After posting a 5-1 record for second place in Section Two, the lady Pioneers track team turned in a fourth-place effort at the Lancaster-Lebanon League track and field championships held Friday and Saturday May 13-14 while the boys were sixth.

"It was a pretty good day," said head coach Cal Esh. "We had a number of kids medal, set a new school record and had lots of personal records."

Maggie Swarr was the team's top place-winner, taking first in the javelin with a throw of 127-6 and holding off Manheim's Maddi Knier by almost two feet. Swarr was also seventh in both the shot and discus.

The 4x100 relay team of Lyndi Wall, Maddie Weichler, Elly Bruner and Hannah Gawne grabbed a silver medal and Wall went on to finish third in the 100m while Bruner settled for seventh in the long jump.

Fourth place finishers included Alexis Moran in the high jump and Madison Malcom in the 100 hurdles. She was also sixth in the 300's.

The Pioneers' relay success continued as the 4x400 team of Weichler, Gawne, Tori Heiserman and Malcolm settled for fifth place while the 4x800 team of Keira Smecker, Jaclyn Martin, Olivia Magagna and Heiserman was sixth.

Teagan Weaver's trio of silver medals (100m, 200m and long jump) left him as Lampeter's top performer of the day. Colin Whitaker also grabbed a silver medal, breaking his own school record for the third time this year, with a time of 4:17.11 in the mile.

Luka Vranich suffered his first loss in the 800, settling for bronze in a super close finish. "The first four finishers were 1:57 and change," noted Esh.

Also on the track, Ben Devine grabbed sixth place finishes in both the mile and 3200m.

In the field events, Luke Wiley's fourth in the pole vault led the way. Mitchell Livengood followed in fifth place while Aiden Jones settled for fifth in the javelin and Jordan Thode was seventh in the discus.

SOFTBALL

Have a day, Allie Raub. Lampeter-Strasburg's senior second baseman went 4-5 with four doubles, including the two-run game-winner in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Pioneers snuck past Warwick 10-9 in the semifinals of the Lancaster-Lebanon League softball playoffs held at Millersville University, Tuesday, May 17.

In a game that featured 30 total hits and runs scored in every single inning, L-S and Warwick exchanged leads throughout the game. Warwick led 1-0 in the first and 2-1 in the top of the third. L-S took its first lead with two in the bottom half and led 5-2 after four complete. The Warriors, who topped L-S 5-3 earlier this season, felt they took control when they batted around in the fifth and scored five runs on five hits, a wild pitch, and a walk.

"I was in disbelief," said head coach Earl Rutledge of Warwick's rally. "Keiva has carried us all year on her right arm, and it was time for our offense to take over. The girls' will to win was over the top. We didn't have our best defensive game, but the bats did the rest."

Both teams traded single runs over the next two frames. Chloe Meck's two out double in the bottom half cut the lead to 6-5 and Brooke Zuber's two out double in the sixth cut the lead to 8-7. Warwick scored another run in the top of the seventh for a two -run cushion but could not quiet the Pioneer bats. Mackenzie Maki worked a one out walk in the bottom half and scored on Julia Gerard's base hit to center field. Raub stepped to the plate and delivered, crushing Lampeter's tenth double of the night for the walk-off win.

L-S out-hit the Warriors 16-14 but committed three errors to Warwick's flawless night. Girard went 3-5 with two RBIs, Keiva Middleton went 2-3 with a RBI and a walk and Chloe Meck was 2-4 with a RBI.

Middleton earned the win in the circle, striking out ten while walking four.

L-S, with eight runs in the sixth, thumped Pequea Valley 15-4 in Saturday's opening round. Julie Gerard, Mackenzie Maki, and Kara Scranton (3-4, 5RBI) all connected for home runs. Middleton struck out 14, walked three and scattered three hits.

GIRLS' LACROSSE

Lampeter-Strasburg opened District Three Class 2A action Monday, May 16, against a team they crushed 25-0 earlier this year. And while an 18-8 victory is another strong performance, L-S had to work for this one. Tied at 4-4 with 12:54 left in the first half, the fifth seed Pioneers (13-4) went on an 8-0 run, including three straight by Rowan Kimmel, to spark the win.

Kimmel finished with five goals and three assists and got support from Hannah Cissne (5g), Hannah Gawne (3g, 3a), and Ryann Logan (3g, 2a).

"Defensively we didn't have the early defensive crease slide that is critical when facing a strong X attacker," said head coach Marshall Krebs. "Our high defenders started sending the low defender across the crease with an all-out double team to disrupt that. With our adjustments and a spike in intensity, our defense allowed only three goals over the remaining three quarters of the game."

Junior keeper Joe Dilling recorded six saves in the win.

In Wednesday's quarterfinals, L-S dropped a heartbreaker 11-10 to No. 4 Red Land (17-2). L-S led 7-6 in the first half but could not hold on. Gawne led the way with four goals and one assist. Leigha Saurbaugh added two while Kimmel, Cissne and Kelly Hostetter each had one goal and one assist and Logan scored once. Dilling finished with seven saves.

BASEBALL

After a dominating 13-3 victory over Annville-Cleona in the opening round of the Lancaster-Lebanon League playoffs on Saturday, May 14, the Pioneers faced Section One leader Manheim Township in Tuesday's quarterfinals at Ephrata. The Streaks pounded 15 hits, scored four runs in the first inning, and never looked back in an 11-5 final.

"I thought we did a nice job offensively," said head coach Jeff Swarr. "Every single one of our starters got on base. We left the bases loaded twice. Overall, we just walked too many guys (8) and you couple that with their 15 hits and it's tough to overcome. Honestly, it was a miracle they only scored 11 runs. They left 12 guys on base.

"This group is learning and growing in every game and that is all we can ask for as a coach," he continued. "They're fun to coach and they come to the field every day with energy."

The Streaks led 9-3 after four complete and both teams scored two each over the final three innings. Isaiah Parido (2-4 with a double and one RBI) and Jason Long (2-3, 1RBI) paced Lampeter's 10-hit effort. Gio Malatesta was 1-3 with two RBIs and Justin White and Will Bailey were both 1-3 with a double.

Parido went 3-3 with four RBIs to lead the Pioneers past Annville. Long and Bailey also finished with three hits. Long struck out five and walked one in four innings of work and Mason Coe pitched the final two innings in relief.