Though it is fairly common throughout the Lancaster-Lebanon League for a team to win by 10 or more runs, it is rare that the winning team does so by scoring 25 runs.

That was what happened in Donegal's victory at Octorara on Friday, April 29 when the visitors came away with a 25-10 victory over the Braves.

Donegal plated nine runs in the first inning and had two five-run innings before the game was finally called after five for the mercy rule.

The Indians slugged two home runs. They came off the bats of Bella Mackison, who also hit a triple and drove in five runs, and the bat of Natalie Colwell, who also doubled and drove in four.

Ruth Myers, as dependable as always, was a solid 3-for-5 with three runs and two RBI's out of the leadoff spot. Emma Garber and Grace Graham both had two hits in the game. Kara Heidlauf reached base three times - a single, a walk and on an error - and scored all three times.

As she often does, starting pitcher Cara Biesecker helped herself offensively with a 2-for-4 afternoon - two singles, reaching on an error and being hit by a pitch. She scored four of those 25 runs.

The Indians improved to 6-1 in league play.

Their next game was at Northern Lebanon. The Jedi's wish of May the Fourth be with you wasn't enough as the Indians' comeback bid fell short in an 8-6 loss to the Vikings.

Mackison slugged a solo home run on a 4-for-4 afternoon. She scored four times. Colwell and Graham both went 2-for-4 with Graham hitting a double. They each drove in one run.

TENNIS

In the L-L League Tennis Tournament, Akilan Murugesan finished third in the Flight One Class-AA championships at Conestoga Valley. The tournament ran from Thursday, April 28 to Monday, May 2.

Murugesan had a first-round bye. In the second round he topped Elco's Jayden Grumbine 7-5, 6-2 before suffering a loss to Nile Abadir of Lancaster Country Day.

In the third-place match, he topped Simon Domenic of Annville-Cleona 6-1, 6-1.

Murugesan teamed with Jacob Erb in the Class AA Flight One doubles. They defeated the Domenic brothers - Simon the senior and Samuel the sophomore - by two close sets (7-6, 9-7) before bowing out with a tough loss to Lancaster Catholic's George Brubaker and Connor Ott.

Number three seed Landon Keener cruised to a first-round 6-0, 6-0 victory before losing to eventual Flight Three champ Connor Zook of Cocalico in the second round.

BASEBALL

No-hitter.

Nick Eichelberger gave Donegal a brilliant outing as he pitched a no-hit, no-run game on Tuesday, May 3, while the offense put up 10 runs in a non-league win against Muhlenberg.

Colin Eckinger drove in four of Donegal's 10 runs. He went 3-for-3 with a triple and scored two runs.

Brock Hammaker drove in two more runs while sophomore Landon Sexton went 2-for-2 with two runs scored.

Eichelberger struck out four and walked five in six innings of work. The Indians' 10-0 lead after six innings ended the game at that juncture.

Donegal was coming off a 1-0 loss in extra innings to Lancaster Catholic the previous Thursday. Coy Allman's single plus a pair of walks issued by Crusader pitchers Noah Zimmerman and Brandon Wingenroth were all the base runners the Indians managed.

The Crusaders pushed across the winning run in the eighth inning on only one hit. Jonathan Holmes started and went seven innings for Donegal, recording five strikeouts.

The Indians rebounded nicely off the 1-0 setback by first beating Muhlenberg 10-0 and topping Northern Lebanon 9-1 the following afternoon at home. Donegal improved to 13-3 on the year.

In the Northern Lebanon game, 10 of the 12 hits were singles. Allman went 3-for-4 with an RBI, collecting three of those singles. Andrew Small went 2-for-4 with a double and a run. Holmes hit a triple and scored a run.

Freshman Devin Bailey also joined the hit parade (1-for-3) with two runs and one RBI.

Jaden Fabian went six solid innings with five strikeouts to earn the win.

TRACK

With multiple first- and second-place finishes in their meet on Tuesday, May 3 at Lancaster Catholic, the Indians topped the Crusaders 89-57 in girls' track and field.

Claudia Taylor won the long jump and the triple jump with Hannah Slobozien finishing second in the long jump and Alyssa Taylor, the winner at pole vault, taking second in the triple.

In another field event Nya Bantum won the javelin. She claimed third in the discus behind her Crusader competitors.

On the track, Faith Garber claimed both the 100- and 200-meter events. Sydney Snyder, the winner in the 400, finished second to Garber in the 100.

Garger and Snyder teamed with Rayahna Clerico and Lillian Stehman for a first-place finish in the 4x100 relay.

Kathryn Fernald, who won the 3200 and took third in the 1600, joined Hadley Shoaf, Emma Myers, and Marleigh Ballard for a triumphant finish in the 4x800. Shoaf later won the mile run.

The boys' track and field team fell to 4-2 on the year following a close loss to Catholic in their Section Three meet on Tuesday. The Crusaders won 79-67.

The Donegal boys won two of the relay events. Aaron Miller anchored the 4x100 relay team that also included Noah Hinkel, Ellezer Kabamba and Tim Stehman. The 4x800 winning relay was made up of Sam Rothstein, Brandon Marcelo, Dylan Lenhart and Braden Bristline.

Bristline also went on to take second place in the 800 while Lenhart earned third in the 3,200.

Nikita Galkin won the 400. Jackson Brady finished third in both hurdling events.

Kabamba, who was third in the 200m dash, took second in the long jump.

In the field events, Caleb Kendig and Kegan Cote were first and second, respectively, in both the javelin and the shot put, while Mark Overlander won the pole vault.