ELDERSBURG, Md. – Smithsburg took Liberty to the limit and then some on Friday.
In the end, the Leopards were limited and then eliminated.
Brody Knight connected on RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning to lift Liberty to a walk-off 5-4 victory over the Leopards in the Class 1A state quarterfinals. Smithsburg (15-8) fell a game short of repeating last year’s run to the semifinal round.
Smithsburg, the sixth seed, held a 4-1 over No. 3 Liberty heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. The Lions got two in the sixth and one in the seventh to force extra innings.
George Mantz gave a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI single. It lasted until the bottom of the third when Liberty’s Brody Freiert drove in the tying run with an infield single in the bottom of the third.
The Leopards regained the lead in the fifth on Chase Sarber’s two-run triple for a 3-1 lead. Smithsburg made it 4-1 in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Gavim Ramarge.
Liberty took control to tie the score and shut out Smithsburg the rest of the way.
The Lions got within a run in the bottom the sixth on Carter Shanks two-run homer to left. Caleb DiCerbo tied the game in the seventh with an RBI single along the right-field line.
The tie stood until the third extra inning, ending on Knight’s hit.
Caleb DiCerbo singled down the right field line, which helped Liberty Varsity Lions tie the game at four in the bottom of the seventh.
Sarber led Smithsburg with his triple and two RBIs and seven Leopards collected one hit each.
Smithsburg committed three errors and walked nine Lions.
Liberty will face No. 2 seed Perryville in a state semifinal game on Tuesday at McCurdy Field in Frederick, Md. Perryville scored a 9-4 victory over No. 7 Fort Hill. No. 1 Patterson Mill will face fourth-seed Patuxent in the other semifinal.
The winners will advance to the state final on May 23 at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Md.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Ruffner named to All-Atlantic first team
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Shepherd University’s junior pitcher Madelayne Ruffner was named to the 2026 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) NCAA Division II All-Atlantic Region Team on Friday.
Ruffner posted a 15-8 mark with four saves and a 1.28 ERA. She fanned 292 and walked 22 in 164.2 innings.
Ruffner set a Shepherd single-game mark with 19 strikeouts against Millersville (April 4) and Kutztown (April 24). She also tossed no-hitters against Millersville (April 4) and Kutztown (April 14).
She was a four-time PSAC East Pitcher of the Week and three-time Wilson/NFCA Division II Pitcher of the Week. Ruffner currently leads NCAA II in strikeouts (291), strikeouts per seven innings (12.4), and WHIP (0.71).
Joining Ruffner on the first team was Shippensburg shortstop Caitlyn Martell.
The Raiders also placed four players on the second team. They were pitcher Dani Hayward, catcher Leah Schwalm, third baseman Emilee Sullivan and outfielder Reagan Bauman. Shippensburg University Atlantic 2nd Team All-Region
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Fluharty named to All-Atlantic second team
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Shepherd University sophomore third baseman Ryan Fluharty was named to the 2026 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) All-Atlantic Region Baseball’s second team on Friday.
Fluharty led the Rams with a .385 batting average with a team-best 70 hits in 182 at-bats. He also topped the team with 16 doubles and was second in home runs with nine. He was 12-of-17 in stolen bases.
Fluharty added a team-best 51 runs batted in and 48 runs scored. He tied for the team lead with five sacrifice flies.
Shippensburg outfielder AJ Wenrich was selected to the first team, while first baseman Thomas Cano-Piszel earned a spot on the second team.
