June 13, 2024: Hempfield 3, La Salle College High School 2
And so it came to pass that on the 13th day of June in the year 2024, the Hempfield Black Knights defeated the La Salle College Explorers to become the 2024 6A Baseball Champions of Pennsylvania. Playing on Lubrano Field at Medlar Park on the campus of Penn State University, the Black Knights manufactured three runs and made them stand up across seven innings to win Hempfield’s first PIAA State Championship in baseball.
Hempfield’s Brody Gebhard and La Salle College High School’s Jack Pye were the game’s starting pitchers. After two quick, scoreless innings, Hempfield broke through in the top half of the third inning off of the Explorer’s ace. Pye had retired seven straight Black Knights before Dylan Jackson and Logan Dougherty waited out walks to put two runners on with one out. It appeared that Hempfield was in position to capitalize when Charles Sheerer lined a ball to left; however, La Salle College’s Antonio Astolfi’s diving catch prevented the base hit and potential offensive damage. But with two outs, Josh Toole was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Brayden Hostetter, who delivered Jackson and Dougherty to the plate on his base hit to right field. Connor Maisano, running for Toole, advanced to third on the hit. Maisano scored on an Explorer’s infield error to open up a three run Hempfield lead.
In the Hempfield fourth, Dylan Jackson and Logan Dougherty again reached base – this time on back to back singles with two outs. Dougherty’s single would end Pye’s day; La Salle College brought in Cole Kochanowicz for relief. Charles Sheerer patiently worked a two out walk to load the bases; however, Hempfield was unable to advance any runners across the plate before the inning ended.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Matt Gannon’s lead off double to right started the Explorer’s inning. He advanced to third on an infield ground out and scored on a wild pitch to cut Hempfield’s lead to 3-1. Through four innings, Gebhard was holding the La Salle College offense in check – allowing only three base runners on two hits and a hit batsman. Hempfield again threatened in the top half of the fifth inning as Drew Benchich singled with one out and Brody Gebhard drew a two out walk; but again, the Black Knights stranded runners and were unable to further increase their lead. The game moved to the bottom of the sixth inning. A one out walk to Matt Gannon and a single to left field off the bat of Aimon Chandler put Explorer runners at first and second. The next batter, David Vozzo, grounded to third – the Black Knights got the force out at second base for the inning’s second out. With runners at first and third, Kevin Schmidt singled to left to score Gannon and bring the Explorers within one run of the Black Knights. Frank Provenzano’s fly out to Ryan Jackson in right field ended the sixth inning for La Salle College.
Hempfield was retired in order in the seventh inning. With the game, and the State Championship, in the balance, Hempfield’s resilience was tested one final time. La Salle College’s Andrew Bogansky’s lead off double to right center spelled trouble for the Black Knights. But, Hempfield was able to field the sacrifice bunt by Antonio Astolfi and shorten the inning by an out; Astolfi’s sacrifice moved Bogansky to third, where he represented the tying run. The last two outs were recorded by Gebhard, as he struck out Casey Nealon and Liam Hawley to end the game.
The junior right hander pitched a complete game on the game’s biggest stage. Gebhard needed 93 pitches to record 21 outs in 28 batters. He struck out seven, walked one and allowed five hits.
Since the PIAA adopted six classifications there had been six 6A state champions. Hempfield is now the seventh: Pennsbury (2017), Canon McMillan (2018), Souderton (2019), La Salle College (2021), Warwick (2022), Father Judge (2023) and Hempfield (2024).
The 2024 team capped off a season for the ages. The 24 wins are the second highest total for a team in school history, bested only by the 2004 team (25-5). This year’s team captured the 2024 Section One Championship – the school’s 16th Section Crown – and the PIAA District 3 Championship in 6A – the school’s third District Crown. And, of course, this year’s team brought home Hempfield’s first PIAA Baseball State Championship Trophy to Landisville.
The coaching staff would like to thank all of our players for their efforts and commitment this season. We would like to acknowledge our seven seniors – Drew Benchich, Cameron Emerson, Logan Harelson, Ryan Jackson, Jacob Manuel, Jackson Rubin and Charles Sheerer – and we wish each of you the very best in your future endeavors.
With the win, Hempfield is 24-6 on the season and 12-3 in Section One play and ends the season as the 2024 Section One Champions, District Three 6A Champions, and PIAA 6A Champions. It is the 871st win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
June 10, 2024: Hempfield 9, Downingtown West 7
On a picture perfect evening for baseball on the campus of Muhlenberg High School, it was Hempfield – the Black Knights – rallying from a three run deficit after three innings and then bending, but not breaking, to hold on to win 9-7 over the Downingtown West Whippets in the Semi-Final Round of the PIAA 6A State Playoffs. The win advances Hempfield to the PIAA 6A Baseball Final for the very first time in school history.
