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| Mounts 2, Red Tornado 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Staff holds
McCaskey to two hits, one run as Mounts improve to 6-1 Ephrata 2, McCaskey 1 (April 11, 2008 at War Memorial Field)
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| Spartans 4, Mounts 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Garden
Spot shocks Mounts with three runs in the final two frames as
game ends on controversial fielder's interference call; loss
snaps Ephrata's five-game winning streak Garden Spot 4, Ephrata 3 (April 9, 2008 at Spartans Field)
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| Mounts 5, Mules 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mounts
seize control of first place with
four-pitcher,
9-strikeout performance;
Face Garden Spot on road on Wednesday Ephrata 5, Solanco 1 (April 8, 2008 at War Memorial Field)
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| Mounts 9, Eagles 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ephrata's bats pound out 12 hits; five-man staff strikes out
season-high 11 Cocalico batters as Mounts roll on Ephrata 9, Cocalico 1 (April 7, 2008 at War Memorial Field)
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| Mounts 9, Bears 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mounts
keep pace with Solanco as four pitchers combine to keep E-town's
bats in check Ephrata 9, Elizabethtown 1 (April 3, 2008 at War Memorial Field)
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| Mounts 15, Buckskins 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mounts
erase a shaky start to ten-run Conestoga Valley on the road to
open up Section 2 play; Lowrie leads 14-hit attack with a HR,
double, single and 5 RBI's Ephrata 15, Conestoga Valley 4 (April 2, 2008 at Buckskins Field)
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| Mounts 6, Pioneers 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Pitching and Defense Combine to Lead Ephrata to a Season
Opening Road Win on Friday Ephrata 6, Lampeter-Strasburg 4 (March 28, 2008 at Pioneer Field)
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| Touching Them All | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Three Ex-Mounts
Hit First Collegiate Home Runs 72 hours apart March 17, 2008  There
is a saying in baseball that "hitting is contagious." If
one player starts swinging a hot bat, often, his teammates
join in on the hit parade. But, could the same hold true
for three former high school teammates, each playing for their
respective colleges and universities, hundreds of miles and a
couple of days apart? It's a bit of a stretch,
however, between Saturday and Monday, three of the four
ex-Mounts currently playing NCAA baseball, hit home runs for
the first time in their collegiate careers, all contributing
to their teams' victories. And, to add to the irony, the
one former Mount who did not go yard, was excused from his
hitting duties late in a blowout game, allowing a pinch hitter
to get an at bat. That pinch hitter happened to be a
former high school teammate, and that at bat, led to a
three-run homer. So, in a sense, every ex-Mount was
connected in some way to this series of career milestones
making Ephrata head coach Adrian Shelley quite proud.
"This is always a neat time of the year because everyday you
can click on the "Mounts Beyond" link on the web site and
follow players, who we've had the privilege to coach, and
enjoy in their successes at the next level. Today and
Saturday was a banner day for them, and for our program.
To be able to closely follow each of these young men's playing
careers, and to follow Ross through his daily blog, who
pitched for the first time today down at Spring Training,
allows us to maintain a special connection with these guys.
