The Pequea Valley Braves chipped away at the four-run deficit in the fourth inning of Monday's Lancaster-Lebanon League softball game at Annville-Cleona. They cut the Dutchmen's lead to 6-5.

But four late runs helped the visiting Dutchmen come away with a 10-6 victory.

A pair of underclassmen contributed to the offense for Pequea (4-4, 3-2 league). Freshman Izzy Graham, who has been hitting the ball well, went 2-for-4 and drove in a run. Sophomore Sydney Roye had two hits and three runs batted in.

Juniors Chevelle Fisher and Carissa Mulder each had two hits. Mulder drove in a run and scored one herself.

Abby Evans went 3-for-5 with an RBI for the Dutchmen.

The previous Friday, the Braves won a slugfest at Lancaster Catholic. Mackenzie Musser, the starting pitcher, went three innings, giving up just one run. The Crusaders put up four runs in the fourth inning.

The Braves bats got a boost from Madi Hassis, who went 1-for-2 with a double, driving in two runs. Madison Clark got the job done out of the third spot in the batting order, going 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI. She also swiped two bases. Roye also had a perfect day, going 2-for-2 with a run batted in.

BOYS' TENNIS

With their only loss of the season coming at the hands of the top-ranked team in District Three Class 2A, the Braves continued their winning ways with victories over Ephrata, McCaskey and Annville-Cleona in boys' tennis action. The Braves improved to 12-1 on the year, maintaining the fifth spot in the district power rankings.

And that top-ranked team is L-L League foe Lancaster Country Day - an unbeaten 14-0.

Pequea won 5-2 at Ephrata Middle School on Thursday, April 13.

Wade Stoltzfus and Cole Stoltzfus outplayed Todd Weist and Lance Wilson by an 8-3 margin at number one doubles. Hayden Winey and Joel Peifer won a much closer match at second doubles, 8-6.

That was the final score of the third doubles with Jackson Hershey and Bailey Scott of the Braves finishing on the short end.

In singles play, Winey outlasted Caleb Zimmerman of Ephrata 6-2, 7-6 (3) at number two singles. The close battle was between relatively easy straight set victories at number two singles - Cole Stoltzfus (6-1, 6-0) and number four singles winner Scott (6-1, 6-1).

A greatly improved McCaskey team was next on the Braves' schedule as they went into Lancaster on Friday, April 14. The Braves stopped the Red Tornado 4-2.

The Stoltzfus pair of Wade and Cole blanked their opponents 8-0 at number two doubles. The first doubles match had Hershey and Baily proving to be formidable foes for Maxwell Smith and Logan McIntyre. The Tornado twosome, however, prevailed 8-5.

In singles play, Wade Stoltzfus (6-1, 6-0), Cole Stoltzfus (6-4, 6-0) and Winey (6-1, 7-6) earned the points necessary for the Braves to earn the victory.

The Braves finished strong with a 7-0 win at Annville-Cleona on Monday, April 17. The Dutchmen's Jared Hostetter proved to be a tough opponent despite Pequea's 7-0 victory. At number one doubles, the Cole and Wade Stoltzfus tandem edged Hostetter and Sam Domencic 8-5. Hostetter and Domencic were the only A-C players to win a set in singles play.

At number two doubles, Winey and Cole McEvoy cruised to an 8-1 win. Peifer and Scott were 8-5 winners at third doubles.

Domencic gave Wade Stoltzfus a good fight with Stoltzfus coming out on top 6-2, 3-6 10-8. Hostetter lost the opening set 6-1, but defeated Cole Stoltzfus 7-6 before dropping the tiebreaker 10-5.

Peifer (6-4, 6-4) and Winey (6-4, 6-2) won their respective singles matches.

BASEBALL

Myles Furlong went 6 2/3 innings of strong pitching while also going 2-for-5 at the plate plus two stolen bases and two runs scored on the base paths as the Braves topped Columbia 10-3 on Wednesday, April 19. Furlong's pitching performance also featured 10 strikeouts.

The victory improved the Braves' record to 8-4 on the year.

Junior Jayden Stoltzfus went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Helping himself get into scoring position for the two runs he would eventually score on the day, Stoltzfus stole three bases.

Logan Zynn's 3-for-3 game with a run scored and Stephen Smucker's 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run helped the bottom of the Braves' lineup as well.

At the top of the order, Nick Ammon had a sacrifice fly RBI. He also singled and scored a run.

The Braves, who had been shut out 3-0 by Lancaster Catholic the previous Friday, topped Annville Cleona on the road by a 5-1 score on Monday, April 17. Smucker struck out 10 in six innings as the starter.

Zynn, who crossed the plate two times, Stoltzfus, Evan Smith, Dominick Burrell scored the Pequea runs.

While Stoltzfus went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in, and RBI single by Peyton Temple, a Furlong sacrifice fly plus an RBI double by Zynn proved to be the timely hitting the team needed. In addition, Smucker went 2-for-3 with an RBI, helping himself.