After opening the season with a 15-1 win over Lebanon, the baseball team played three games in three days and fell short each time.

"On a 14-person team, 12 will be back," said head coach John Girvin. "Five are sophomore and only three (Tyler Burger, Nate Harnish and Austin Wenger) have experience. We're going to take our lumps along the way. We just need more practice time on the field."

Monday, April 4, the Mules dropped a close one to CV, 2-0. After four scoreless innings, the Bucks jumped in front with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. They finished with seven hits. Solanco managed four as Brayden Herr, Kaden Strong and Kody Moyer all singled and Harnish doubled down the third baseline.

"In the bottom of the sixth, with Herr on first, Ty crushes a ball to right field and their outfielder makes an ESPN-like catch," recalled Girvin. "That's just the way the day went. The hardest hit balls of the day found the glove."

Burger struck out six in five innings. Herr added three strikeouts and Sawyer Weyman pitched three outs in the seventh.

At home again Tuesday, the Mules got off to a rough start, giving up four runs in the first inning en route to a 6-1 loss to Ephrata.

Weston Beiler's base hit plated Solanco's lone run.

"We struggled to bunch hits," said Girvin. "Brayden and Ty both singled in the first and our last hit came in the sixth.

"Nate battled back after a rough first inning and Weston retired all six batters he faced," he continued. "Joey Null also made two great catches in the outfield. We put the ball in play, but they made the plays."

In Lampeter Wednesday night the Mules went toe-to-toe with the Pioneers for four innings, giving up just one run. But a three run fifth and another run in the sixth left Solanco with a 5-0 shutout loss.

The Pioneers racked up 11 hits and held Solanco to two, a base hit by Herr and a double by Burger.

Herr went the distance on the hill, striking out five and walking two.

SOFTBALL

The softball team improved to 3-0 over the last week with hard-earned wins over Ephrata and CV.

On a brutally cold and windy Friday afternoon, Solanco scored one run in the top of the eighth to hold off the Mounts, 6-5.

Josie Janssen crushed a long fly ball to center field that dropped in front of the fence for a triple. She scored the winning run on a wild pitch, ending a back-and-forth affair.

Becca Foulk's two-run double put Solanco in front early. An Ephrata homer in the second cut the lead in half but not for long as Foulk responded in the third with a solo round-tripper of her own.

Again, the Mounts came back, cutting the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the third.

Solanco tacked on two runs in the top of the fourth courtesy of Holly Grube's base hit. CV got one back in the bottom half with another solo homer and then tied things up in the fifth when Maddie Russell crushed her second home run of the game.

"In the seventh, they doubled with one out and then we intentionally walked their number three hitter," said head coach Brett Miller. "Anna (Sexton) made the quality pitches when she needed to. She forced a popup to Grube at third and got the last batter with a strikeout looking."

Monday at CV, in another nail-biter, Solanco pulled out a 2-0 thriller. After six scoreless innings, the visitors took the lead for good in the top of the seventh. Alyssa Schlagnhaufer singled and moved to third on Taryn Britigan's sacrifice bunt. Josie Jansen's two strike single up the middle plated Schlagnhaufer while Grube's single to left pushed Jansen home with the game-winner.

"We had three of our four hits that inning," said Miller. "We had a few other opportunities but didn't get the key hit. We still have things to work on, but it was a good team effort."

Sexton survived the pitcher's duel with a one-hit, five strikeout, five walk effort.

TRACK

Hannah Wood put forth a throwing sweep in last Monday's 96.5-49.5 victory over Cocalico. The senior won the shot (32.25), the discus (104-7) and the javelin (86) as Solanco captured 14 wins overall.

Katie Urbine matched Wood with another triple. The junior set a new school record when she cleared 12 feet in the pole vault, breaking her old record of 11-6. She also won the long jump (15-5.5) and led a sweep in the 100 (12.8) with freshmen Emma Housekeeper and Olianna Oravitz following.

"The girls stepped up," said head coach Jen McDowell. "I don't believe we've swept the 100 for several years.

"The girls are just doing an amazing job," she added. "I'm proud of each of them."

Housekeeper went on to win the open 400 and anchored the winning 4x400 relay with Haylee Byers, Halle Brown and Emily Powl while Oravitz captured the 200 and teamed with Urbine, Paige Althoff and Groff to win the 4x100.

Powl also picked up a win in the 800 and got Solanco off to a good start, joining Christine Wagner, Emma Baxter and Daria Neaves for a win in the 4x800 relay.

Other winners included Rose in the 100 hurdles and Althoff in the triple jump.

The boys' team, in a tougher battle, put together a total team effort to pull out an 82-68 win.

"They knew this would be a tough meet and they responded," said McDowell. "When we lost points in one race, we gained more in another race. Almost everyone on the distance team had big PR's which helped earn points.

"But the 4x400 relay sealed the win."

Clocking a 3:44.8, the team of Michael Banguna, Trent McDowell, Josiah Forren and Ian Althoff raced to victory.

"Winning two of the three relays was huge," McDowell added.

McDowell went on to lead a sweep in the triple jump with Elijah Reimold and Trenten Henry and Reimold led a sweep in the pole vault with Wyatt Armstrong and Braden Burger. He was also second in the high jump behind Noah Baber's six-foot leap and third in the long jump with Baber and Forren taking first and second respectively.

On the track, Wyatt Tomison, Joey Hartigan, Anthony Solis Morales and James Hartigan won the 4x800 relay. Tomison added a first in the 3200 while Solis Morales took both the mile and 800.

Althoff won the 400 and McDowell added seconds in both hurdle races.