I was able to speak with two of the three players on the phone
shortly after their "big" games, and was able to congratulate
them and tell them how proud we were. I also made them
aware that their on-field successes help serve as great examples for
our current players who continue to pursue dreams of their
own. So, I guess you could say that we're all
touched by days like today and Saturday."This past Saturday, it was true freshman Reid Martin, who started the ex-Mount long ball barrage. The starting third baseman, in only his 16th collegiate game, deposited his first career dinger over the left field fence to help Alvernia College sweep conference rival Gwynedd-Mercy College in an afternoon double-header in Reading, PA. The former Mounts shortstop, who hit three career home runs in high school, has been a major offensive contributor for the 12-4 Crusaders. On Monday, in an odd twist of fate, former Mounts catcher-turned-collegiate-outfielder Ben Snyder, who was 1-for-3 in the first game of a double-header sweep of Greenville College, gave way to fellow Messiah College teammate and ex-high school teammate junior Jonnie Ebersole, who hit a three-run pinch hit home run in a 17-3 route during the team's Florida spring break trip. The home run marked Ebersole's first collegiate round-tripper, who hit one home run during his career at Ephrata. Snyder, a senior, homered in a game for the first time in his career last season, when he led the Falcons in batting average. Also on Monday, University of Rhode Island senior infielder Shaun Hagey found the other side of the fence, hitting the first home run of his career, highlighting a 4-for-4 day, as the Rams defeated Radford, 11-6. Hagey, who has battled injuries throughout his collegiate career, led the 2003 League Champion Mounts in home runs with four as a junior, and finished his career at Ephrata with six long balls. Ironically, it was Shaun's season-ending knee injury in the early part of his senior season that provided a young freshman shortstop, Reid Martin, with the opportunity to step in and begin his journey to becoming a college baseball player. "When I first spoke with Shaun tonight, I didn't tell him it was me, and started in by saying that I've waited four years and clicked on the URI website hundreds of times waiting for this moment to happen," commented Coach Shelley. "And, he immediately recognized me, started laughing and said, "Hey, Coach, finally!" I could tell how relieved he was. I told him how proud we were of him and congratulated him on doing something that I couldn't do during my own four-year collegiate career. I then told him that Reid went deep on Saturday, and jokingly reminded him that it only took him sixteen games, which brought about some laughter. For these guys to all be able to compete at the next level and then have similar memorable experiences within days of one another is pretty incredible. Tomorrow, I'll try to track down Ben and Jonnie." |
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| 65 Moms Attend Inaugural EBA Baseball Mom’s Luncheon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday
luncheon at the EBA Academy proves a big hit in kicking off
the 2008 baseball season March 16, 2008 The first annual EBA Baseball Mom’s Luncheon, sponsored by Chris’s New York Style Pizzeria, Pamper Me Please, and Green Mountain Cyclery, was a “big hit” this past Sunday as 65 moms turned out to participate in an afternoon of information, communication, and fun that featured several board members from the Ephrata Baseball Association, as well as Mounts head coach Adrian Shelley and five of his senior players. The event was specifically designed to celebrate the vital role that mothers play in the lives of youth baseball players by offering them a free catered lunch by Chris’s New York Style Pizzeria. It also offered EBA board members the opportunity to communicate to the audience the comprehensive structure of EBA that facilitates youth baseball programs for members of the entire Ephrata Area School District, ages 5-19. “We are very proud to share with people that we are one of the only youth baseball organizations in the county that offers programs for such a wide range of age groups and abilities under one governing body,” remarked Coach Shelley, who is also an EBA board member. “One of the major objectives for hosting such an event was to clearly communicate to parents the philosophies, operating procedures, and ideas that our organization stands behind, and who better to speak to than our dedicated mothers. We also wanted to provide them with an afternoon of fun and, hopefully, were able to accomplish that in a variety of ways. Besides the catered lunch and informative sessions, the ladies were treated to waiter service by several Mounts senior baseball players, who also were involved in performing an interactive baseball bingo game that offered a wide range of door prizes to the participants. “Anytime you try something new, there is going to be a sense of not knowing what to expect. However, we really felt like this was something that we needed to try in order to be as transparent of an organization as possible, and to show that we truly appreciate our membership base. The immediate feedback we’ve received has been extremely favorable, so we believe that we’ve hit on something that needs to be continued and expanded upon.” |