The Whippets reached the scoreboard first, in the bottom of the second inning, as Brett Connolly’s lead off walk turned into a run when Jake Kucera’s RBI single to center brought him home. The Black Knights answered with a run of their own in the third inning. Logan Dougherty’s double to right center started the inning and he was advanced to third on Charles Sheerers’ single to left. Josh Toole’s fielders choice ground out scored Dougherty to even the score, momentarily. Downingtown West defied mathematical probability in the third inning as back-to-back-to-back hitters reached on well placed, softly hit balls. Downingtown West plated one run and Hempfield moved the infield up with no outs; a ground ball to Drew Benchich at first was good for the first out and a ground ball to Logan Dougherty at short was likewise good for the second out; however, it was also enough to score the runner from third. Finally, Mike Jaszczak’s bloop single to center scored the third Downingtown West run of the inning, staking the Whippets to a 4-1 lead.
Nevertheless, Hempfield would have an answer. In the top of the fourth, Camden Hulock waited out a leadoff walk and moved to second base on Brody Gebhard’s single to left. Another walk to Dylan Jackson loaded the bases with one out and brought the ominous presence of Logan Dougherty to the plate. Dougherty’s single to center scored Hulock and kept the bases loaded for Charles Sheerer, who singled to right and scored Jacob Manuel, who was on to run for Gebhard. Josh Toole’s sacrifice fly to center scored Dylan Jackson and evened the score, 4-4. After a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth inning, Hempfield would extend its lead. Drew Benchich and Camden Hulock reached base after both were hit by a pitch; Brody Gebhard’s single to right scored Brayden Rishell, who was on to run for Benchich. With runners at second and third and Logan Harelson at the plate, the left hander went the opposite way for a two-RBI single to left. With still no one out, Dylan Jackson waited out a walk to move Ryan Jackson, running for Harelson, to second base. Charles Sheerer’s single to right loaded the bases for Josh Toole, who plated Ryan Jackson on a sacrifice fly to right before Brayden Hostetter singled to left, bringing home Dylan Jackson for the fifth run of the inning and what would be Hempfield’s final run of the game.
While the Hempfield offense was working persistently to stay ahead of Downingtown West, Logan Harelson and the defense were trying to keep the Whippets from coming back to life. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Stephen Furia’s lead off single was followed by Jake Mello’s double to deep right field. Harelson retired Brett Connolly on a strike out, but a single to center by Matt DiOttavio brought home two runs and ended Harelson’s evening. The senior left hander pitched commendably against a very strong Downingtown West line up. While six runs were surrendered, Harelson struck out eight, walked three and allowed eight hits. On in relief came Brody Gebhard, who ended the threat with back to back strikeouts to limit the damage in the fifth and move the game to its final two innings. After a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth, and a lead off strike out to start the seventh, outs number twenty and twenty one would prove to be the hardest to attain. With the score 9-6, and two outs away with no one on base, Jake Mello drew a walk and moved to second on a bloop single to center, bringing the tying run to the plate. Gebhard struck out Matt DiOttavio for the second out, but Mike Jaszczak singled to center to score Mello and put the tying run on first base – and then on second base after pinch hitter JD Harple walked. It took a combined 154 pitches to 37 Downingtown East batters but with the bases loaded and a 2-1 count, Jake Kucera popped up Gebhard’s final offering of the night to first base, where it landed securely in Logan Harelson’s first baseman’s mitt for the twenty first out. Gebhard struck out five, walked two and allowed two singles to earn the save.
With the win, Hempfield is 23-6 on the season and 12-3 in Section One play. It is the 870th win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
June 6, 2024: Hempfield 3, McDowell 0
After one of the most memorable mornings in the history of Hempfield Baseball, it was the undeterred and unphased Hempfield – the Black Knights – who defeated the District 10 Champion McDowell High School, from Erie, by a 3-0 score at sunny Showers Field in historic DuBois, Pennsylvania. The win advances Hempfield to the PIAA 6A State Semi-Finals for the third time in school history. The 2024 Black Knights join the 2004 and 2008 teams who also made it to the 4A State Semi-Finals.
A relaxed and poised Brody Gebhard took the ball for the Black Knights. The right hander turned in a pitching performance that will be remembered for years: complete game shut out; twenty four batters faced; four strikeouts, zero walks, zero hits allowed, zero McDowell runners reached third base and only one reached second base; one hit batsman; 86 pitches. The first batter of the game reached after being hit by a pitch. After that, Gebhard retired thirteen Trojan batters in a row. Despite committing an uncharacteristic four errors, the Hempfield defense did a fine job behind Gebhard – ten outs were recorded on infield assists and the Black Knight outfield of Hostetter-Sheerer-Ryan Jackson canvassed the turf to record six fly ball putouts.
