Those highly-competitive members of the Harrisburg RBI Softball team are going back to the World Series.
On the strength of two quick victories over Philadelphia on Friday, strong efforts by pitchers Cassidy Pinchorski of Williams Valley and CD East's Alyssia Brown wrapped up the Mid-Atlantic Regional title just a few hours.
Baltimore was originally scheduled to compete alongside Harrisburg and Philadelphia but pulled out, leaving just a pair of all-star teams to square off in a best-of-three series for the World Series berth.
Pinchorski fired a complete-game two-hitter and sat down eight in the opener, a 16-2 Harrisburg victory, before Brown racked up 11 strikeouts during a three-hitter in the 6-2 clincher at Watkins Park in Prince George's County, MD.
Offensively, CD East slugger Nina Bruno totaled five hits and scored four Harrisburg runs in the doubleheader sweep. Harrisburg's Morgan Chisholm plated five runs on four hits. Mike Stepp's squad will play in Arlington, Texas, August 12-17.
SENIOR RBI BASEBALL
The three-time Mid-Atlantic Regional champs ended a tough Friday session 1-1 after a tough 3-2 loss to host Prince George's County. The pitching combination of Bishop McDevitt's John Brubaker and Lower Dauphin's Blair Lewis only allowed one earned run but it wasn't enough.
Earlier, Deon Stafford's two-run blast and fine mound work by Susquehanna Twp. ace Brett Floyd paced Harrisburg's 12-2, five-inning decision over Durham, N.C. The split forces Rob Martin's team into a must-win game with Philadelphia today at University of Maryland's Shipley Field. First pitch is 11:30 a.m.
JUNIOR RBI BASEBALL
Harrisburg kept its title hopes alive with a late surge to topple Philadelphia 8-7. Lower Dauphin's Mike Geesaman went 2-for-4 and shared six runs scored with West Perry's Scott Messner and Bishop McDevitt's Jamie Wrabel. Cumberland Valley's Andrew Smith also pushed across a pair of Harrisburg runs.
Harrisburg's first test against Reading did not finish as well as three unearned runs produced a 3-0 loss.
West Perry pitcher Drayton Koser scattered just three hits, but Reading posted two fourth-inning runs on a throwing error and added a fifth-inning run on a wild pitch.
Boiling Springs' Hunter Goshorn cracked the only Harrisburg hit against Reading ace Richie Sanchez. Harrisburg will likely need wins over Baltimore and Norfolk (VA) today to make Sunday's championship round.