, senior catcher Marguerite DeFranco, junior infielder Alexandra Smith, sophomore infielder Brooke Ashenfelter, junior pitcher Alexis Hurley, sophomore infielder Rosella Stike, and sophomore outfielder Stacey Schultz.

In the top of the first inning, Hurley and the Rams did not let the Canners get anybody on base. To start the bottom of the first, Kopko walked.

Then, Mullins got on base due to a Biglerville error made in the field, and Kopko scored giving the Rams an early 1-0 lead.

Next, McKeon hit an RBI single, extending the lead to 2-0. McKeon stole second and third base throughout the next at bat. DeFranco’s base hit scored another run, giving the Rams a 3-0 lead.

Then, after an RBI double from Smith, strengthening the lead to 4-0, the Canners changed pitchers.

Ashenfelter hit a base hit and Smith advanced to third, still with no outs.

Then, Hurley put the ball in play and was safe at first base due to a Biglerville error. Hurley advanced to second base on the same play, and both Ashenfelter and Smith scored, tallying the score at 6-0 in the Rams’ favor.

Stike’s at-bat resulted in a base hit giving the Rams runners at second and third base. Schultz got out, but that gave Kopko a RBI chance with one out.

Kopko got on base as a result of the Canners making an error in the field, and the Rams scored two more runs giving them a huge 8-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with just one out.

Next, Kopko advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Then, after Mullins grounded out, McKeon hit an RBI triple to extend the Rams’ lead to 9-0.

DeFranco’s second at-bat of the inning resulted in a walk, and sophomore Julie Rubelmann came on as a courtesy runner for her.

However, the Rams’ scoring was not done just yet, as Smith hit an RBI double giving the Rams a 10-0 lead before leaving the bases loaded to end the inning.

In the top of the second inning, Biglerville did not build off of getting a leadoff walk, and the score was still 10-0 going into the bottom of the second.

Stike started the bottom of the second inning off with a walk, giving the Rams a base runner early in the inning. The next two Rams got out, but Mullins got on base due to an error, and Stike scored extending the Rams’ lead to 11-0.

McKeon hit another RBI single, giving her three RBIs in the game and three hits in three at-bats. Her RBI gave the Rams the 12-0 lead, and that was the score at the end of the second inning.

Next, Hurley struck out two batters in the top of the third inning, and the Canners still could not score after their third chance, therefore, the Rams still had a 12-0 lead going into the bottom of the inning.

To begin the bottom of the third, DeFranco walked, and her courtesy runner, Rubelmann, stole second base and later advanced to third base on a wild pitch.

After two outs, Hurley came up to bat and walked. On Hurley’s walk, after she reached first, the Canners infield was not paying attention, and Hurley kept running and got to second base, giving the Rams two runners in scoring position with two outs.

During Stike’s next at-bat, Rubelmann scored on a wild pitch, and the Rams got out to a 13-0 lead over the Canners with two outs in the bottom of the third inning. Stike walked, and later advanced to second base on a wild pitch.

Then, Schultz got on base due to an error from Biglerville’s defense, and the two runners on base scored giving the Rams the mercy rule win over the Canners 15-0 in just three innings.

Looking back at the game, senior Megan Thomas said, “We were very patient at the plate, we waited for our pitches and got base hits and base runners.”

Additionally, McKeon led the way in terms of offense with three hits (one being a triple), three RBIs, and three steals. Stike and DeFranco both also contributed a hit and two walks each.

Furthermore, Smith had two RBIs, and Rubelmann had two steals.

On the defensive end, Hurley threw 30 pitches, 22 of them being strikes. Hurley also threw four strikeouts.

Head coach Gregg Coulton and some teammates had some great things to say about Hurley’s pitching. Coulton said, “Alexis is a rock in the circle, and she has improved every year.”

DeFranco made a comment about how amazing of a pitcher Hurley is and even mentioned that in a previous game, Hurley came in to pitch in the middle of a game without even warming up and got three batters out in a row.

Looking ahead to the postseason, many of the players think that their team has the potential to go far.

Hurley said, “This team has the potential to go very far into the postseason.  We just have to make sure we play as a team.”

Thomas also commented that the team has a chance at a District Championship if the team focuses and plays to their full potential. DeFranco also believes the team is capable of going far.

“I believe we can beat anybody if we show up to play. We have to be mentally prepared and play error free,” Coulton said.

According to a team member, being able to step up is an important part for a team that had lost two leaders from the year before. Also, with this year’s team having three seniors, two of them being Captains, being able to have some of the other players step up is crucial.

While DeFranco said that the team had not really worried a lot about losing two leaders from the year before, it was still understood that players need to step up in order for the team to win in the postseason. Two of the Captains being juniors, Kopko and McKeon, have helped the team have leadership from players that will not be gone after this season.