Offensively, Hempfield had solid contact over the first two innings but nothing to show for their efforts. In the third inning, Dylan Jackson patiently worked a lead off walk and was sacrificed to second base by Logan Dougherty. After a McDowell miscue in the outfield allowed Jackson to advance to third and put Charles Sheerer at first, Josh Toole dug in while Brayden Hostetter waited on deck. Back-to-back singles from Toole and Hostetter scored Jackson and Sheerer to give Hempfield a two run lead after three innings.
Hempfield threated again in the fifth inning as Sheerer, Toole and Hostetter all singled to reach base. Unfortunately, Drew Benchich’s line drive to shortstop was an inning ending double play, and McDowell escaped further damage. The Black Knights were able to add an insurance run in the sixth when Camden Hulock doubled to left to lead off the inning. Connor Maisano, running for Hulcok, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Dylan Jackson’s deftly placed single to right.
With the win, Hempfield is 22-6 on the season and 12-3 in Section One play. It is the 869th win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
June 3, 2024: Hempfield 12, North Penn 2
Behind a prolific Hempfield offense and with a major contribution from a sterling performance by starting pitcher Logan Harelson, Hempfield jumped in front early and prevailed over the visiting North Penn Knights, from District One, in the opening round of the PIAA Class 6A State Playoffs at historic J.K. Mechanical Field.
After losing the pregame, the Black Knights wasted no time in competing in the real game. Logan Harelson pitched around a one out double in the first inning, stranding the runner at second base without sustaining further damage. In the bottom of the home first inning, Josh Toole’s one out single ignited the offense. Connor Maisano came on to run for Toole and advanced to second as Brayden Hostetter waited out a walk. Drew Benchich’s infield single on the left side of the diamond loaded the bases for Camden Hulock, who doubled to right center to score Maisano and Hostetter. With two outs, Logan Harelson singled home Benchich and Hulock on his hit to right field. Dylan Jackson’s long double to left scored Jacob Manuel, who was on to run for Harelson, and then Jackson scored the inning’s sixth run when Logan Dougherty singled to center.
After the visiting Knights scored two runs in the third inning, the Hempfield bats answered with a resounding force. Brody Gebhard led off the inning with a double to right center and was sacrificed to third by Logan Harelson; with the infield drawn in, Dylan Jackson’s deft bat control placed the ball over the infield to score Gebhard. North Penn then committed consecutive errors to load the bases. With two outs and the bases full, Brayden Hostetter’s triple to left center emptied the bases, scoring Dylan Jackson, Logan Dougherty and Charles Sheerer, and gave Hempfield a 10-2 lead.
Meanwhile, Logan Harelson and the Hempfield defense managed to effectively keep North Penn from threatening after their two-run third inning. Harelson retired the last ten batters he faced, in order, and retired the side in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The senior left hander struck out eight, walked two and surrendered three hits.
In the bottom of the sixth, Hempfield ended the game via the ten-run rule. Drew Benchich led off the inning with a single to center; with one out, Brody Gebhard’s long fly ball to left field cleared the fence and plated the game’s final two runs, sending Hempfield into the quarterfinals with a 12-2 final.
The last time Hempfield and North Penn were opponents was under similar circumstances – the first round of the 2008 PIAA 4A State Tournament – on Monday, June 2, 2008. Hempfield rallied from a 5-0 deficit in the top of the 7th inning to force extra innings and won 6-5 in 8 innings.
With the win, Hempfield is 21-6 on the season and 12-3 in Section One play. It is the 868th win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
May 28, 2024: Hempfield 9, Ephrata 3
For only the 3rd time in 71 years of Varsity Baseball at Hempfield High School, the Black Knights struck District 3 gold by defeating the Ephrata Mountaineers, 9-3, at beautiful First Energy Stadium on a perfect afternoon for baseball in Reading, PA. It was exactly nine years, to the date, of Hempfield’s last District 3 Championship, on May 28, 2015.
After ceding a unearned run to the visitors in the top of the first inning, Charles Sheerer and friends responded quickly. Sheerer’s two strike single to right field was followed by Josh Toole’s double to left, to put Hempfield runners at second and third with no one out. Brayden Hostetter’s fielders choice ground out scored Sheerer and moved Connor Maisano, running for Toole, to third, where he would score on Drew Benchich’s sacrifice fly to center. The Black Knights added two runs in the bottom of the third. Logan Dougherty worked a lead off walk and Josh Toole was hit by a pitch to put two on base with one out. A passed ball advanced the runners ninety feet, and the Black Knights took advantage of an Ephrata miscue in the outfield to score Dougherty and Maisano, who was again running for Toole. In the Hempfield fourth inning, Logan Harelson singled to right field with one out. Jacob Manuel, running for Harelson, found tranquility on the bases. The indomitable Manuel stole second, and, a few pitches later, broke for third and then scored on an errant throw. With the lead at 5-1 through four innings, the Hempfield offense stayed persistent. Josh Toole led off the home fifth inning by patiently working a walk before Brayden Hostetter singled to right. With the infield drawn in at the corners, Drew Benchich singled to left to load the bases and Brody Gebhard’s one out double to right center scored Connor Maisano, running for Toole, and Hostetter, to extend Hempfield’s lead to 7-1.
