The Hempfield boys' lacrosse team raised its record to 2-0 with a decisive 16-3 defeat of Cedar Crest on Tuesday, March 28. In the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section One clash, the Black Knights built an insurmountable 11-0 lead in the first period.

The match featured two hat tricks by Jason Hilton and Toby Marco who also dished out two assists.

Having a hand in five of Hempfield's goals didn't belong to only Marco and Hilton. Zack Antesberger scored two goals in addition to dishing three assists.

Carsten Rankin, Talin Baer and Julian Morales scored twice each. While Dylan Ahiskog and Cole Gibbons each netted one goal, Isaiah Martin, and Phil Krauser each had one assist.

Holding down the net was Aidan French, who grabbed one save in the victory, which was Hempfield's first in league play.

The Knights were coming off a 7-6 non-league win at Central York on Wednesday, March 22. Morales threw in a hat trick with Hilton adding two goals. Krauser and Gibbons each chipped in with one goal. Antesberger and Marco recorded one assist each.

Gabe Colon-Munoz snagged 12 saves for Hempfield.

TRACK

In a Section One track meet on Monday, March 27, the Hempfield girls fell to Manheim Township 84-57 while the boys' team, thanks to seniors Aidan Hodge, Tate Martin, Joseph Fahrney, and Carson Lieberman, defeated the visiting Streaks 99-42.

Martin captured both the 300-meter hurdles and the high hurdles for Hempfield. In the middle-distance runs, Hodge ran the 1,600-m at a 4:35.2 pace to earn first place. He also won the 800m while Fahrney outran the competition in the 3,200 at a 9:44.3 pace.

Leiberman dashed to victory in the 400 at 55.3 seconds.

Each of the six field events in the boys' meet went to a different Hempfield athlete.

Jordan Thode tossed the discus a distance of 125 feet 3 inches to claim that event. Junior Deyvid Palepale's shot put distance of 41-9 was tops on the day. Peter Wentzel (145-5) won the javelin while Andy Garcia's 19-0.5 long jump and fellow senior Tanner Dennis's triple jump of 39-8 also earned firsts.

Edward Asadu won the high jump at 5-4.

Molly Siebert's time of 2:34.8 claimed the girls' 800-m while freshman Annabella Heisey sprinted to victory in the 200 at 28.36 seconds. Ellison Wolfe won the 3,200 in 11:21.4

The Black Knights swept the hurdles with Arianaliz Olivencia taking the high hurdles and Julia Sweigart the 300s.

Nychl Griffin-Cunningham won the triple jump (31-15).

SOFTBALL

Though the Hempfield offense was unable to manufacture any runs in its season opener at New Oxford on March 14, Carley Ernst gave the Knights a stellar pitching performance.

"We lost 2-0 to New Oxford even though Carley struck out 15 batters," head coach Chris Landis pointed out.

Landis, a first-year head coach, is looking forward to what he calls "...a new era in Hempfield softball.

"We have brand new uniforms and a brand-new culture with our program," he added. "We are very young with only one senior, four juniors, five sophomores and two freshmen on the varsity team."

Ernest is one of two returning L-L League all-stars along with Avery Landis.

"Last season Carley had 80 strikeouts in only 61 innings," added the coach.

The Black Knights' next game was a 10-0 loss to Shippensburg - a game that had a few players absent.

"We got hit by the stomach bug and had to play at Shippensburg without our top two pitchers," explained Landis.

BASEBALL

Hempfield manufactured two runs in a game dominated by solid pitching Tuesday, March 28. The Knights visited Governor Mifflin, losing the non-league baseball game 3-2.

Mustangs' hurlers Alex Velez and Tyler Minick combined to allow only two hits while striking out 11 batters. Minick earned the save for Velez. Velez also drove in the eventual game-winner on a double that chased Minick home with an unearned run in the fifth inning.

Meanwhile, Hempfield's Hunter Williams allowed only four hits and struck out six batters without allowing a walk. He went five innings and was tagged with the tough loss, giving up only two earned runs.

Stephen Katch provided solid relief, striking out the side in the bottom of the sixth.

Hempfield manufactured a first-inning run when Katch grounded out to drive in Charles Sheerer, who had one of Hempfield's two base hits.

After the Mustangs had taken a 2-1 lead in the home half of the first, the Knights tied the score when Brayden Hostetter singled, and Aiden Rodenberger walked. With the two base runners advancing on a perfect sacrifice bunt by Logan Harelson, Hostetter scored on a wild pitch.

VOLLEYBALL

With 11 kills and three service aces by Aiden Beiler, the Hempfield boys' volleyball team opened its 2023 season with a 3-0 victory at Section One rival Penn Manor on Tuesday, March 28.

The Knights topped the Comets 25-17 25-20 and 25-19, getting 30 assists from Cole Jackson and 14 digs by Brady Rigard.

Also helping the defense was Ethan Earhart with two solo blocks.

GIRLS LACROSSE

The girls' lacrosse team scored 35 goals in its first two games, darting out of the gate with a 2-0 start.

In the 17-2 trouncing of Central York on March 22, the leading scorers were Isabelle Masengarb and Whitney Hershey with six goals each. Natalie Bole put up a hat trick while Mia Brennan tallied two goals and two assists.

Masengarb netted five goals and Hershey added four in the 18-3 win at Cedar Crest on Tuesday, March 28. Bole (4 g, 1 asst) also led the way.

Lexi Mehaffey scored twice while Brennan, Lucy DeHoff and Hattie Mack netted one each.

Isabella LaVenice was the winning goalie in both matches.

TENNIS

In a non-league tennis match, Hempfield topped Central York on Tuesday, March 28.

Playing on their home court, the Knights improved to 3-0 on the year with the 4-1 home victory, sweeping the singles matches in straight sets.

In doubles action, Ben Curtin and Tristan Coyne tossed aside their opponents 6-4, 6-4. Will Keppel and Ryan Malesic came up just short at number one doubles, 3-6, 5-7.

Cooper Lehman took the number one singles 6-2, 6-0. Eric Jordan (6-2, 6-2) and Andre Hurst (6-0, 6-1) also won their singles matches.

The previous Wednesday, the Knights won their first league match of the year, topping Penn Manor 6-1.

Lehman and Jordan not only teamed up for an 8-2 win at first doubles, but they also won the first two singles matches - both with 6-1, 6-1 straight sets. Lehman won the first singles and Jordan the second. Hurst blanked Grant Rost 6-0, 6-0 at number three and Sam Keener won at number four, 6-1, 6-2.

In the third doubles, Keppel and Gavin Chamberlain won 8-2. The one Penn Manor point came at number two doubles where Rost and Bill Steitz edged Malesic and Hurst 8-5.