Lower Dauphin rallies by Carroll

Patriots run comes to end in state semifinals

EPHRATA » By the time Carson Kulina’s 2-2 curveball fluttered into catcher Tommy Bramley’s glove in the fourth inning Monday night, the hurler had already taken two steps toward the Lower Dauphin dugout in anticipation of the umpire raising his fist to end the inning.

He didn’t, and two pitches later, Carroll eight-hitter Sean Lawley produced the moment around which the game would pivot. But it wouldn’t turn in the direction that the Patriots anticipated.

Lawley won that battle, his RBI double opening the scoring in the PIAA Class 5A semifinal at Ephrata High School’s War Memorial Field. But the sting of that umpiring slight fueled the Falcons to two runs in the top half of the fifth, the venom translating into a taut 3-2 win over Carroll to book a place in Thursday’s state final.

It didn’t take long for Lower Dauphin to channel the acrimony of the moment. First, Lawley had to cash in on his second life, roping a double to right-center field that scored Trent Pierce and gave Carroll a 1-0 edge in a wellpitched but error-strewn game.

“He was throwing a lot of strikes,” Lawley said of Kulina. “He was starting with the curveball. I was looking for a fastball. I was looking at a few fastballs before that so I just had to put a good swing on it, make something happen, put the ball in play.”

Kulina limited the damage, and the fired-up Falcons answered back immediately, Connor Buggy leading off the fifth by lacing a triple to right-center. Nick Bennett plated him with an RBI single, then Clay Spencer lined a sac fly to left center that Pat Marley dove to corral, but it still scored Bennett to nudge Lower Dauphin ahead.

PETE BANNAN — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Archbishop Carroll pitcher Jake Kelchner and Cole Chestnut react after Lower Dauphin defeated the Patriots 3-2 to advance to the state championship Monday.