The Donegal softball team has displayed its tremendous offensive strength all year long, outscoring numerous opponents by 10 or more runs during the regular season.

Upon reaching the Lancaster-Lebanon League playoffs, however, the Indians' lineup had to produce in the pinch in order to punch its way to the league semifinals.

The Section Three champion Indians' 18th win did not come as easily as some of their other victories. The Indians had to battle back to eke out a 4-3 win against Ephrata thanks to a three-run rally in the home half of the sixth inning.

"The Ephrata game was a great team win," Wayne Emenheiser, the Indians' head coach, said. "We kept ourselves in the game with great pitching and defense, which gave us an opportunity to come back with some timely hitting."

The Mountaineers, who finished second in Section Two, actually out-hit the Indians 10-7. Cara Biesecker allowed only one earned run while setting four Ephrata batters down on strikes. She also helped her cause by going 1-for-3 with a run batted in. Kara Heidlauf came up with the big hit in that three-run rally. She belted a double and drove in two. Natalie Cowell went 2-for-3, also driving one run home.

The Indians battled in their next game, taking an early 1-0 lead over Hempfield in the league semifinals. But Black Knights pitcher Carley Ernst settled down and pitched a four-hitter as Hempfield ended Donegal's chance of winning the league trophy with a 10-3 final.

The Indians (18-2) prepare for the District Three, Class 5A playoffs. Donegal comes in as the fourth seed in the district's power rankings.

"At this time in the season, every game is going to be against worthy opponents, so you need to bring your best at all times," Emenheiser remarked.

TRACK & FIELD

Mark Overlander won the pole vault with a 13-foot effort and Caleb Kendig grabbed third with his shot put distance of 48-1 in the L-L League Track & Field Championships at Hempfield, Friday and Saturday, May 12-13.

"Mark was focused and kept his composure," Phil Koser, the Donegal head coach, remarked. "It was rainy Saturday morning, so the pole vault didn't get started on time. Eventually they started and even vaulted in a sprinkle."

In the girls' triple jump, senior Sydney Snyder earned eighth place with a 34-1.75 jump. Nya Bantum earned seventh in the shot put with a distance of 34-10.50 while sophomore Kathryn Fernald not only ran the 3200-meter race in a ninth-place time of 11:54.10, she medaled in the 1600 with a time of 5:27.18, finishing seventh.

Fernald was part of the foursome that took eighth (10:07.58) in the girls 4x800. She joined Emma Myers, Molly Myers, and Marleigh Ballard.

In the girls' 4x100 (91.72 seconds) it was Sophia Floyd, Peyton Mansfield, Jayanna Moant and Faith Garber.

"The sprinters and hurdlers had great races, several of them running their best or second-best races of the season," Koser said.

The boys' 4x800 took seventh in 8:27.26 thanks to Micah Brydon, Braden Bistline, Dylan Lenhart and Brandon Marcello.

BASEBALL

The Indians fell behind the Mountaineers and were not able to climb back into the game Thursday, May 11, in the opening round of the L-L League playoffs. The Indians entered leagues as the runner-up from Section Three, playing at Section Two champ Ephrata. The Mounts topped Donegal 11-1.

"Ephrata is a good all-around team," stated head coach Jeff Hartman. "And they're even better at War Memorial.

"We needed to play our best game and we didn't," continued the coach.

Donegal heads into the District Three Class 5A playoffs seeded 11th.

"We will need our best effort to advance on the road in districts," Hartman added. "The boys have been working hard and looking forward to this opportunity. It's the perfect time to put it all together."