The Hempfield boys' tennis team hit a three-match skid following a 4-1 victory over Cocalico on Thursday, April 13.

In that non-league match, Ryan Malesic and Will Keppel won a close match at number two doubles, teaming up for a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

"Ryan Malesic has been able to step in for his first year on varsity and play some doubles for us," Knights coach Mindi Bell explained. "We lost a lot of people from last year. He and Tristan Coyne put in a lot of work in the off-season. They've been able to come up big in some tough matches for us."

The Black Knights swept the singles matches with Cooper Lehman taking the number one singles (6-2, 6-1) and Sam Keener taking the third singles even more easily 6-0, 6-0.

Sandwiched in between was the battle between Eric Jordan and the Eagles' Nick Neustadter. Jordan won the marathon match 7-6 7-4.

"Eric Jordan has had some really good matches," Bell said. "He will fight for every point. Eric is always focused and has the desire to win."

Hempfield improved to a commanding 8-1 record with the win. The following day, however, a tough Lancaster Country Day team topped the Knights 4-0 at Hempfield. The Cougars team is one that many experts, including Bell, give a great deal of credit.

"They are very good," she said. "They should win the state [championship] for Class Double-A"

Malesic and Coyne fought hard in their first set of number two doubles, finally yielding 6-3. The Cougars won the second set 6-1.

Lehman and Jordan teamed up for a 9-7 victory at number one doubles at Cedar Crest on Monday, April 17. That would be the only team point for the Knights in a 6-1 Lancaster-Lebanon League loss.

Keener came close in the first set of the number four singles, which Crest's Charles Robbins finally won 6-4.

Also hindering Hempfield's success was the injury to their number one player, Lehman.

"He played doubles in the Cedar Crest match," Bell said. "He sprained his ankle, and he needs to rest it."

"Cedar Crest played a better match," Bell added.

The Knights fell to 3-3 in the L-L League following their close 4-3 defeat at the hands of McCaskey on Wednesday. The Red Tornado improved to 10-3.

"McCaskey was solid," Bell said. "They've been doing really well."

Because of the injury to Lehman, Jordan was moved to number one singles, coming back to win in three sets (6-1, 3-6, 10-7).

Jordan and Lehman won the first doubles 8-0 while Keener and Curtin triumphed 8-5 at number two.

In third doubles, Malesic and Coyne came close to tipping the scales in Hempfield's favor yet came up short 8-6.

Asked about what the three consecutive losses have done to the Knights' post-season chances, Bell replied, "We will not be able to get into districts this year.

"Last year we finished ninth and just missed it," continued the coach, referring to the power rankings. "We finished ninth and they only take eight."

TRACK

Hempfield hosted the 19th annual Black Knight Invitational on Saturday, April 15

"We hosted 25 teams," Hempfield coach Curt Rogers said. "We had an hour and a half lightning delay and eventually the meet was canceled."

Prior to said cancellation, some noteworthy efforts included Molly Seibert's personal best 5:33.69 time in the 1600-meter run. The time also was an L-L League qualifier. Roz Scott also had a personal best (5:48.06) in the same event.

Evi Sahd had a personal best 63.94 in the 400-m dash while in the long jump Sophia Hamby came through with her best ever 15-4.25 jump.

In the 1600 boys Sam Freedman (4:25.57) and Joe Fahrney (4:28.23) finished second and sixth, respectively, both achieving personal records and L-L qualifying times. David Becker finished the 110 hurdles in 20.47 seconds.

In the triple jump, Braydon Felsinger finished seventh (40-4) and Jordan Thode's discus toss traveled 123-9.

BASEBALL

For Stephen Katch, his first start as a pitcher proved to be a memorable one. The senior struck out 13 and only allowed one hit in a 10-0 dominance of Cedar Crest on Monday, April 17, in Landisville.

He only needed to throw five innings in the mercy-rule shortened game.

The Knights scored twice in the first inning - a fielder's choice RBI and Aiden Rodenberger's RBI single.

Josh Toole's single scored another run in the second inning. Charles Sheerer kept the rally going with a sacrifice fly RBI.

The Knights rebounded nicely to win that game after Penn Manor had won in dramatic fashion three days earlier, 7-6. The Comets scored three times in the bottom of the seventh.

Hempfield scored four times in the first inning, highlighted by consecutive RBI singles off the bats of Logan Harelson and Brayden Hostetter.

Rodenberger's RBI single in the fifth inning gave Hempfield a two-run lead - one which wasn't enough.

GIRLS' LACROSSE

Coming off a match in which they had poured in 23 goals, the Hempfield girls defeated Cedar Crest 15-3 in a home game on Friday, April 14. The win improved the Black Knights' record to 8-2 (5-1 league).

Along with hat tricks by Isabelle Masengarb and Lucy DeHoff, Hempfield's Whitney Hershey scored four goals and gave out one assist. Natalie Bole Hattie Mack, and Aubrie Buckwalter each scored one.

Goalie Alla Ashton made three saves.

Ashton and Isabella LaVenice each had three saves in the 21-2 drubbing of the Buckskins on Tuesday.

Bole scored six goals on the night. Hershey added four goals while Ava Corvino, Masengarb and Brennan each tallied two.

Also chipping in with one goal each were Mack, Buckwalter, DeHoff and Haley Knouse.

BOYS' LACROSSE

L-L League opponents Cedar Crest and Conestoga Valley did not have an answer to the offensive juggernaut that was Hempfield's boys' lacrosse team. On Friday, April 14, the Knights downed the Falcons 20-4. In a Tuesday night match at CV, the Knights dominated 15-3.

Carsten Rankin, Toby Marco, and Drew Bennett each notched a hat trick in the 20-goal performance. Marco also had three assists as did Phil Krauser, who netted one goal.

Also contributing to the scoring were Zack Antesberger (2g, 2a), Seamus Mack (2a) plus Logan Klinger and Dylan Ahlskog, who scored two each.

Antesberger, Marco and Jason Hilton had the hat tricks in the CV match as the Knights improved to 7-1 (6-1 league). Krauser was the only other multiple goal scorer with two. Rankin, Bennett, and Stephen Pitts each tallied one goal.

VOLLEYBALL

The Knights just couldn't string together enough aces, or enough kills to overtake the Falcons in a Section One match at Cedar Crest on Thursday, April 13. The Falcons won by scores of 25-16, 25-18 and 25-16 to sweep the Knights.

Hempfield's Ehan Earhart and Aiden Beiler each registered seven kills and two blocks. Brady Rigard served two aces and collected 15 digs. Cole Jackson led the team in assists with 13.