As the Hempfield offense worked to do their part, so did Black Knights’ starter Logan Harelson. The senior left hander allowed an unearned run in the first inning, struck out the side in the second, worked around a two out single in the third and retired the Mountaineers in order in the fourth to hold the Ephrata offense to one run through four. In the fifth inning, Harelson dug deep after consecutive Mountaineers reached after being hit by a pitch. With one out and two on, and protecting a four run lead, Harelson got a fly out to centerfield and ended the inning with a strikeout to get out of the jam. An unearned run in the sixth inning moved the score to 7-2, but the Black Knights responded again in the bottom of the frame when Brayden Hostetter singled to center to score Charles Sheerer and Connor Maisano, who was running for Josh Toole. The extra runs were critical because everything matters in baseball.
In the top of the 7th inning, Brody Gebhard relieved Logan Harelson. A lead off single and infield error put two Ephrata runners on the bases; Gebhard would retire the next batter via a strikeout before loading the bases on hit batsman. Ephrata’s third run would score on a wild pitch with runners moving to second and third; however, Gebhard recorded the second out on another strikeout before his final pitch was hit, fittingly, to Logan Harelson at first. Harelson recorded the 21st out unassisted and the Black Knights earned the title of District 3 Champions.
Harelson struck out ten, walked two and allowed two hits and two unearned runs. Most importantly, he battled his way out of several jams across the middle innings and was his best when it mattered most. Gebhard struck out two and allowed one hit and one unearned run.
The 2024 Hempfield Team joins the 2004 and 2015 Teams as District 3 Champions.
With the win, Hempfield is 20-6 on the season and 12-3 in Section One play. It is the 867th win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
May 23, 2024: Hempfield 12, Waynesboro 5
For the sixth time in 71 years of baseball as a Varsity sport at Hempfield, the Black Knights will enter the PIAA Baseball State Tournament from District 3. The 2024 Hempfield Team joins the 2004, 2008, 2014, 2015 and 2019 squads in accomplishing this significant feat. Behind the pitching arms of Brody Gebhard, Ryan Jackson and Jonathan O’Maille, and with a big assist from the collective battalion of the Black Knight offense, Hempfield – the Black Knights – opened up an early lead and continued to add runs in defeating the visiting Waynesboro Indians in a 6A District Three Semi-Final matchup at historic J.K. Mechanical Field.
With two outs and no one on in the bottom of the first inning, Brayden Hostetter, Drew Benchich and Camden Hulock set the offense in motion. Hostetter patiently waited out a walk and advanced to third base on Drew Benchich’s single to right. With runners at the corners, Camden Hulock’s single to center plated Hostetter and gave the Black Knights an early lead. Waynesboro threated in the top of the third after a lead off single from Gunner Shifflett. Shifflett was sacrificed to second and a walk put runners on the corners for the Indians. Starting pitcher Brody Gebhard answered the moment with signature flair, getting two strikeouts to end the inning. In the bottom of the third, Josh Toole led off the inning with a towering home run to left center field and gave the Hempfield team a jolt of energy. Brayden Hostetter then doubled off the left field wall and Drew Benchich singled to center to again put runners on the corners for Camden Hulock. A passed ball advanced both runners ninety feet and Benchich advanced ninety more on Hulock’s sacrifice bunt. A single to left off the bat of Brody Gebhard scored Benchich for Hempfield’s third run of the inning.
With the game reaching the middle innings, Waynesboro again created traffic on the bases thanks to a lead off walk. After two batters were retired, Eric Knepper’s home run to left field cut the Hempfield lead in half, 4-2. The Black Knights would answer in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one out, Logan Dougherty worked a walk and Charles Sheerer singled to right. Josh Toole’s single to center scored Dougherty and advanced Sheerer to third, where he would score on a pick off play by the Waynesboro defense.
Ryan Jackson relieved Gebhard to start the top of the fifth inning. Waynesboro capitalized on a one out walk and a double to right center to plate a single run and again half the lead to 6-3. With the game in the balance, the Black Knight offense erupted for five crucial runs in the bottom of the fifth. Camden Hulock led off the inning by working a walk and Brody Gebhard’s double down the left field line brought Connor Maisano, pinch running for Hulock, to third base. Logan Harelson’s sacrifice fly scored Maisano and advanced Gebhard ninety feet, where he scored on Dylan Jackson’s double to deep left field. A walk to Logan Dougherty and a single from Charles Sheerer loaded the bases full of Black Knights; a walk to Josh Toole brought home Dylan Jackson and put Brayden Hostetter in position to plate another run on his sacrifice fly to left field. Finally, a single to left from Drew Benchich scored Sheerer and opened up an 11-3 lead for the home team.
