The large dark cloud that settled over Lebanon Valley's softball complex couldn't have been more symbolic.

As the cumulus smudge blocked out the sunny blue sky that had prevailed most of the afternoon, Bishop Shanahan put an emphatic end to Elizabethtown's sunny softball season, eliminating the District Three champion Bears from the first round of the PIAA Class AAAA state playoffs with a 5-1 victory Monday.

Leadoff hitter Maria Ficca ripped a two-run home run and Taylor Barbalace clubbed a bases-loaded double to highlight a five-run fifth inning and the Eagles (17-8), the fourth-place finisher out of District One, made their state tournament debut a successful one.

Bishop Shanahan advances to play Hatboro-Horsham Thursday in the quarterfinals.

Ficca, a catcher headed to St. Joesph's University on a 75-percent athletic scholarship to play softball, jacked a 1-0 pitch from Katie Dunkelberger over the right field fence, scoring pinch runner Chelsea Maybe ahead of her.

"I'd heard (Dunkelberger) comes inside a lot," said Ficca. "I normally like inside pitches, so I thought, 1-0, maybe she'll go with her goods."

Dunkelberger did.

"I've actually been struggling,"  offered Ficca. "(I was thinking) I'm due. Let's go!"

Maybe was running for Claudia Boggi, who led off the inning with a solid single up the middle.

Then Lauren Hricik reached on an error, but Dunkelberger got a strikeout and pop up and seemed poised to escape further damage.

But Carlie Roberts reached out to poke a hit to short center and Alyssa Lewis lived on an infield hit, loading the bases.

Barbalace looked at a ball and took a strike before lofting a deep fly to the warning track in right.

Rightfielder Abby Fuhrman seemed to lose the ball in the sun, got turned around, and still had a shot at the catch before the ball dropped just short of LVC's unforgiving outfield fence.

Suddenly holding a four-run lead, the Eagles were running on full happy and sophomore pitcher Kate Poppe retired nine of the last 10 batters she faced to nail down the win.

"(Ficca's) the catalyst on this team, no question about it," observed Eagles coach Ron Savastio. "The girls always look for her to get on and that wakes them up."

"The big thing with us is we never give up, no matter what," said Ficca.

"We've come across a lot of big teams, and we (fall behind) sometimes. But we pick ourselves back up."

The Shanahan rally wiped out a 1-0 lead taken by the Bears (23-5) in the previous half inning.

Emily Wylde doubled off the brick fence post in left center leading off the inning and, with one out, Rachel Bair dropped a single behind second, sending pinch runner Megan Longenecker to third.

Jamie Ahern placed a bunt out in front of the plate as Longenecker moved two steps down the line, then held.

It was a good bunt, but it hit Ahern as she was exiting the batters box.

In fair territory.

Bair, already standing on second, had to return to first as a result.

A result made more painful when Fuhrman's double to right bounced on the warning track and over the fence for a ground rule double.

Poppe, who struggled with her control early, walking three over the first three innings, struck out Mandi Shearer for the final out, stranding Bair and Fuhrman in scoring position.

They were the fifth and sixth LOBs for the Bears, the fourth and fifth left in scoring position — three at third. E-town would finish with seven left on.

"It was there for the taking," said coach Gary Wylde, whose Bears were held to five hits.

"We just didn't quite capitalize on the few opportunities we had. I'd like to say that we gave them our best game, but I'm not sure we did."