After a first-round bye, the No. 2 seed Pioneers handled Lancaster Country Day in the quarterfinals, winning 15-2 to get to Trinity in last Tuesday's semifinal clash in Lampeter.

L-S took a 7-2 lead early in the second quarter before Trinity, the defending district champ, scored five of the next six goals to cut the lead to 8-7 by halftime. Both teams traded goals early in the third before L-S ran off the last seven goals of the game to advance to the district final for the first time in school history.

Barrett Denlinger fueled Lampeter's attack, scoring four goals and dishing out five assists. Zach Labreque also scored four times. Colin Sullivan added a hat trick in both goals and assists. Stewart McClain scored twice as did Jack Filius who also had one assist. Chase Barber (1g, 1a) and Berkeley Wagner (1a) also contributed. Bryce Thomas was solid in goal, collecting 11 saves.

Sullivan, with six goals and one assist, was the standout against LCD/LC. McClain finished with three goals and three assists. Denlinger, Filius, Owen Krause, Brayden Smith, Wagner, and Mason Heiserman also found the back of the net.

SOFTBALL

After a disappointing showing in the Lancaster-Lebanon League championship game Thursday, May 19, the Pioneers regrouped and opened District Three 5A competition with a 6-3 victory over Northern York at home last Tuesday.

Brooke Zuber drove in four runs on two home runs to pave the way, but the Pioneers had to work from behind early as NY scored one in the first, on a walk and a double, and left the bases loaded.

"Keiva worked out of trouble in that first inning," said Pioneer boss Earl Rutledge. "We need to clean up some errors and get everyone hitting as we move forward."

Zuber put L-S in front for good in the bottom half. Her homer to right plated Middleton who reached on a fielder's choice.

They added one in the second on back-to-back doubles by Gabby Hiles and Chloe Meck and made it 5-1 in the third when Zuber homered to center, plating Middleton who walked.

"Brooks' two hits were bombs," said Rutledge.

Meck (2-3, 1RBI) opened the fourth with a single, was sacrificed to second and scored when Gerard's grounder was misplayed.

The visitors rallied with single runs in the last two innings, taking advantage of two different errors along the way.

Middletown struck out nine, walked four and gave up four hits.

Lampeter's two-time defending reign as the L-L League champs came to an abrupt halt on May 19 at Millersville University. The Section One champ Comets, who recently dropped a 2-1 eight-inning final against the Pioneers, turned things around and exploded for an 11-1, six inning victory.

"They're a good-hitting team and they came ready to play," said Rutledge.

In that eight-inning game, Middleton held the Comets to two hits while striking out 16. This time around it was Julie Bowmaster that did the holding. The freshman held L-S to one run on four hits and the Comets, as a team, pounded out 14 hits as they collected their second L-L title overall, the first coming in 2017.

The Comets got off to a quick start and never looked back. Jordan Bailey crushed a ball to right field that glanced off Chloe Meck's glove. Amelia Trout (courtesy runner) scored on a wild pitch and Paterson doubled to right. Maddie Mitchell's shot eluded a diving Julia Gerard in center field, scoring Paterson and Soboleski's base hit plated Mitchell. Bowmaster stepped up for a single and Bria Booth's hit made it 4-0.

L-S went three up, three down and the Comets responded with a three-spot in the second inning. The big hit was Paterson's (3-4, 3RBI) shot in deep right that glanced off Meck's glove and over the fence for a two-run homer.

L-S again went 1-2-3 in the third and the Comets reloaded in the bottom half, plating two more runs courtesy of Kira Green's home run.

Bowmaster gave up her first hit of the game, a one out single to Ally Raub in the fourth but was left stranded, leaving the score at 9-0.

The Comets put the mercy rule in effect in the top of the sixth.

Maura Savoca opened the bottom half with a base hit and with one out, Raub doubled her in, ending Bowmaster's (2k, 1w) shutout.

"This was a tough one," said L-S assistant coach Mallory Rutt. "But you have to give them credit. Penn Manor is a good team and they played really well. Coach told the girls after the game that softball has a way of humbling you, which is so true!"

BASEBALL

The Pioneer baseball team had a tall task in the opening round of the District Three 5A championships as the No. 14 seed traveled to No. 3 Mechanicsburg Tuesday, May 24. The visitors shook off the lopsided seeded and prevailed with a 3-2 thriller and lived to play another day.

Tied at 2-2 after five innings both teams came up empty in the sixth and L-S scored what proved to be the game-winner on Jason Long's one out homer in the top of the seventh.

"Gehrig Harsh pitched the last two innings to get the win," said head coach Jeff Swarr. "At this point in the year, all teams are so close, anything can happen. I wasn't surprised we came away with the win."

L-S scored one in the second when Anthony Turek reached and got to second on an error. Luke Brenneman bunted him over and Will Bailey (2-3, 1RBI) bunted him in.

Mechanicsburg scored twice in the third when Long gave up a two-run triple. Two innings later, the visitors knotted the score. Long (3-4, 1RBI) reached on an error and scored on Andrew Whitehead's dropped fly ball.

Last year the Pioneers topped Spring Grove 2-1 in the first round.

TRACK

Seven track and field athletes competed in the District Three Championships at Shippensburg University May 20-21 and three punched their ticket to states.

Maggie Swarr was the top medal-winner, grabbing third in the javelin with a 125-4, following Manheim's Maddie Knier (2nd, 126-10). Swarr topped Knier by almost two feet to win gold at the league meet.

"Maggie very much wants another shot at Knier," said head coach Cal Esh.

Teagan Weaver placed in two events, taking 5th in the 100, which qualified him for states, and 6th in the long jump. Colin Whitaker, who finished 8th in the 3200, will join Swarr and Weaver at states.

Also earning district medals: Hannah Gawne, 6th in the 200; Lyndi Wall, 7th in the 100; Madison Malcolm, 7th in the 110 hurdles; and Luka Vranich, 8th in the 800.