Hempfield pushed across one final, critical run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Brody Gebhard led off the inning with a double to deep left and scored on Dylan Jackson’s single to right. A single from Logan Dougherty put runners on first and second, but unfortunately the Black Knights left two men stranded to end the inning. In need of three outs, Ryan Jackson retired Waynesboro’s first batter of the seventh before an infield error and an infield single put two Indian runners on the bases. Another single loaded the bases and Waynesboro was able to push two runners across on Bryan Benedict’s ball to left field. In need of two more outs and with runners on first and second, Ryan Jackson was relieved by Jonathan O’Maille. The left hander’s first pitch to Eric Knepper was hit on the ground to Camden Hulock, whose unassisted 4-3 double play ended the game and sent the Black Knights to the District Three 6A Final and the PIAA State Tournament. And all of Landisville rejoiced.
With the win, Hempfield is 19-6 on the season and 12-3 in Section One play. It is the 866th win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
May 20, 2024: Hempfield 4, Penn Manor 3
On a perfect May afternoon, Hempfield – the Black Knights – survived and advanced over a gritty and opportunistic Penn Manor team, scoring runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth inning to prevail at historic J.K. Mechanical Stadium.
Starting pitchers Bryce Avery (Penn Manor) and Logan Harelson (Hempfield) traded zeros on the scoreboard over the first five innings, both pitchers working around baserunners and avoiding damage on the scoreboard. Hempfield put runners on the bases in the first, third and fourth innings with nothing to show for it; Penn Manor likewise had traffic on the bases in each of the first four innings. Harelson reached the pitch count limit after five innings; the senior lefthander struck out five, walked three and allowed four singles. Harelson was relieved in the sixth by Ryan Jackson and Brody Gebhard and the Comets took advantage of two walks, a hit batsmen and an infield error to score three runs in the inning. Gebhard was able to quelch the Penn Manor rally and limit the Comets to three runs – a feat that would prove significant and critical as the game unfolded.
Down 3-0 with six offensive outs to work with, the resilient Hempfield offense went to work. Camden Hulock reached on a hit by pitch and advanced to second as Brody Gebhard patiently worked a walk. A wild pitch advanced the runners ninety feet and Hulock scored on Dylan Jackson’s ground ball to shortstop to cut the lead to 3-1. In the seventh inning, with three outs left and the season hanging in the balance, Charles Sheerer and friends again went to work. The ghosts were swirling as Sheerer worked a lead off walk and scored on Josh Toole’s double to left. Connor Maisano, running for Toole, scored on Brayden Hostetter’s single to center. Hempfield would not get any more in the seventh and took the game to the eighth inning, where the indomitable Brody Gebhard worked around a two-on, no-out jam, inducing an infield force out, a strike out and a fly out to end the inning and escape damage. Now in the eighth, it was Dylan Jackson’s turn to strike a blow for the Hempfield offense. Jackson’s lead off single set the stage: enter pinch runner Connor Maisano who found his way to second base before being sacrificed to third thanks to the bat work of Logan Dougherty. Then, Charles Sheerer’s sacrifice fly to right scored Maisano to end the game and start the celebration in Landisville.
With the win, Hempfield is 18-6 on the season and 12-3 in Section One play. It is the 865th win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
May 13, 2024: Manheim Township 5, Hempfield 1
In the 50th Lancaster-Lebanon League Championship Baseball Game, Manheim Township defeated Hempfield by a score of 5-1. The Blue Streaks broke open a 0-0 tie in the top of the third inning. Hempfield starter Drew Benchich cruised through the game’s first two innings, retiring six Blue Streak batters on twelve pitches. A lead off single in the third inning, sacrifice bunt and double to left field plated the first run of the contest for Manheim Township.
The Black Knights had opportunities in the first three innings but were unable to capitalize – Hempfield left two runners on base in the first inning and loaded the bases with two outs in the third. In the fifth inning, the Blue Streaks started the inning with a lead off double to left center. A sacrifice bunt attempt turned into runners on the corners with no outs. Dylan Jackson made an exceptional defensive play on a ground ball to his left at third base, getting the runner out at first for the inning’s first out. A single to right field again put runners on the corners before Manheim Township bunted in an attempt to score the runner from third, who was called safe at the plate. After a Blue Streak batter was hit by a pitch, Brayden Hostetter recorded the second out of the inning with an outfield assist from left field to Josh Toole at the plate to cut down a run.
In the Hempfield fifth, the Black Knights’ Logan Dougherty reached on an error in the infield to start the frame. A one out single from Josh Toole put runners on first and second, but the Township defense would escape further damage and kept the Black Knights off the score board. The Blue Streaks added a run in the top of the seventh to push the score to 5-0. Hempfield, however, would not go without a fight. Dylan Jackson led off the seventh inning with a single to right before Logan Dougherty was hit by a pitch. Unfortunately, Township would snuff out the rally with a line drive double play. Josh Toole’s two out single scored Logan Dougherty but it was all that Hempfield would get in the inning.
