York-Adams League baseball, softball teams making early statements

The baseball calendar reached a major milestone with MLB opening day Thursday. For local high schoolers, baseball and softball campaigns are just starting to settle into a rhythm as March comes to a close.

Teams have gotten off to staggered starts this season, with rain altering plenty of schedules. Dallastown baseball played its fourth game Wednesday, while Central York softball played its first. There’s no time for squads to ease their way in, though, as the games already carry plenty of meaning.

The York-Adams League splits baseball and softball into four divisions, but every team in the top two pods plays each other with results counting toward division standings. This past week of action has been filled with crossover games, which could make a difference in title chases down the line.

For Susquehannock baseball, which moved up to Division II after winning D-III and league tournament titles last year, this week provided a crucial measuring stick. The Warriors played reigning D-I champion Dallastown and contender Red Lion on back-to-back days Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Tuesday, D-I Player of the Year Conner Barto shut down the Warriors’ offense, striking out 12 batters in a seven-inning complete game to lead Dallastown to a 3-1 win. But the duo of Ben Koller and Luke Geiple each drove in a pair of runs as Susquehannock topped Red Lion 5-2 the following afternoon.

For Division II teams, wins against D-I opposition are precious commodities. New Oxford softball landed one with its 7-3 victory Tuesday at Central York. The Colonials, who went 10-5 in the league as a D-I member last season, took advantage of their familiarity with Central’s Ava Beamesderfer, scoring three runs in the third and fourth innings and pounding nine hits in the contest against the league’s consensus top arm. 

No members of this year’s New Oxford team had beaten Central York before. And the Panthers, unlike a year ago, won’t get a chance at revenge against the Colonials in the regular season. On the flip side, New Oxford won’t get another stab at South Western, which beat the Colonials 11-0 on Wednesday.

Other notable D-II victories over D-I foes this week include New Oxford baseball’s 4-1 win over South Western and Susquehannock softball’s 5-4, nine-inning victory over Red Lion, both Wednesday. Elsewhere, Delone Catholic baseball picked up narrow wins over West York and Eastern York to start 2-0 in the league. 

Plenty of teams will be in action Friday, although most of them are playing out-of-town opponents. The only division-counting league clashes are Hanover at Bermudian Springs in baseball and softball, while West York’s teams are set to visit Northeastern out of league. Dallastown softball hosts Hempfield in a rematch from last year’s district playoffs, and Red Lion baseball’s visit to Cedar Cliff will also pit playoff squads against each other.

If Saturday’s weather permits, New Oxford baseball will host a tournament with Delone Catholic among the participating teams. York Catholic softball is set to compete in a tournament at Bishop McDevitt.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Boys’ lacrosse: The York-Adams slate continues Thursday evening, headlined by Susquehannock’s visit to New Oxford as the Warriors look to remain atop the standings. They entered the day tied with Dallastown and South Western at 2-0 in YAIAA action, with York Catholic 1-0 and a slew of teams 1-1 in the early going.

Reigning league tournament champion Central York visits Lampeter-Strasburg at 4 p.m. Friday, while Spring Grove travels to Gettysburg at 6. Dallastown and Susquehannock are scheduled to play at Governor Mifflin and Cumberland Valley, respectively, early Saturday.

Girls’ lacrosse: The standings look similar to the boys’ side — Susquehannock, South Western and Dallastown are all 2-0 and York Catholic is 1-0. No meetings between the quartet are scheduled until next week.

Central York hosts Lampeter-Strasburg and Spring Grove visits Gettysburg at 4 p.m. Friday; the Rockets and Warriors are set for a doubleheader with the boys’ game to follow. Saturday’s scheduled games are Dallastown at Governor Mifflin; Eastern York at Exeter Township; Hempfield at New Oxford; and Susquehannock at Wyomissing.  

Boys’ volleyball: The league slate is set to continue with six matches Thursday evening. With the season still in its early stages, the Bobcat Invitational at Northeastern on Saturday morning will be an important litmus test for several county contenders. The prestigious event welcomes teams from all over the state for pool play and a bracket championship.

The field includes first-place York Suburban, Central York, York Catholic, Red Lion, Spring Grove, Susquehannock and Dallastown alongside host Northeastern and a wide range of out-of-area squads. Tournament action starts at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Boys’ tennis: Divisional matches are well underway. Reigning district champion Dallastown is already 3-0 in D-I and will look to add a fourth victory when it visits New Oxford at 4 p.m. Friday, while 2-0 South Western hosts 1-1 York Suburban. No Division II matches are scheduled for Friday, so Biglerville and Hanover will remain atop the standings at 2-0. There are also no local contests on Saturday’s slate.

Track and field: York Suburban’s annual Herb Schmidt Relays are set for 3 p.m. Friday, with Hanover, Northeastern, West York and Dover the other local teams scheduled to compete.

Spring Grove and South Western will compete at the Cumberland Valley Invitational starting at 9 a.m. Saturday. York-Adams teams not in action this weekend will be back when division matches resume next week.