Two words sum up Thursday's District Three Class AAAA baseball doubleheader at Ephrata's War Memorial Field:
Too much.
As in too much top-notch pitching, exhibited by Lower Dauphin's superb left-hander Casey Kulina, who threw a two-hitter on two days' rest and beat Penn Manor, 2-0, in stifling, 94-degree heat in the opener.
As in too much hitting, which Warwick had in the nightcap against L-L Section One neighbor Hempfield, the Warriors banging out 14 hits and outslugging the Black Knights, 16-6, in five innings.
Warwick (14-6) advances to face South Western in Tuesday's semifinals, time and site to be announced today. The Mustangs eliminated Manheim Township, 9-4.
The Warriors also guarantee themselves a berth, if needed, in the PIAA play-in game. The top three teams in Quad-A qualify for the state tournament.
The season ends for the Comets (15-7) and Black Knights (13-9).
"There's a stigma about Hempfield because of the talent they've had," Warwick coach Matt Gale said. "That kept us honest."
That and the fact that the Knights on Tuesday slayed the district's biggest giant in Cedar Cliff, a squad ranked third in the state.
"The momentum (from stunning Cedar Cliff) did carry over," Hempfield coach Jack Merrifield said.
Indeed. The Knights jumped on Jordan Donmoyer early and led 3-0 in the first and 4-1 in the second. Joel Buchko powered the attack with a pair of RBI singles and a run scored. John Wilt added three singles, an RBI and a run scored.
"I knew in the first inning that I didn't have any of my stuff," said Donmoyer, an ace southpaw. "Fortunately, our offense helped me out."
Donmoyer helped his cause by going 2-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored and an RBI.
Warwick scored in the first, tied the game with three in the second and blew matters wide open with 12 runs in the fourth.
Kyle Keener went 4-for-4 with four RBIs, J.T. Garner had three hits and three RBIs, and Austin Klinger added a double, a triple and four RBIs for Warwick.
"We didn't give anything away," Merrifield said. "They took it from us."
What a young Hempfield team took from its three district games was needed experience.
"We just played three district games," Merrifield said. "That's invaluable for us."
All the Knights have to do is look at Kulina. Last year at this time he was bombed by the Comets, 10-2. He returned to the big stage and held a lineup featuring seven .300 hitters hitless through four innings en route to outdueling Josh Longsderff.
The No. 3 Falcons (20-3) scored an unearned run in the first and an insurance run in the fourth on Chad Baker's RBI single.
Despite pitching on short rest and being armed only with his fastball and curve, Kulina threw 65 percent strikes (99 pitches, 64 strikes).
"Against a team like Penn Manor," he said. "I knew I'd have to battle."
"He's throwing well," understated head coach Ken Kulina, who this season has seen his son fan 16 in a no-hitter, 12 in a one-hitter and 12 again in a two-hitter.
"He has a good fastball and he makes his pitches," said Comets coach Jim Zander, who in the last five games has seen his team score more than one run just once.
"If you don't score, you don't win."