Hempfield’s Drew Benchich and Ryan Jackson pitched very well on the evening. Their efforts were commendable – the pair struck out four and walked one. They were efficient and in the strike zone all night, throwing a combined 91 pitches through seven innings.
Hempfield is 17-6 on the season and 12-3 in Section One play.
May 11, 2024: Hempfied 9, Lampeter-Strasburg 4
In a L-L League Tournament Semi-Final rematch from 2023, Hempfield – the Black Knights – jumped out to a lead they would not relinquish and rode the pitching arms of Brody Gebhard and Jonathan O’Maille to victory at historic War Memorial Stadium in Ephrata.
Charles Sheerer and his early morning friends jump started the Hempfield offense just a few pitches into the game. Sheerer’s lead off home run to left brough back memories of Hempfield’s 2019 L-L Semi-Final vs. Manheim Central, at Ephrata’s War Memorial Stadium, and C.J. Saylor’s lead off home run to left. Next, Josh Toole reached when he was struck by a pitched ball, and courtesy runner Connor Maisano scored on Drew Benchich’s single to give Hempfield a two run lead. A third inning run from the Pioneers cut Hempfield’s lead to one, but the Black Knights rallied in the bottom of the third. Josh Toole’s one out single was followed by a double to right off the bat of Brayden Hostetter. With runners on second and third, Drew Benchich’s second single brought home two runs and Camden Hulock’s single scored Benchich for the inning’s third run.
Hempfield would add four more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Logan Dougherty and Charles Sheerer drew walks to start the inning and Josh Toole’s single to center scored Dougherty. A walk to Brayden Hostetter loaded the bases – the next three runs scored when Camden Hulock and Brody Gebhard worked bases loaded walks, and Logan Harelson was hit by a pitch to force in a run. The four runs would widen Hempfield’s lead to eight runs, but the Pioneers showed resolve in top of the fifth as they answered with three runs of their own. Lampeter-Strasburg connected for three doubles and waited out two walks in the frame, cutting the lead to 9-4 – a score that would hold as neither team crossed the plate in the game’s final four half innings.
Brody Gebhard pitched into the sixth inning before running out of pitches. The righthander struck out six, walked four and allowed six hits – four of them coming in the fifth inning. With a runner on first base and no one out, Gebhard was relieved by Jonathan O’Maille. O’Maille went to work and retired the side with no further damage done and recorded the game’s final three outs to secure the victory for Hempfield. The Hempfield defense helped their pitchers by turning three double plays in the infield.
With the win, Hempfield is 17-5 on the season and 12-3 in Section One play. It is the 864th win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
May 9, 2024: Hempfield 10, Manheim Central 8
It took 163 pitches to 40 Manheim Central batters, but, in a steady rain and exceptionally difficult field and playing conditions, Hempfield – the Black Knights – survived it all and steeled their way to victory over the visiting Manheim Central Barons at historic J.K. Mechanical Field.
Hemfield jumped out to an 8-1 lead after three innings. In the second inning, Camden Hulock singled before Brody Gebhard was hit by a pitch. A Logan Harelson single loaded the bases for Dylan Jackson, who also singled. Logan Dougherty drew a walk to score Gebhard for Hempfield’s second run. Charles Sheerer cleared the bases with a double to left field and later scored on a wild pitch for Hempfield’s sixth run. In the third inning, Brody Gebhard sent a ball into the left field bleachers, and brought home Drew Benchich, who led off the inning with a single to center.
The Barons showed their offensive mettle in the middle innings, taking advantage of a Hempfield error, and three walks, to score four runs in the fourth and cut the lead to 8-5. Hempfield would respond, however, in the bottom half of the inning. Josh Toole reached on an infield error and Brayden Hostetter was hit by a pitch to put two on with one out. Drew Benchich’s second hit of the afternoon scored Jacob Manuel, running for Toole, and Camden Hulock’s second hit of the afternoon scored Hostetter.
Manheim Central scored two runs in the sixth inning after the first two batters of the inning drew walks. With a three run margin and needing three more outs to end the game, Ryan Jackson retired the lead off batter of the seventh with an assist from rightfielder Brody Gebhard, who snared a sinking line drive for the inning’s first out. A strikeout was recorded for out number two. The twenty first out can, at times, seem like the most difficult and illusive one to get. A hit batsman, triple to left, and walk put the score at 10-8 with the tying run 270 feet away. In a steady rain and impossible traction on the mound, Hempfield opted for the value of the cool, calm and collected countenance of placid reliever Dylan Jackson to get the twenty first out. With the count 3-1, the fifth he threw was lofted into shallow left, where Brayden Hostetter closed on the baseball to make a great catch on the run, and all of Landisville rejoiced.
