By DICK VANO’LINDA
Nineteen York-Adams teams began a quest for District 3 baseball and softball championships last week.
Just four of those teams — York Catholic and Northeastern in baseball and Kennard-Dale and Delone Catholic in softball — still have title hopes.
York Catholic secured a spot in the Class A baseball championship game for the second straight season.
The Fighting Irish will take on the team they defeated in last year’s title contest, Lancaster County Christian. The game is set for Thursday at either Santander Stadium in York or First Energy Stadium in Reading.
Lancaster County Christian, the No. 1-seeded team, defeated Mount Calvary Christian, 3-0, and Antietam, 3-2, in the first two rounds. York Catholic, the No. 2 seed, scored victories over High Point Baptist, 12-2, and Millersburg, 9-1.
Lancaster County Christian (15-1) is appearing in the Class A final for the third straight year. The Lions captured the 2012 championship before falling to York Catholic last year, 7-1.
The Fighting Irish earned a spot in the district final three of the last four years. York Catholic fell to Oley Valley in the 2011 Class AA title game.
This year’s Fighting Irish team was only 3-7 at the midway point of the season, but turned things around by winning eight of its last 10 games.
Northeastern, meanwhile, is making its deepest district run since 2004, when it fell to Brandywine Heights in the Class AA title game. The Bobcats made an unforgettable recovery from that loss by defeating Phoenixville, Mansfield, Brandywine Heights and Huntingdon to capture the state championship.
The 2014 Northeastern team will take on West Perry in the District 3-AAA semifinals on Tuesday. The Bobcats and Mustangs will clash at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Northern York High School, in Dillsburg.
Northeastern, the No. 8-seeded team, will check in with a 14-8 record, while West Perry, the No. 12-seeded club, will come in at 17-5.
The Bobcats reached this stage of the tournament by defeating Donegal (10-7) and Middletown (4-2). The Mustangs earned their ticket to the semifinals with victories over Northern Lebanon (7-1) and Bishop McDevitt (8-1).
Kennard-Dale is coming off a 3-2 victory over top-seeded and defending champion Greencastle-Antrim. The eighth-seeded Rams also secured a one-run victory in the opening round (1-0 over Middletown).
Kennard-Dale (16-5) will match up with fourth-seeded Shippensburg (17-5) in the semifinals. The contest is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at New Oxford High School.
Shippensburg gained victories over Palmyra (6-1) and Susquehannock (6-4) in its two district games so far.
Kennard-Dale’s 1990 team won the District 3-AA championship (there were only three classes at the time).
Delone Catholic will bid to take out top-seeded Brandywine Heights in a Class AA semifinal matchup. The Squirettes and Bullets will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Garrett Field In Willow Street (Lancaster County).
Both teams are coming off shutout victories (Delone 8-0 over Annville-Cleona and Brandywine 10-0 over Littlestown).
Brandywine Heights is 21-2 overall, and Delone Catholic is 16-3.
The Bullets have won seven district titles. The Squirettes finished on top of District 3 Class A in 1999.
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