After thumping Solanco 14-4, the softball team felt confident against Elizabethtown, knowing the Mares defeated the Bears 11-5 despite two errors and striking out nine times. Makes sense. But that's not quite how high school softball goes and why we play the games.

In a game that featured 28 combined hits, 15 errors and eight total walks, L-S suffered a 14-13 football-type score road loss on Monday, April 10. Facing an 11-1 deficit after four complete innings, the Pioneers exploded for 12 runs in the top of the fifth only to give three back in the bottom half.

"The errors were a bit misleading," said head coach Earl Rutledge. "Some of those balls were hit really hard. We just started with the bats too late in the game. I was proud that we battled back to take the lead in what was an ugly game on both sides. Our girls never give up and fight to the end."

The 12-run burst featured six walks, a pair of errors, five singles and Brooke Zuber's one out grand slam.

The Bears responded with back-to-back doubles and a two-run homer to end the scoring as both teams were denied down the stretch.

Paige Baxter led with three hits while Zuber, Julia Gerard, and Mackenzie Macki each added two hits.

In the circle, Maura Savoca took the loss, scattering seven hits over three innings. Baxter pitched one inning with Ally Raub closing out with one strikeout, one walk and no hits over the final two frames.

L-S made short work of Lebanon on Wednesday, using 15 hits to blank the Cedars 19-0 in three innings. The visitors scored nine in the second and nine more in the third to post the lopsided win.

Gerard, Raub (3 RBI), Baxter (3 RBI), Mack (4 RBI), Chloe Meck and Gabby Hiles each collected two hits on the day with Hiles clubbing a solo homer to start the second inning.

BASEBALL

The baseball team took advantage of seven errors and nine walks and defeated Donegal 8-2 on Thursday April 6. They extended a slim 2-1 lead with six runs in the third inning. Six walks, two errors, a wild pitch and a hit batter resulted in the scoring.

Both teams finished with three hits with Will Bailey, Jason Long and Anthony Turek, with a double, sparking the Pioneers.

Turek also picked up the win on the hill, striking out three, walking three and surrendering just three hits.

"The guys are working hard," said head coach Jeff Swarr. "So far, Jason Long, Anthony Turek and Peyton Harsh have all pitched well as starters and we have had strong performances from Hayden Brinkman and Mason Coe out of the bullpen. We pitch pretty well and play good defense, so we will be in every game."

Four days later, L-S dropped a 2-0 result against visiting Elizabethtown. The Bears took advantage of three walks and two singles to push two across in the second inning.

"Their pitcher did a nice job against us," said Swarr. "We had two hits, one by Luke Brenneman and one by Cayden See. They scored those runs on walks. Other than that, we played a clean game and just could not muster any runs."

Harsh, with four strikeouts and six walks, took the loss. Brinkman struck out six in relief.

In Wednesday's home game with Lebanon, the Pioneers used a three-run sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie and dealt the Cedars a 4-1 loss.

Groff finished with two hits on the day while Long, who pitched two-hitter with seven strikeouts and two walks, and White both cracked doubles.

TENNIS

The tennis team collected their second straight 4-1 result against a Section One school on Tuesday, April 11, against Penn Manor.

Kyle Pawson and Owen Lapp picked up a solid 6-0, 6-1 No. 1 doubles win with Justin Gouger and Kenny Finn winning 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2.

In singles play it was Cole Teaman with a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 2 and Spencer Teaman taking No. 3 with a 6-3, 6-2 result.

A 6-1 win over Elizabethtown on Wednesday, April 12, moved the Pioneers to 7-2 overall.

Fitzgerald and Pawson, at No. 1 doubles, and Gouger and Finn, playing No. 3, both earned 8-5 wins while the Teaman's blanked their opponent at No. 2.

The Teamans' and Pawson all earned straight set singles wins, playing No. 2, 3 and 4, respectively.

LACROSSE

The boys' lacrosse team did what they needed to do last Tuesday, April 11 and picked up a 15-2 win over a winless Elizabethtown squad.

The Pioneers, with a five goal, one assist effort from Zach Labrecque, raced out to an 8-0 first quarter lead and never looked back. The balanced attack featured nine different goal scorers. Chase Barber followed Labrecque with two goals and one assist while Colin Sullivan (1a), Gavin Denlinger, Owen Krause, Connor Hudson, Anthony Carson, Drexton Frank, and Brady Cunningham all found the back of the net once.

Bryce Thomas (3 saves), Hunter Palmateer (3 saves) and Cole Beiler (1 save) patrolled the goal.

The girls' lacrosse team took care of third place Elizabethtown and remained perfect on the season with a 17-5 final on April 11.

Five different players scored multiple goals as the Pioneers took control with a 12-1 run through the first half. Leigha Saurbaugh, Rowan Kimmell (3a), and Bethany Stoltzfus (2a) all scored hat tricks with Hannah Cissne and Ryann Logan (2a) both scoring twice. Abigail Welchans, Trinity Wise, Abigail Wolff, and Sophia Labrecque each scored once and dished one assist.

Zoe Dilling (4) and freshman Jillian Kelly (1) protected the goal with five total saves.

TRACK

Ephrata, one of the top teams in Section Two, handed the Pioneers a pair of losses last Tuesday in Lampeter. Despite three individual wins (long, triple, and high jump) by Elly Bruner the Lady Mountaineers went home with an 85-65 win while the boys' team, with just five wins on the day, fell 90-60.

Bruner also ran a leg of the winning 4x100 relay with Maya Brenneman, Madison Weichler and Lyndi Wall, who also claimed the 100 (12.4) and 200 (26.2) meter sprints, to lead the scoring.

Adding to Bruner's field points was Maggie Swarr with firsts in the discus (96-11) and javelin (123-1) as well as a second in the shot.

Despite being outpointed in the field, 35-28, the pole vaulters swept with Aidan Wiley (12-6), Greyson Myers (11-7) and Carter Weaver (9-6) doing the damage.

"Carter placed in three events for the day, adding thirds in both hurdle events as well," noted head coach Cal Esh.

Other winners included Braden Bauer (discus, 108-8), Ben Devine (3200, 11:05), Parker Stoner (800, 2:01.1) and Colin Whitaker (mile, 4:45.9).