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| EBA Baseball Mom's Luncheon to feature Mounts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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EBA to hold first annual
Baseball Mom's Luncheon at EBA Academy on Sunday, March 16th |
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| "Meet the Mounts" this Wednesday at EMS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Spring "Meet
the Mounts" will be held on March 12 at 6:00 PM in the
Middle School Gym March 10, 2008 The first opportunity for parents, fans, and fellow students to check out the 2008 Ephrata Mounts will be this Wednesday, March 12th at 6:00 PM at the Ephrata Middle School when Coach Shelley and his staff unveil the complete roster to the public at the spring edition of "Meet the Mounts". Doors will be open starting at 5:00, and at 6:00, new Athletic Director Tommy Long will welcome the audience and introduce each of the spring sports head coaches. Following introductions from Mr. Long, Coach Shelley will introduce the 2008 coaching staff, the full 34-man roster, and discuss the team's goals and expectations for the upcoming season. |
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| Commencement Time | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mounts
open up team practice on Thursday afternoon after finalizing
2008 roster March 6, 2008 The Ephrata Mounts will officially begin team practice on Thursday afternoon at the EBA Academy after the coaching staff spent the past three days evaluating the prospective talent for the 2008 high school baseball season. In all, 34 players make up the latest edition of Ephrata Mounts Baseball, with the staff planning on announcing the varsity and junior varsity rosters by early next week. The Mounts are returning nine seniors from last season's 7-12 squad that finished tied for third in Section 2. |
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| Mountshardball.com launches "Buck's Blog" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Former Mounts standout and
Shippensburg grad Ross Buckwalter shares some of his daily experiences
in pro
baseball as a second-year relief
pitcher in the Toronto Blue Jays' Organization February 27, 2008 In the 2007 Major League Baseball June Draft, the Toronto Blue Jays selected former Mount standout and Shippensburg grad Ross Buckwalter in the 26th round, making him one of only a handful of Ephrata High School baseball players ever to be drafted to play professional baseball. In 2008, "Buck" was invited to Blue Jays' Spring Training and is hoping to make an impression on the mound worthy of a promotion. This first-person narrative offers web viewers the unique opportunity to follow the 2003 EHS grad as he enters his second season of professional baseball as a right-handed relief pitcher. Click here to visit Buck's Blog |
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| EBA 15-19 Year-Old Player Registration Closes March 7th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Pride and Legion
Players Need to Register Prior to the March 7th Deadline February 27, 2008 The Ephrata Baseball Association is currently holding registration for players 15-19 years of age interested in playing for the 16U Pride and 19U American Legion advanced travel programs. For more information on registering, visit www.ephratabaseball.org. EBA has adopted a "No Pay - No Play" policy for the 2008 season. However, no player will be denied access to Ephrata Baseball. If the fees cause undue hardship, please send a written request to Ephrata Baseball Association, PO Box 663, Ephrata, PA 17522 and an organization representative will call you to discuss your situation in confidentiality. Please make registration checks out to EBA. |
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| Dynasty Complete! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday format brings out the luck of the Irish as
the Fightin's win an unprecedented third straight Senior
Circuit Title to close out the 15th Ephrata Invitational Wiffle Ball
Tournament After getting knocked into the loser’s bracket early in the Junior Circuit and barely defeating Da Runs in extra innings, the Duct Tape Warriors made it two-in-a-row by regrouping and defeating the surprisingly strong 6th grade MVP’s in the finals on Saturday night. Team captain Ryan Brubaker won the Most Valuable Player award for the Duct Tape gang while teammate Andre Hoover grabbed the Cy Young Award. And, although they were there to play Wiffle Ball, the Disney Princesses and The Hippies made fashion the name of the game by being crowned co-winners for the Best Uniforms of the Junior Circuit. Earlier on in the
evening in the Rookie Circuit, The Phillies and the Future Mounts
locked horns in a battle of unbeatens to decide the elementary
division’s championship game. The out-of-town Phillies broke things
open in the first few frames, eventually winning 9-3 to claim their
first-ever crown. Kole Adams of the Phils captured MVP honors,
while Matt McGillan earned the Cy Young representing the Future
Mounts. |
