The captain of Middletown’s soccer team last fall has earned a spot on Hood College’s soccer team this fall.

Photos by John Diffenderfer Members of the Lower Dauphin baseball team accept the Class AAAA runner-up trophy and silver medals.STATE COLLEGE – Catcher Deon Stafford called Lower Dauphin’s 2013 baseball season a Cinderella story. First baseman Luke Lingle described this group of Falcon hardballers as different, and closer, than any other team he’s ever played for.

Their last game, under the bright lights of Penn State’s Medlar Field, presented a narrative of grit, determination, perseverance, and well-played baseball. Unlike Cinderella’s tale, though, Lower Dauphin’s final scene didn’t play out as it hoped it would.

North Penn designated hitter Bobby Scott laced a 1-0 pitch to left field and Eddie Posavec beat the throw home from LD left fielder Kyle Fails in the bottom of the ninth inning of the PIAA AAAA baseball championship game, giving the Knights a 6-5 title-clinching victory.

LD dominates, moves to PIAA semifinals

Lower Dauphin pitcher Marshal Kiessling was coming off a performance for the ages in his last start, a dramatic 1-0 win in the District 3 Class AAAA championship game. In his encore performance, a PIAA quarterfinal playoff game against State College, his teammates gave him a little more run support.

Back in preseason practices, Middletown Coach Mike Carnes was aware that he had a youthful team with limited experience to work with as the 2013 scholastic baseball season unfolded. Even with just five seniors, none of whom were regular starters the previous season, Carnes liked what he had.