The Donegal Indians had edged the Garden Spot Spartans 8-6 the previous Friday in a Lancaster-Lebanon League road game. On Friday, April 21, the Indians held on not only for their fifth straight win but did so with a close 8-7 defeat of the Spartans.

The Spartans stroked 11 hits on the day. Landen Baughman and Jaden Fabian each had two of those hits. Baughman drove in one run and scored a run. Jaden Fels drove in two runs as did John Phillips.

"It was a nice five-game run," Donegal head coach Jeff Hartman said. "We showed a lot of character all week, coming back three times."

The Indians lost 7-0 to the Barons on Monday at Manheim Central. Cayde Connelly started a two-out two-run rally in the second inning. He also slugged a two-run homer in the third inning to pace Manheim Central.

The Barons, who improved to 9-5 (7-2 league) climbed ahead of Donegal (8-5, 6-3) in the Section Three standings for first place.

"We didn't show up well against Manheim Central," Hartman said. "We need to flush it quickly.

"The boys are working toward playing our best baseball down the stretch. We talk about having a championship focus. All of our team goals are still there for the taking."

SOFTBALL

In L-L League softball action, the softball team continued its slugging. The Indians raised their record to 12-1 on the year after defeating Garden Spot 21-0 on the road Friday, April 21, and remaining hot for an 11-5 victory at home over Manheim Central on Monday.

Donegal had 21 hits in blanking Spot. The game ended after three innings due to the mercy rule.

Cara Biesecker had four of those hits, going 4-for-4 with a double, a homer and four runs scored. She drove in three.

"Cara has been our lead-off hitter and the spark plug of the offense all year long and for her whole career," stated head coach Wayne Emenheiser.

Throughout the batting order there were significant contributions, including Ruth Myers going 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two runs batted in. Esther Myers (4RBI) and Milana Bucks (2RBI) each had three hits and three runs scored, including a triple off the bat of Bucks. Grace Graham, Kara Heidlauf and Natalie Colwell each recorded two hits and two runs while Ruth Myers went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, driving in two and scoring two runs.

"Our order has been producing all year with speed at the top and bottom and the power in the middle," Emenheiser explained.

Colwell handled the pitching duties against Garden Spot, recording six strikeouts in a shortened no-hitter.

The potent offense came alive in the bottom of the third inning as the Indians came back from an early 4-3 deficit to put up three runs. The Barons cut the lead to 6-5 only to have the Indians score five runs over the next two frames.

"Manheim Central was a good test for us," Emenheiser said. "They hit the ball well and have solid pitching.

"We were able to continue our hot hitting up and down the lineup and pulled away in the middle innings," he added. "Bella Mackison was our big hitter with two home runs and four RBI's.

"At this time, we have six different girls who have hit homers this season," Emenheiser added. "That's a team record."

Biesecker went the distance, allowing five runs on 11 hits while striking out four. At the plate, Biesecker went 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and two RBI.

Garber had two doubles and drove in a run. Graham and Heidlauf each slugged a two-bagger also. Esther Myers went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.

TRACK

Donegal competed at the Twin Valley Invite on Friday, April 21, yielding several excellent results.

"We had an exceptional night," head coach Philip Koser said. "We had many top-five finishes."

In the girls' meet, Faith Garber and Molly Myers were among the leaders. Myers finished second in the 800-meter event, posting a time of 2:22.4.

They were both part of a relay quartet as well with Myers leading the 4x800 team's second place finish. She teamed with Emma Myers, Marleigh Ballard and 3,200m third-place finisher Kathryn Fernald. In the 4x400, Garber led off for Anna Brubaker, Peyton Mansfield, and Jayanna Morant in a third-place finish.

In field events, Nya Bantum's 35-foot-2 shot put distance was good for third. In the triple jump Sydney Snyder finished seventh at 33 feet.

Caleb Kendig had a pair of top-five finishes in the boys' field events, claiming third in the shot put (49-3.5) and fourth in the javelin (154-08). Teammate Keeghan Cote's 44-5 was good for ninth place in the shot put.

Jack Brady had a fifth place (43.11) finish in the 300 hurdles and was ninth (16.77) in high hurdles.

"They all brought it Friday night," Koser said. "Congratulations to all of them for their efforts. We will continue to strive to improve."

Speaking of improvement, Koser noted, "The boys' 4x100 relay of Chad Rambal, Davion Wagstaff, Brody Bonhan and Ayo Akiniriwoye dropped over one second from their best time to run fifth fastest in school history."

Bonham also grabbed seventh in the 100m (11.31) while Jack Brady took ninth in the high hurdles (16.77) and fifth in the 300m hurdles (43.11).

The 4x400 relay of Akiniriwoye, Nikita Galkin, Noah Hinkel and 400m sixth place finisher Andrew Myers took third (3:35.08) and the 4x800 (8:35.97) team of Micah Brydon, Braden Bistline, Dylan Lenhart and Brandon Marcelo finished fifth.

Rambal took ninth in the long jump (19-10.5) while Mark Overlander and Hinkel took second and fourth, respectively, in the pole vault at 11-6 and 11-0.

Caleb Kendig excelled in the field events, taking fourth with his javelin heave of 154-08 as well as taking third (49-3.5) in the shot put - the event in which Keaghan Cote (44-5) finished ninth.

The Indians also competed in a Lancaster-Lebanon League dual meet on Monday, facing Lancaster Catholic. The girls' team won handily 112-38 while the Donegal boys topped Catholic 82-68.

Eliezer Kabamba joined Rambal, Akiniriwoye and Bonham for a first-place time of 45.2 in the boys' 4x100.

Senior Dylan Lenhart won 1,600 and 3,200 while Bistline anchored the 4x800 winning team that included Dominic Santiago-Vega, and Thomas Dohl.

Bonham dashed off with the 100m win while in the hurdles, Brady finished third in both.

Rambel's 19-8.5 long jump and Overlander's 12-6 pole vault were both good for first place as were the 139-7 javelin and 45-0.5 shot put distances for Kendig.

Hannah Slobozien was a multiple winner in the girls' meet, taking both hurdling events. Fernald won the 1,600 and Emma Myers the 800 while Garber, who sprinted to victory in the 200, opened the winning 4x100 team with Brubaker, Mansfield and 100m winner Sophia Floyd.

Rayahna Clerico joined Morant, Brubaker and McKylan Bantum for a victory in the 4x400.

The Indians took nearly all the field events with Slobozien (13-10) taking the long jump, Allison Fry the triple at 27-0, Brubaker the high jump at 4-8 and Claudia Taylor the pole vault (6-6).

Nya Bantum won the javelin (87-11) and the shot put (30-8).