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Girls Lacrosse Caps 12-6 Regular Season Record

BY MONA STEINHAUER

With three games left in the regular season, the Lady Pioneers crushed Trinity 17-6, dropped a 14-11 result to the top ranked team in Class 3A, Hershey, and dealt Warwick a 17-6 loss.

Friday, May 7 they jumped on non-league Trinity with 14 first half goals enroute to a convincing road win. Riley Dawson pushed her season total goals scored to 57 with seven tallies while Kelliann Drummond, Rowan Kimmel, Hannah Cissne and Hannah Gawne each scored twice and assisted once. Kelli Hostetter, who led with four assists, scored once.

At home last Tuesday, the Pioneers, down as many as seven goals, battled back to a 10-5 deficit in the first half and outscored Hershey 6-4 after the break.

“This was the type of opponent we needed to not only improve but to get a measure of where and who we are as a team for 50 minutes,” said head coach Marshall Krebs. “Unforced errors were an issue in the first half and Hershey capitalized. Draw controls were also an issue in the first half.

“The upside was getting two goals in the final 24 seconds of the first half to steal some momentum,” the coach added. “Senior wherewithal that Riley showed by getting off a hard shot, and goal, with two seconds left is something that comes with experience.

“The second half was a completely different game. We showed a lot of fight and matched Hershey’s physicality and intensity.”

Wednesday night, Kimmel’s five goals and two assists sparked the scoring against Warwick. Dawson and Gawne each added four goals to account for the bulk of the scoring.

TRACK

The boys’ track team not only secured their first Section Two title since 2008 but did it with a perfect record. Last Monday’s dominating 103.5 - 46.5 win over visiting Cocalico completed a 7-0 league season!

“It was a balanced team effort with lots of personal records,” said head coach Cal Esh.

Standout performers of the day included winning PR’s from Luke Wiley in the pole vault, Eric Doutrich in the triple, Luka Vranich in the high jump, Aidan Jones in the javelin and Arik Harnish in the 400.

Livingood and Medina followed Jones to sweep the javelin while Shelley (who won the shot put) and Reynolds backed up Jones for a javelin sweep.

Vranich earned his second win in the mile. Weaver (100 and 200m) and Whitaker (800 and 3200) also scored a pair of wins.

The girls’ team picked up a closer win, edging past the Eagles 88-62 to improve to 4-3 along with Cocalico and Elizabethtown.

The throwers sparked this outcome, outscoring the visitors 243 on the arm of Maggie Swarr. The sophomore led a sweep in the javelin and the discus with both Jada Willard and Kelsey McTaggart. She was also first in the shot put.

Also in the field, Ellie Bruner won the long jump, Bella Hirschmann the high jump, and Cam Coleman the pole vault.

On the track, the Pioneers won the 4x800 and the 4x100 relays, Aubrey Magagna took the mile and Jaclyn Martin was tops in the 800.

The Pioneers were also busy on May 8. At the Blue Streak Relays, Swarr and Willard won the javelin, Shelley and Carr teamed for a shot put first and Christian Medina and Aiden Wiley partnered for the best pole vault. Competing at Stan Morgan, both Harnish (1:56.25) and Vranich (1:57.41) went under 2:00 for the first time in the 800 to beat the school record of 1:58.7 set in 2019.

BOYS’ LACROSSE

With a balanced effort, the Pioneers’ boys’ lacrosse team won the Section Two title outright on Friday, May 7. They opened the game with an 8-1 lead in the first quarter and never looked back in a lopsided 17-4 final at Cocalico, finishing the league season with a 9-1 record.

The offense, with five goals from Conner Nolt and a pair of hat tricks and five assists from Stewart McClain and Barrett Denlinger, the visitors pounded out 34 shots on goal while the defense held the Eagles to 21. Bryan Conrad and Bryce Thomas combined for seven saves in the win.

Zach Labreque and Collin Sullivan each scored twice and combined for five assists while Chase Barber and Gavin Denlinger added one goal apiece.

Last Tuesday night the Pioneers were back at Cocalico but this time for the first round of the L-L League playoffs. Unfortunately, Manheim Township turned in a strong second half, breaking a 5-5 tie and advancing with a 16-8 victory.

Denlinger’s hat trick was tops for L-S. McClain and Nolt (2a) each added two goals and Sullivan one.

BASEBALL

The baseball team has a long history of success. Since 1969 the Pioneers have risen to the top of the section standings numerous times. In fact, this year’s 7-1 Section Two title record is Lampeter’s 22nd crown.

“We have had no expectations this year other than to get better each day,” said head coach Jeff Swarr.

Wrapping up the regular season, the Pioneers handed Octorara a 7-2 loss last Monday, worked a crushing 15-3 verdict over Lebanon Tuesday and handled Ephrata 11-1 on Wednesday.

L-S, with nine hits against Octorara, including homers from Braedon Karpathios and Alex Knapp (4 RBIs), led from start to finish, scoring in five of seven innings, including a three-spot in the top of the second.

Peyton Harsh went the distance on the hill, delivering a three-hit victory with three strikeouts and two walks.

In Tuesday’s win, L-S fought off a 1-0 first inning deficit with six runs in the top of the second and scored in three of the next four innings to sweep the series against the Cedars.

Lebanon committed three errors in that second inning and L-S capitalized with key hits by Whitehead (2 RBI double) and Knapps’ two run triple. Neil Eckman’s double pushed the advantage to ten runs.

Ten players accounted for 14 hits with Knapp, Isaiah Parido, Jason Long and Joey Doolittle (3 RBI’s) each collecting two.

Caleb Guyer, Jason Long and Xander Getchis each pitched two innings and combined for nine strikeouts and five walks.

“We were able to get 19 players in the game,” noted Swarr. “It is a highlight to see guys that work hard get a chance to contribute.”

Wednesday’s night was senior night and a come-from-behind win as Ephrata held an early 1-0 lead. LS scored in each of the last four innings, including four in the sixth, to end the game early.

Knapp led with two hits and three RBIs. Whitehead and Doolittle added two hits each.

Swarr scattered four hits over 4.2 innings and Harsh pitched 1.1 innings in relief, striking out two.

“Pitching and defense have been consistent for us,” said Swarr. “And everyone understands their role and what helps the team be successful.”

SOFTBALL

Like the track team, the softball team rose to the top of the Section Two standings with a perfect 14-0 mark, claiming their eighth section title in school history. They extended their winning streak to 15 with three wins over the last week. Thursday, May 6, L-S gave up five runs, all in the sixth inning, but still topped Elizabethtown 9-5 on senior day. Cam Byler’s two out solo homer in the first inning and Brook Zuber’s two run homer in the fourth highlighted an offense that led 8-0 after four complete innings. Emily Platt capped the scoring with a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth.

In the circle, Kieva Middleton gave up seven hits, and struck out 10 batters.

Friday, May 7, against Ephrata and last Monday, against Lebanon the Pioneers, in a pair of mercy rule outings, scored 39 runs and collected their fourth and fifth shutouts of the year.

Ally Raub pitched a no-hitter with seven strikeouts against the Cedars.

photo by Mona Steinhauer

L-S keeper Zoe Dilling comes up with one of her six saves in the Pioneers 14-11 loss to visiting Hershey last Monday, May 10.

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Lampeter-Strasburg’s boys’ track and field team earned its first section title since 2008 with a perfect 7-0 record.

submitted photo

photo by Mona Steinhauer

In non-league play Monday, May 10, the Pioneers Emily Lapinsky carries the ball away from the goal and Hershey’s Megan McDonald.