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Donegal Track Teams Dominate LMH

BY ARA GRIGORIAN

Donegal claimed two lopsided track and field victories at Lancaster Mennonite on Tuesday, April 12 with the girls’ team winning 131-18 and the boys’ team winning 134-13.

In the boys’ meet, Jack Dearborn won the long, triple, and high jumps.

In other field events, Keaghan Cote took the shot put and Caleb Kendig the javelin.

Mark Overlander, who won the pole vaulting event, teamed with Aaron Storey, Jackson Brady, and Braden Bristline to win the 4x400 relay. Bristline was part of the 4x800 relay as well, joining 3,200-meter winner Samuel Rothstein, Dylan Lenhart and Zachary Karpel. The 4x100 relay went to Miller, Ayomikun Akinrinwoye, Noah Hinkel and Aaron Miller.

Hinkel also claimed the hurdles while Austen Hunt ran to a first-place finish in the 800.

In the girls’ relays, Faith Garber not only teamed with Rayahna Clerico, Lillian Stehman and Sydney Brubaker for a 4x100 relay victory, she also claimed the 100- and 200-m events.

Brubaker also was part of the 4x400 relay with Clerico Addison Houck and 400-m winner Sydney Snyder.

Snyder also took the triple jump while Brubaker was the high jump winner.

Emma Myers, who won the 800, also ran the 4x800 relay. She teamed with Bailey Shoaf, Kara Nissley and Kendall Finicle.

The high hurdles and 300-m intermediate hurdles belonged to Hannah Slobozien and Nya Bantum won both the shot put, and discus.

BASEBALL

For the Donegal baseball team, their back-to-back LancasterLebanon League games were an example of feast or famine.

On Friday, April 8, the Indians faced the phenomenal pitching prowess of Manheim Central junior Jared Murray. The Central southpaw pitched a completegame no-hitter, striking out nine while allowing three walks in a 70 Barons win at Mount Joy. The Barons gave the Indians (5-1) their first loss of the season.

“Murray was lights out,” said Donegal head coach Jeff Hartman. “Central beat us in all phases and we will try to learn from it and set ourselves up for a meaningful second chance with them.”

Murray raised his total of strikeouts on the year to 34 in only 16 innings pitched.

The feasting the Indians did was an impressive way of bouncing back. They defeated L-L League foe Annville-Cleona 8-5 with timely hitting and aggressive base running on Monday, April 11.

“We had a much better approach at the plate versus Annville,” said Hartman. “Base running has been a strong suit for us so far and we had lots of base runners.”

Coy Allman went 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBI’s. Five different Donegal batters - Jaden Fabian, who stroked a double, Andrew Small, Brock Hammaker, Colin Eckinger, and Alex Eisenberger - each had a base hit and a run scored. Small and Eckinger each knocked in a run as well, with Eckinger’s coming on a sacrifice fly.

“Coy Allman led the way offensively with others contributing,” said Hartman. Alex Eisenberger, Brock Hammaker and Colin Eckinger have been swinging well lately. I believe our entire lineup is capable and about to break out.”

On the bases, Eckinger, Small and Landon Sexton each swiped a base.

Senior Nicholas Eichelberger went 5 2/3 innings and earned the victory. He struck out four and allowed four runs on four hits.

Caden Evans came on in the sixth inning and finished the game with a solid save.

“It was another good outing for Nick Eichelberger and Caden Evans finished up nicely,” added the coach.

SOFTBALL

Cara Biesecker pitched and batted her way to a victory over Annville-Cleona on Monday, April 11. The Donegal junior pitched a three-hit shutout as the Indians scored 10 times in the sixth inning of their 18-0 win on the road.

Biesecker also knocked in a pair of runs, going 1-for-4 at the plate with a sacrifice fly RBI. Donegal leadoff hitter Ruth Myers went 2-for-5 with a triple and a run scored. She also knocked in a run.

The Indians, who improved to 4-1 (3-1 league), took advantage of four Dutchmen errors. No one reaped those benefits more than Bella Mackison, who reached base on an error three times, finishing 1-for-5 on the day with three runs scored and an RBI.

Elizabeth McCarthy had a three-hit game, including a double and three runs driven in. Natalie Colwell went 2-for-5 with a triple and two runs scored. Emma Garber knocked in a pair of runs, going 2-for-4.

Friday, April 8, was not a shutout victory. However, with a tenacity for scoring runs, the Indians survived their game at Manheim Central by a 15-12 score.

After a six-run third inning had given the visitors a 6-4 lead, Central tied with a pair of runs in the home half. The Indians scored two more in the following frame, only to see Central cut it to 8-7.

Donegal’s second six-running of this game came in the fifth inning. The Barons’ comeback bid fell short.

Mackison, Garber, and Colwell did their job in the middle of the lineup. Mackison went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs, scoring two herself. Garber doubled and drove in a run. She also reached base twice in walks while Colwell (3-for-5) doubled twice, driving in a pair, and scored four.

Grace Graham and Kara Heidlauf kept the runs coming as they drove in three and four runs, respectively.

Biesecker went the distance in this wild game, striking out six and allowing 10 earned runs on 12 hits.

TENNIS

With their 5-2 victory over Elco on Friday, April 8, the Indians showed a great deal of grit as they rebounded from a 7-0 loss to L-L League foe Lancaster Country Day earlier that week.

In the victory over Elco, the Indians held a 2-1 lead after the three doubles matches. Austin Barrick and Jackson Buston lost a close 8-4 match at number three doubles - this after Akilan Murugesan and Jacob Erb had an 8-4 victory at number one doubles followed by Landon Keller and Conner Hyle taking the second doubles 8-2.

Murugesan also started a win streak in singles, taking number one singles 6-2, 6-1. Erb and Keller both won their respective singles matches 6-2, 6-0.

Donegal followed this with a 7-0 triumph over AnnvilleCleona, improving to 8-2 on the year (6-1 league). Murugesan and Erb faced a tough challenge from their number one doubles opponents Si Domenic and Samuel Domenic. The Donegal duo prevailed 9-7.

Keller and Hyle posted an 8-3 win while Barrick and fellow senior Brett Sauder prevailed 8-6 at number three doubles.

In the singles matches, Donegal made it a straight sets sweep from Murugesan (6-1, 6-0) to Erb (6-1, 7-5) to Keller (6-2, 6-4) to Hyle (6-4, 6-1).

Photo by Cheri Sine

Donegal’s Claudia Taylor clears the bar at an even six feet to win the pole vault in the Indians’ 131-18, nonleague win over Lancaster Mennonite, April 12 in Mount Joy.

Photo by Cheri Sine

Jack Brady clears the final hurdle on his way to an 18.0 win in the high hurdles in Donegal’s 134-13, nonleague win over Lancaster Mennonite on April 12. for more photos, visit www.townlively.com