With the win, Hempfield is 16-5 on the season and 12-3 in Section One play. It is the 863rd win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
May 6, 2024: Hempfield 1, Penn Manor 0
With the 2024 Section One Championship hanging in the balance, it was Hempfield – the Black Knights – who were able to manage the highs and lows to defeat a well coached and fundamentally sound Penn Manor team at historic J.K. Mechanical Field in Landisville.
Starting pitchers Brayden Eckert and Brody Gebhard were equally impressive, trading zeros on the score board and keeping the offensive opportunities to a minimum. Penn Manor’s Eckert was perfect through nearly four innings before back to back hit batsmen gave Hempfield some runners on the bases. He would not allow a hit, however, until the sixth inning and surrendered only three hits on the afternoon while walking two. Hempfield’s Gebhard showed poise and resolve as well. The junior righthander allowed two back to back infield hits in the second inning and then kept the Comets bats at bay for the rest of the afternoon. Gebhard struck out four and walked three. After a lead off walk in the fourth inning, Gebhard found another level of clarity by retiring the last twelve Comet hitters he faced on an economical 38 pitches – much to the delight of his coaches.
As Gebhard worked through the Comet lineup, the Hempfield offense struggled to make an impact at the plate. After Eckert retired the first eleven batters he faced, Brayden Hostetter and Drew Benchich reached in the fourth on back to back hit by pitches; however, Hempfield was not able to capitalize. In the sixth inning, Logan Dougherty reached on an infield single for Hempfield’s first hit of the day. Charles Sheerer sacrificed Dougherty to second; with one out, Josh Toole’s ground ball up the middle appeared headed for the promised land. However, Penn Manor shortstop Bryce Avery made a brilliant play to retire Toole and more importantly keep Dougherty from scoring. An intentional walk to Brayden Hostetter put runners on the corners with two out. Drew Benchich worked a walk to load the bases, bringing Camden Hulock to the plate with a chance to put his team in prime position. Hulock ripped a ground ball down the third base line, where Billy Riggs’ diving backhand play and force out at third preserved the scoreless game and seemed to shift the momentum to the visitors dugout.
After a 1-2-3 inning on six pitches in the top of the seventh inning, the ghosts of Hempfield past finally arrived. Leading off the seventh inning, Brody Gebhard tripled to deep left center field to put a Hempfield runner on third base for only the second time of the afternoon. With the infield drawn in and the outfield shallow, Logan Harelson’s line drive single to center brought home Gebhard and set off a celebration in Landisville.
Due to field conditions, the JV game vs. Penn Manor was rescheduled for Tuesday, May 7.
With the win, Hempfield is 15-5 on the season and 12-3 in Section One play. It is the 862nd win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
May 3, 2024: Manheim Township 8, Hempfield 7
Manheim Township scored multiple runs in the first, fourth, fifth and a single run in the sixth inning to defeat Hempfield 8-7 in an exciting, back and forth game in Neffsville.
Both offenses traded blows throughout the evening – the game featured nearly 300 pitches between both teams. Fifteen runs were scored on fifteen hits and runners reached base in eleven of the game’s thirteen half innings.
Hempfield enjoyed multi-hit games from Josh Toole and Drew Benchich; Charles Sheerer scored three runs and Brayden Hostetter scored two runs for the Hempfield offense.
The JV Knights were defeated by a score of 4-1. The JV Knights are 13-3 on the season.
Hempfield is 14-5 on the season and 11-3 in Section One play.
May 1, 2024: Hempfield 5, Cedar Crest 2
Hempfield bent but did not break. Behind the left arms of Jonathan O’Maille and Ryan Jackson, the Black Knights were able to withstand constant offensive pressure from the visiting Cedar Crest Falcons to prevail in Landisville on Youth Run The Bases Night sponsored by Turkey Hill Dairies.
Cedar Crest batters reached base in each inning as the Black Knights worked to prevent runs from scoring. The Hempfield defense turned three double plays on the afternoon to erase Falcon runners and quell the persistent pressure. Jonathan O’Maille was the starting pitcher on the afternoon; the sophomore pitched four complete innings, allowing one run on five hits. He struck out four while walking one. Ryan Jackson came on in relief of O’Maille in the fifth inning. The senior allowed an unearned run in the fifth inning but was able to keep the Falcons from crossing the plate in the sixth and seventh innings to record the save for Hempfield.
With two outs and no one on base in the bottom of the second inning, Logan Harelson singled to center and then scored on Jonathan O’Maille’s double to left. A walk to Logan Dougherty put runners at the corners for Josh Toole, who doubled to left to score Connor Maisano, who was on to run for O’Maille.