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| Parent-Player Meeting Scheduled for Feb. 21 at EBA Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mounts coaching staff will review Parent-Player Handbook prior to
the start of the season |
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| A Crash Course in Coaching | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mounts Head Coach Adrian Shelley Promoted to Assistant Coach of
Lancaster Barnstormers in the independent Atlantic League Written by Jason Guarente - Lancaster New Era July 30, 2007 Since joining the Barnstormers as a bullpen catcher six weeks ago, Ephrata baseball coach Adrian Shelley has gone from bullpen catcher to de facto assistant under interim manager Rick Wise. They call him Crash. At first it seems a curious nickname for a man who has never played professional baseball. What's the connection between Adrian Shelley and Crash Davis? Well, Shelley is 35 - old by baseball standards - and he serves as the Lancaster Barnstormers' bullpen catcher. In the fraternity-like culture of a clubhouse, that's close enough. Shelley's moniker is more than a tribute to the movie "Bull Durham." It's proof of his automatic acceptance with his new team. Since joining the Barnstormers about six weeks ago, the fifth grade teacher and Ephrata baseball coach has become one of the guys. "Everyone loves him and respects him and so do I," Barnstormers interim manager Rick Wise said. "He's enthused about the game. He loves it the same as we do. I think he's a tremendous fit." Shelley came to the Barnstormers with no expectations. The team needed a bullpen catcher and Shelley - who caught for four years at Frostburg State - thought it might be a fun job. Gradually, it has turned into much more. Shelley throws batting practice, coaches first base and even cooks post-game meals. When manager Frank Klebe was fired last week, Wise made Shelley a de facto assistant. "It has been enjoyable to intermingle and just get to know the players," Shelley said. "I've forged some relationships with the guys on a very basic level. I think I've earned their trust and respect in terms of knowing the game." Shelley never thought he'd wear a professional uniform. He stood at 6-0, 150 pounds in college and wasn't considered a prospect. Once he graduated, he knew where his future lied. Frostburg State coach Bob Wells has a storied history of churning out coaches. Baseball was an academic as well as athletic pursuit at the school. Shelley took a three-credit course with a 112-page playbook as preparation for his coaching career. "The playbook was our textbook and it was a very difficult class to ace," he said. "I did, though. I knew what I wanted to do." Shelley immediately jumped into coaching. He spent two years at Cocalico when Barnstormers reliever Eric Ackerman was playing there, and then shifted to Ephrata - where he spent 10 years building that program into a perennial Lancaster-Lebanon League contender. The Mounts have posted a winning record each of the last four years and have won three Section 2 championships during that time. "I've been groomed to coach," Shelley said. "I had very good years playing, but it wasn't my aspiration to play at this level. So I'm enjoying this experience. I'm learning how to deal and how not to deal with personnel. How to pay attention to chemistry." Pro baseball is obviously much different than high school ball. In the L-L League, Shelley uses opponent's weaknesses to get an edge. In the Atlantic League, the difference in talent from one team to the next is small, so there are fewer tactical advantages. There's also zero practice time in the pros. The Barnstormers play virtually every day and they don't come to the ballpark on off days. "At our level, or even the college level, you put in hours and hours of drills on things - the bunt game, the run game," Shelley said. "Here, you just go, Hey, bunt.' It's expected of them because they've climbed the ranks." This cameo in pro ball hasn't changed Shelley's career goals. Although he has savored his time with the Barnstormers, he's content to teach and coach at Ephrata. The minor leagues can get old for someone Shelley's age. Even Crash Davis had to retire. "If I was 25 instead of 35, I might be liking this a lot more," he said. "I'm definitely enjoying it, but there's a lifestyle here. I've got a 3-year-old, my wife is six months pregnant. I've got a full- time job. I like the position I'm in at Ephrata. It's a very good school district and I've built that program over the last 10 years." In other words, Crash is settled. When he returns to the dugout at War Memorial Field in the spring, Shelley will have a few more stories to tell. He'll be able to say that - for a few months - he was a Barnstormer. "He's a teammate of ours," Wise said. "There's no doubt about it." Consent to reprint this article was authorized by the author, Jason Guarente. Copyright 2007 Lancaster New Era Lancaster, PA |
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| Buckwalter's a Blue Jay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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EHS and Shippensburg University graduate Ross
Buckwalter was drafted in the 26th round by the Toronto Blue Jays in
Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft held last week Written by Todd Ruth - Ephrata Review June 13, 2007 Ross Buckwalter always dreamed of playing professional baseball. As the younger brother of Matt Buckwalter, a talented pitcher in his own right who once played in the prestigious American Legion East-West Game, the younger Buckwalter soaked in everything he could about the game and followed in his big brother's footsteps. After pitching Ephrata High School to the Lancaster-Lebanon League title in 2003, Ross went on to a successful collegiate career at Shippensburg University. An outstanding senior year at Ship opened the eyes of a few Major League scouts. And this past Friday, his life-long dream was fulfilled. Buckwalter's eyes were glued to the internet last Friday, waiting and certainly hoping to see his name appear as the second day of Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft was unfolding. Finally, a little after 3 p.m., there it was. Toronto Blue Jays select Shippensburg University pitcher Ross Buckwalter in the 26th round. Reached at his home shortly after his selection, Buckwalter said he was relieved and certainly thrilled to reach his life-long dream. "This is something I've waited for my whole life," he said. "Ever since I was a kid I wanted to be a (professional baseball player) and I'm definitely pretty pumped right about now." The righthander said he felt he had a good shot to be drafted, especially after wowing scouts at a pre-draft workout at the Roger's Centre (formerly SkyDome) in Toronto last week. At that workout, Buckwalter faced seven batters and recorded three strikeouts and allowed just one hit. That was enough to convince him, and local Blue Jays' scout Tom Byrnes, that he should here his name come draft day. "Tom Byrnes said (after the workout) that I should get drafted, but then he said, 'Hopefully they (Blue Jays scouts at the workout) like you as much as I do." In addition to Toronto, Buckwalter said the New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles also showed some interest prior to the draft after seeing him pitch during Shippensburg's Spring trip to Florida. But he felt it would be Toronto all along. "I know Tom Byrnes has been following me for a while and I knew he liked me," Buckwalter said. "Then after my workout, I was pretty confident it was going to be (Toronto)." This past Spring at Shippensburg, Buckwalter went 5-3 with a 2.85 ERA to help the Red Raiders win the PSAC title. He led the PSAC in innings pitched with 85.1 and games started (12) while throwing five complete games and striking out 60 batters. His performance earned him Honorable Mention from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) for the North Atlantic Region. Buckwalter earned his first career all-region selection after also earning his first career all-conference honor in being named to the All-PSAC Western Division Second Team. The 22-year-old righthander, who graduated from Shippensburg in May with a degree in criminal justice, reported to the Blue Jays Florida headquarters in Dunedin on Monday. Reached Tuesday night by phone, he said he was told he'll find out Saturday where he'll begin his pro career. Most likely, he'll report to either the Class A Auburn (NY) Doubledays or remain in Dunedin to play for the Gulf Coast Blue Jays of the Gulf Coast Rookie League. Either way, he'll be on his way. "Certainly I'd rather start at Auburn because that's Class A, but if I have to stay in Florida, that's not too shabby either." |
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| Corraled | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mounts
manage only one run on two hits in dropping 9-1 non-league contest to York County
power South Western April 14, 2007 South Western 9, Ephrata 1 (April 14, 2007 at Ephrata War Memorial Field)
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| Spontaneous Combustion | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mounts bats
catch fire in the final two frames scoring nine runs on nine
hits to rally for an 11-8 win at McCaskey, Woolley fans seven for his first career complete game April 13, 2007 Ephrata 11, McCaskey 8 (April 13, 2007 at J.P. McCaskey High School)
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| Forward Stride | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Martin/Weaver combo go 5-for-7, Kujawski earns his first
varsity victory as Ephrata improves to 3-3 overall and 2-3 in
Section 2 April 11, 2007 Ephrata 9, Garden Spot 5 (April 11, 2007 at Ephrata War Memorial Field)
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| Late Break | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Conestoga
Valley breaks game open in the final two frames spoiling
Ephrata's upset bid April 10, 2007 Conestoga Valley 13, Ephrata 8 (April 10, 2007 at Ephrata War Memorial Field)
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| Crosstown Catch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hertzog's
stumbling, over-the-shoulder catch preserves Mounts' 1st
League Win in the 7th as Martin adds a solo HR April 9, 2007 Ephrata 5, Cocalico 3 (April 9, 2007 at Cocalico High School)
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