Garden Spot demonstrated consistency in Monday's home match with Warwick in L-L League boys' lacrosse action. The Spartans were coming off a 14-4 non-league win over Spring Grove Friday, April 14, and were able to bear down and limit the Warriors to four goals in a 7-4 triumph. The win improved the Spartans to 6-3 (4-2 league).

Ayden Naranjo dropped a hat trick for Spot while Jared Patton, who also had one assist, and Joe Bernek each scored twice.

Cole Leaman was a success in front of the Spartans' goal, making seven saves. Leaman and Logan Hall each recorded saves in the win at Spring Grove

On offense, Bernek and Naranjo each poured in four goals with Naranjo assisting on two others.

Patton posted a hat trick and dished two assists. Logan Lessley also had two assists and scored once. Gabe Martin and Ben Keeport each tallied one goal.

SOFTBALL

Garden Spot faced a solid Donegal squad in Lancaster-Lebanon League softball action on the road, Friday, April 14

How solid?

"I think they're a complete team," head coach Kim King stated. "They have a solid pitcher with good hitters behind her."

King was referring to Donegal pitcher Cara Biesecker, who tossed three innings and allowed one run on five hits as the Indians topped the Spartans 16-1.

"We met the expectations of controlling what we could," King said, alluding to the challenges the Spartans have faced this year - a roster that started the year with only 11 members.

"Bella Robbins had her first varsity hit," King pointed out, demonstrating an example of how the Spartans have performed in the face of adversity. "She has learned so much, not having played softball before."

The Spartans scored their run on a Sydni King RBI. Violet Jackson reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on Courtney Reichard's single. King, who had a single and a double on the day, drove her in.

"Violet has been putting the ball in play for us," King said.

The game ended after three innings based on the 10-run rule. Donegal's Bella Mackison went 3-for-3 with double, a home run and five RBI.

"They hit the ball very hard, and we had our infield playing back as far as possible," said King. "We made the plays we were supposed to make."

On Monday, April 17, Jackson had one of the Spartans' four base hits in a Section Three game at Elco. The Spartans fell to the Raiders 15-0.

Jackson had one of the four base hits. Reichard and King also singled while sophomore Rebekah Hoover slugged a double.

"We had four hits, but they weren't strung together so we didn't get any runs," King said.

VOLLEYBALL

In a given season for nearly all sports, one or perhaps two teams will get off to a solid start. It is almost inevitable that the twain shall meet at some point during the season.

That was the case for the L-L League clash between Garden Spot and Manheim Central on Tuesday, April 18. The Spartans visited the Barons as both teams entered the match with 5-0 records.

Two sets into the match - a 25-15 Central victory and a 25-19 Spartans win - and the teams were still tied for first place in Section Two.

The Barons would remain unbeaten at night's end, winning a close 25-21 set and then 25-15 for a 3-1 defeat of the Spartans.

Tanner Laukhuff, a senior, crashed the net with 22 kills. Keegan Redcay led the team with 33 assists and two blocks while Justin Miniger recorded 22 digs.

As fortune would have it, these teams are scheduled to meet for their regular season finale.

TRACK

Monday's track and field meets resulted in very close battles between the girls' and boys' squads of Section Two rivals Garden Spot and Lampeter-Strasburg. In the boys' meet, the Pioneers topped the Spartans 82-68 in New Holland while the Spot girls posted an 80-70 win, improving to 2-1.

Sean Kelch raced across the finish line as the winner in the 400 (53.3). He was also part of the winning 4x400 relay team with Trent Hoober, Cole Humphreys, and Alan Krock (3:42.1).

Zechariah Nagle swept the hurdling events, taking the 300's in 45.1 seconds and the high hurdles at 18.0

Garden Spot (1-2) won five of the field events, including multiple victories - the long jump and triple jump - by Aiden Durante. Jaden Rodriguez cleared 5-8 to win the high jump.

The discus left Landon Friedel's hand and traveled a top distance of 125-9. Kaleb Zimmerman won the shot put at 46-4.

In the girls' meet, the Spartans swept the relays, including a 4x800 win for Morgan Watt, Melanie Esh Erin Hamer, and Elise Krock, who also went on to win the 800-m (2:39.7). They took the relay in 10:48.5 while Lauren Horning, who also won the 400-m race, anchored the 4x400 (4:29.3) team of Riley Arment, Megan Hechler and Kasey Miller.

Hechler came through with a sweep in the hurdles. Valerie Martin's 9-foot pole vault was also tops on the day. Mikayla Mellinger as she won the triple jump at 33-3 and Chloe Grady claimed the long jump at 16-4.50.

BASEBALL

Sandwiched between a close heartbreaking 8-6 loss to Donegal on Friday, April 14 and a 10-0 defeat to Manheim Central on Wednesday, April 19 was the Spartans' impressive 7-3 defeat of Elco at home Monday evening. Ryan Speers pitched a complete game with four strikeouts and only two walks, scattering seven hits.

At the dish, Madix Bracken went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and a run scored. Caiden Murphy also stroked two hits and scored. Junior leadoff man Caleb Zimmerman slugged a solo home run and finished the day 2-for-4.

Seniors Gabe Smeltz and Colin Smith have almost always been very productive at the bottom of the lineup. Smith went 1-for-4 with an RBI while Smeltz knocked in two runs from the number nine spot.

Speers slugged a three-run home run in the Donegal game as the Spartans rallied in their final at bat. Trailing 8-3, Speers made it a two-run game with a homer to left field.

Brackin, who scored on the Speers blast, also had a homer in the game.

TENNIS

The Spartans faced Lebanon and Lampeter-Strasburg in Section Two tennis matches this past week, visiting L-S on Monday, April 17 and playing host to Lebanon two days later.

In the L-S match, which the Pioneers claimed by a 7-0 score, Walter Churpin and Gavin Zook played a tough number one doubles, losing eventually to Joe Fitzgerald and Owen Lapp 8-2. The Pioneers won the four singles matches in straight sets.

The twosome of Jude Kauffman and Brandon Herman played a close second doubles in the Lebanon match, before bowing out 8-4. Andrew Herman and Andrew Hershey came up just short in an 8-5 third doubles.

Brandon Herman played a much better second set in number two singles. The Cedars' Bravlio Reyes prevailed 6-0, 6-3. At number four singles, Zook came up short 1-6, 4-6.

GIRLS' LACROSSE

Spring Grove and Garden Spot met for a non-league girls' lacrosse match in New Holland on Friday, April 14.

The Rockets scored 11 first-half goals en route to an 18-7 victory.

Leading the offensive charge for Spot was Brielle Moyer with four goals. Gwen Varley tallied two goals while sophomore Frieda Kauffman netted one.

In its next contest, Garden Spot visited Warwick for an L-L League game on Monday, April 17.

Powered by Julia Barto's seven goals, the Warriors topped the Spartans 20-6.

Varley had a four-goal game for Garden Spot. Moyer finished with two.