In a clash of Section One rivals on Friday, April 29, Hempfield scored 10 runs in the fifth inning to defeat Manheim Township 14-4 in Landisville. The Knights improved to 4-3 in Section One (7-6 overall) as senior Bailey Ray went 3-for-4 with a double and one RBI.

Courtney Guthrie earned the win, striking out three batters. At the plate, Guthrie slugged one of five Hempfield doubles, going 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI's. Avery Landis also doubled and drove in two runs.

Olivia Cover, batting ninth, went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI's while leadoff batter Alex Gregory went 2-for-4 with two runs and a RBI.

Hempfields' late rally in Tuesday's game at Cedar Crest fell short as the Falcons won 6-2. The Knights managed six hits, three of which were doubles. Ray doubled to drive in one run. Oliver and freshman Kali Peifer also doubled with Peifer driving in Hempfield's other run. Carley Ernst went 1-for-4 with a stolen base.

TENNIS

In certain high school sports, as a team reloads its roster, it is fortunate enough to bring on a freshman with poise and talent. That has been the case with Cooper Lehman's contributions to the Hempfield boys' tennis team.

"He came in and did very well for us," said head coach Mindi Bell. "In our non-league matches he also faced tough opponents and handled the pressure."

Lehman performed under pressure over the weekend as the league's top tennis players converged on Conestoga Valley for the L-L League Championships. Lehman battled through the brackets and earned the singles championship as well as pairing up with Eric Jorrdan to reach the finale of the Flight One doubles.

"They have done a great job together," Bell said of Jordan and Lehman. "They also worked together in the off-season."

Lehman opened his championship quest with 6-0, 6-1 win over P.J. Fahey of Penn Manor on Thursday, April 28. He posted the same winning scores against Garrett Muraika of Cedar Crest.

Another Crest opponent - Rocco Shkreli - faced him in the semifinals. Another straight sets win (6-2, 6-0) by Lehman.

He faced Manheim Township foe Michael Georgelis in the finale, coming away with a tough 7-5, 7-5 victory.

Interestingly, in doubles, Jordan and Lehman faced Muraika and Shkreli. Their Crest counterparts were the top-seeded pair. They topped Jordan and Lehman 6-3, 6-3 to take the doubles championship.

In their path to the finals, Jordan and Lehman opened with a 6-4, 6-1 win and went on to defeat Ephrata's Lance Wilson and Colin Zucchi 6-2, 6-0.

In the semis, Georgelis paired up with Nick Keener. The Township twosome won the second set 6-4 to force a tiebreaker, which Jordan and Lehman won 10-7.

In the second round of the Flight Two singles, Jordan lost a close 7-6, 7-6 match to Zucchi.

Andre Hurst entered the Flight Three singles as the top seed and made it to the final where he faced sixth-seeded Connor Zook of Cocalico.

Zook took the first set 7-5 only to have Hurst bounce back for a 6-0 win. In the third set, Zook managed to outlast the Hempfield sophomore 11-9.

"He lost a tough three-setter in the final," said Bell. "They were very evenly matched."

Hurst burst out of the gate with 6-0, 6-0 triumphs over Tanner Eshleman of Ephrata followed by a 6-2, 6-1 win. In the semis he topped Hayden Winey of Pequea Valley 6-2, 6-3 before facing Zook.

GIRLS' LACROSSE

In a 21-7 victory at Kennard-Dale on Monday, May 2, Hempfield (15-1) out-shot K-D 26-9 and Kelsea Dague scored seven goals.

Brynne Axe scored four and assisted on three. Isabelle Masengarb and Whitney Hershey each notched hat tricks while Natalie Bole, Makenzie Warfel, Mia Brennan, and Maureen Krauser each netted one goal.

Led by Axe's five goals and Masengarb's four scores, the Knights topped Cumberland Valley 13-11 on Saturday morning. Dague finished with two goals with Bole and Hershey each scoring once.

Two days earlier, the Knights dominated Cocalico 19-4 at home. Dague led with six goals. Axe added three goals and three assists. Hershey and Masengarb also notched hat tricks while Bole tallied two goals. Warfel and Kenna Price each scored once.

BASEBALL

Logan Harelson not only earned the win in Monday's 11-1 triumph over Cedar Crest, he also had a hand in driving in some of those 11 runs. The sophomore escaped trouble in the top of the first, allowing a run on two hits. He pitched hitless ball over four innings.

In the home half of the first, Hempfield scored seven times, aided by a Josh Toole bases-loaded walk and two Falcon errors. Harelson also drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Cameron Berger singled to drive in one more.

In the third, Harelson stroked a two-run double.

Township had a seven-run inning in Friday's 9-6 win at home. The Knights had taken a 3-2 lead on a two-run rally, highlighted by Austin Dunlap's two-run triple.

BOYS' LACROSSE

The long-awaited boys' lacrosse match between the Knights and Blue Streaks took place at Manheim Township on Friday, April 29, with the host Streaks beating Hempfield 18-8.

It was a 5-4 match after one quarter. The Streaks went on an 8-3 run over the next two periods.

Max Grube and A.J. McAlpine each scored twice for Hempfield. Ryan Hilton, Zack Antesberger, Toby Marco, and Ryan Heuston each scored once.

Hempfield fell to 11-2 overall.

VOLLEYBALL

The battle between Section One's top two volleyball teams ended with Warwick defeating Hempfield 3-1 on Tuesday, May 3, at Lititz. The Warriors (8-1) handed Hempfield (9-1) its first league loss of the year, creating a first-place tie.

In April, the Knights had beaten Warwick 3-1 in Landisville.

In Tuesday's match, the Knights opened with a 25-19 victory. The Warriors fought back for 25-23, 25-21 and an even closer 26-24 winning margins.

Dante Keener paced the Knights with 12 kills while Caden Bonner had 35 assists and three blocks. Mason Orth finished with 19 digs and one ace.

Hempfield was coming off another close loss on Saturday. In the Keystone Cup at Dallastown, Lower Dauphin prevailed 19-25, 26-24, 25-21 and 25-21.

Kenner collected 15 kills and, like Cole Jackson and Josiah Pletcher, served four aces. Keener and Ethan Earhart each had four blocks. Bonner dished out 34 assists and Orth finished with 33 digs.

TRACK

In a Section One meet, McCaskey's boys' and girls' teams triumphed over Hempfield with the Red Tornado girls remaining unbeaten at 5-0 following their 120-29 victory.

The Knights got first-place performances from Sydney Rhoads in the high jump and Piper Brugman in the pole vault.

McCaskey won the boys' meet 92-58. Hempfield wins included the 4x400 (Logan Muhlerg, Aidan Hodge, Carson Lieberman, Chris Titter), and the 4x800 team of Titter, Joe Fahrney, Sam Freedman, who also won the 3,200-meter race, and Dale Winand.

Hodge won the 800 and 1,600 events and Brody Weachter took the pole vault.