The Garden Spot softball team earned a 13-8 victory over Octorara on Friday, April 1 as four Spartan batters had multiple hits. The victory improved their record to 1-3 on the year.

"It was Kylie Weinhold's first varsity win, which was nice," said head coach Kim King.

Weinhold, a sophomore, struck out nine and scattered seven hits without yielding any walks.

"We hit better in that game," said King. "We only had one inning where our defense wasn't great. But we picked ourselves up."

Amanda Hoover had two doubles. Sydni King also had two hits, including a double. Emma Royle and Rylee Manning each slapped two hits.

The Spartans played back-to-back road games to start the following week, facing Elco on Monday, April 4 and Governor Mifflin on Tuesday.

Garden Spot lost to Elco 9-0 on Monday as freshman Gabby Smith pitched a shutout for the Raiders.

"She's only a freshman, so she'll be around for the next few years," said King. "We're not going to see that type of pitching much all year."

The Mustangs topped the Spartans 11-1 on Tuesday. Weinhold and King had the two Garden Spot hits. King's hit was a triple. She scored on a wild pitch.

As for the losing record for the time being, King said that the coaching staff is working with everyone to find the right mix, looking to turn the tide.

"We are moving people around in the field and the lineup," she said. "I think we will have a better second half of the season."

BASEBALL

"We have had strong pitching performances to date, but have struggled defensively and at the plate," head coach J.D. Stern commented.

The pitching has had them in some close games. They pulled off a 6-5 victory over Elco on Monday, April 4.

The Raiders posted single runs in four frames and held a 4-1 lead heading into the home half of the sixth. That was when the Spartans rallied for four runs to take a brief 5-4 lead. In the wild finish to this non-league game, the Raiders tied it up in the top of the seventh only to watch the Spartans walk it off in their final at bat.

Speaking of walking, the Spartans took advantage of Elco wildness, drawing 11 walks and also having a hit batsman.

The big offensive production came from a quartet of players. Senior George Rohrbaugh went 2-for-3 and scored two runs. He drew two of those 11 bases walks in the leadoff spot.

Caleb Zimmerman was on base four times - a double and three walks. He drove in two runs. Caiden Murphy doubled and scored a run. He drove in two. He also stole two bases. Luke Steiner was 1-for-3 with a double and two runs.

Joshua Tudor went 5 1/3 innings, striking out six. Freshman Madix Bracken relieved him and earned the win, despite giving up the tying run in the seventh.

Sandwiched between Elco and Cocalico was a tough 3-2 loss to Octorara on Friday, April 1.

"Caleb Zimmerman pitched a great game, but had a tough loss," Stern said. "We had the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth with no outs and hit into a triple play."

The Spartans fell to 2-4 on the year with a 12-2 loss to Exeter Township on April 5. The fielding issues Stern alluded to were evident in this loss as the Eagles took advantage of six Garden Spot errors.

Joel Martin drove in both Garden Spot runs.

BOYS' LACROSSE

Two straight matches with 10 goals netted two wins as Garden Spot improved to 3-1.

Ayden Naranjo's hat trick and two goals each by Logan Lesley, who assisted on four goals, and Kane Leaman led the way in a 10-1 defeat of Ephrata on March 31.

Cole Leaman who had two saves in that match, grabbed 12 saves at Twin Valley in a non-league Monday match. Lesley scored four while Narano assisted on three and scored one goal.

Max Davis and Jared Patton each tallied two goals. Joe Berneck (1g, 3a) came through as well.

GIRLS' LACROSSE

Garden Spot won one high-scoring game, 18-12 at home over Daniel Boone on April 6 and lost another by one, a 12-11 match at Ephrata on March 31. The Spartans improved to 1-4.

Ashton Gonzalez scored six against Daniel Boone. Gabi Mansi (4g, 2a) and Emily Ferris (4 g) also poured it on while Emma Gruber earned a hat trick.

Abigail Commander recorded nine saves.

Leading 7-4 at Ephrata, the Spartans fell to the Mounts by one goal.

Gruber (5g, 1a) led the way while Gwen Varley grabbed a hat trick. Gonzalez and Brielle Moyer also scored. Olivia Scarle caught six saves.

BOYS' TENNIS

In Warwick's 4-1 win at New Holland on Wednesday, April 6, Will Culbert's 6-4, 6-2 singles win accounted for the lone Garden Spot point. Two days earlier Cocalico blanked Spot 7-0 at New Holland. The twosome of Culbert and Ani Kulkarni was strong even though they came up on the short end of an 8-4 doubles defeat.

BOYS' VOLLEYBALL

It was the Tanner Laukhuff show on the volleyball court. The Spartan junior tied Derrick Lambert's total of 13 kills in a 3-0 win over Ephrata on March 31. He led with eight kills, three aces and nine digs in a 3-1 loss at Palmyra on Monday, April 4, and poured in 23 kills in an intense 3-2 win at Elizabethtown the next day.

Laukhuff had four aces and Lambert four blocks in the Ephrata match as the Spartans won 25-12, 25-20, 26-24.

Tyler Martin added 12 digs. Keegan Redcay led the way with 29 assists while Tristin Sadowski also registered four blocks.

Redcay had 24 assists in the Palmyra match as the Spartans fell 25-19, 19-25, 23-25 and 13-25.

The E-town match started with a wild 28-26 win. Garden Spot made it 2-0 with a 25-17 win before the Bears clawed back, 25-23 and 25-18. Spot stopped the comeback with a 15-9 win.

Redcay recorded 43 assists while Tyler Marin led with 27 digs and K. Ezra Hubiak served seven aces.

TRACK

The girls' track team came up short in a closely-contested meet at Ephrata on Monday, April 4 while the boys' team suffered a 99-51 setback.

In the girls' meet Bryna Kelly led the way with victories in both hurdle events as well as winning the high jump. The Spartans took the long jump and triple jump as well with Chloe Grady and Lucy Stern, respectively.

Lauren Horning claimed the girls' 400-meter run while Melanie Esh took the 3,200.

In the boys' meet Finn Wenrich came in first in both the 200- and 400-m events. Gavin Reimers outlasted the competition in the 3,200 while Kaleb Zimmer won the discus.