Manheim Central's Casey Ebersole gutted out a grueling, seven-inning victory.

Ephrata's Madison Zimmerman cruised in the course of a five-inning no-hitter.

Wednesday's L-L League baseball semifinals at cloud-shrouded War Memorial Field in Ephrata served up two distinctly different mound performances. But each, in turn, served their purpose.

Ebersole went the distance in the opener, striking out the final two Solanco batters with the tying run on third and the winning run on second to nail down a stunning 7-6 comeback victory.

"We'd like to put another banner up," said Ebersole, who along with firing a seven-hitter, also reached base four times, knocked in two runs and scored two, including the game-winner in the seventh to cap a three-run rally.

In the nightcap, Zimmerman spun his second career no-hitter in a surprising 12-0 victory over Cedar Crest. He highlighted a nine-run second inning against ace Tyler Reed by rapping a two-run triple and two-run single.

"I thought it would be a closer game," Zimmerman said. "But we got the win and that's all that matters."

Tonight at 6, Central (16-6) and Ephrata (16-7) will rematch in Clipper Magazine Stadium to decide the L-L title. The Mounts won the first meeting this spring, 5-4, in the season-opener back in March.

"They've done a nice job with their program the last couple of years," Ephrata coach Adrian Shelley said of Central. "They've got some football players on the team and they're used to success."

The Barons, who have won five league titles and are seeking their first since 2000, are indeed enjoying a renaissance of sorts. District finalists a year ago, they're league finalists this year. Ebersole, who set a team record this spring for home runs in a season, is a big reason for the Barons' success.

"He didn't have his best stuff," Central coach Jason Thompson said. "But he battled and gutted it out."

Realizing early that his curveball didn't have its customary 12-6 drop, the Barons' right-hander went more to his fastball and relied on his fielders to make plays. He struck out eight, walked just one and fired 113 pitches, 65 for strikes.

Ebersole and Jeremie Patrick each contributed an RBI to a decisive three-run rally in the top of the seventh.  Ryan Wilson stroked a two-run homer for the Barons in the fourth, Ebersole roped an RBI single in the third and Lowen Johnson got Central started with an RBI single off Jack Buzzard to score Ebersole in the first.

Solanco (13-9) owned leads of 2-1 in the first, 4-2 in the third and 6-4 in the fifth. Bryce Keyes' two-run triple in the fifth gave the Golden Mules their final lead of the game.

Keyes, who took the loss in relief, also had an RBI groundout in the first and a single in the seventh. Dan Wimer went 4-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI triple for Solanco, which was three outs away from a berth in the title game before Central rallied. 

"These guys have confidence in themselves that if it's close, they can come back and make something happen," Thompson said.

The Mounts made something happen early against Crest (17-5). Zimmerman's two-run triple ignited the second-inning rally, and he added a two-run single as the Mounts sent 14 hitters to the plate. Tim Murray added a two-run single in the second, then singled and scored in the third and slashed another two-run single in the fourth.

Pounding the strike zone with his change-up, Zimmerman fanned six and walked two. Of his 69 pitches, 43 were strikes.

"He did an excellent job of riding the momentum the offense gave him," said Shelley, who has the Mounts aiming for their first league crown since 2003.

"This is our third (L-L) semifinal in three years. We're no stranger to big games."

Tonight, they have another.