In the fourth inning, back to back walks to Dylan Jackson and Logan Harelson brought Jonathan O’Maille to the plate. A sacrifice advanced both runners and an errant throw would bring home both Jackson and Harelson. With two runs home and no one on base, a fastball struck Josh Toole to put a runner on base for Brayden Hostetter. Jacob Manuel, running for Toole, scored on Hostetter’s double to left for Hempfield’s fifth and final run of the afternoon.
The JV Knights were victorious by a score of 14-5 and improve to 13-2 on the season.
With the win, Hempfield is 14-4 on the season and 11-2 in Section One play. It is the 861st win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
April 29, 2024: Hempfield 11, Warwick 1
On a warm, sun-splashed afternoon at historic J.K. Mechanical Stadium, Hempfield scored in four of their five offensive innings to defeat the visiting Warwick Warriors behind the starting pitching of Brody Gebhard and relief pitching of Ryan Jackson.
Gebhard worked into the fifth inning, running into trouble only in the second when Warwick singled and used three consecutive sacrifice bunts to advance runners and score their first run. In the middle innings the Warriors were retired six up, six down before loading the bases in the fifth inning with one out. Ryan Jackson relieved Gebhard and induced a 6-4-3 double play (Dougherty to Hulock to Harelson) to retire the side and end the threat. The pitching duo allowed one hit, five walks and struck out four on the afternoon.
Hempfield’s first run was scored in the first inning after Josh Toole singled to center. Connor Maisano, running for Toole, scored when Drew Benchich doubled to right field. In the third inning, Charles Sheerer singled to right and scored on Brayden Hostetter’s double to left. A single from Drew Benchich put runners on the corners with one out as Camden Hulock waited impatiently in the batters box. Hulock’s single scored Hostetter and moved Bencich to second, where he would score on Brody Gebhard’s single to left. Hulock and Jonathan O’Maille, running for Gebhard, advanced on Dylan Jackson’s sacrifice, and scored on Logan Harelson’s single to center. Five runs crossed for Hempfield to give the Black Knights a 6-1 advantage.
In the fourth inning Hempfield would use hits from Charles Sheerer, Brayden Hostetter and Camden Hulock to plate three runs, and in the fifth inning the Black Knights waited out five walks and a used a sacrifice fly to end the game via the ten run rule.
The JV Knights were victorious by a 10-4 score and improve to 12-2 on the season.
With the win, Hempfield is 13-4 on the season and 10-2 in Section One play. It is the 860th win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
April 26, 2024: Hempfield 8, J.P. McCaskey 3
April 4, 2024 & April 26, 2024: Hempfield 13, J.P. McCaskey 2
In a rare afternoon where one game was resumed from the 5th inning after a storm and rain came through Lancaster City on April 4, and a second game followed, Hempfield finished game one with a 13-2 score and then used a three run first inning to take an early lead in game two, eventually winning by a final score of 8-3.
In game one, Brody Gebhard began and resumed the game on the mound. He completed six innings in the game, striking out nine and walking three. Gebhard allowed four hits as the Red Tornado scored two earned runs in the third inning. In the seventh, Cameron Emerson pitched a 1-2-3 inning for Hempfield. Hempfield was led offensively with multi-hit games from Brayden Hostetter, Drew Benchich and Camden Hulock. Josh Toole hit a solo home run in the first inning; Camden Hulock led the offense with four RBI in the game.
Dylan Jackson was the game two starter. The junior right hander pitched five strong innings, holding J.P. McCaskey to five hits while striking out three and walking three and allowing three earned runs. Jonathan O’Maille relieved Jackson and retired six of the seven batters he faced to secure the final six outs of the game for Hempfield.
Logan Dougherty and friends started the scoring in the first inning. After working a lead off walk, Dougherty advanced to third on Charles Sheerer’s single to right. A balk scored Dougherty and moved Sheerer to second, where he watched Josh Toole’s home run clear the left field fence to stake Hempfield to an early three run lead. Hempfield added a single run in the second and tacked on two more in the third when Brody Gebhard and Derek Katch crossed the plate. In the fourth inning, Camden Hulock drew a walk and then scored two batters later when Dylan Jackson singled him home. The final run for Hempfield was plated in the seventh inning when Charles Sheerer singled and later scored.
The JV Knights were victorious by a score of 16-0 and improve to 11-2 on the season.
With the wins, Hempfield is 12-4 on the season and 9-2 in Section One play. It is the 858th and 859th wins for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
April 24, 2024: Manheim Township 2, Hempfield 1
Manheim Township’s Tyler Shirk’s complete game effort propelled the visiting Blue Streaks over the Hempfield Black Knights.
The Black Knights broke a 0-0 tie in the bottom of the third inning when Logan Harelson singled with two outs. Connor Maisano, running for Harelson, scored on Logan Dougherty’s single.
Manheim Township answered single runs in the top of the fourth and fifth innings.
Logan Harelson and Ryan Jackson pitched admirably for the Black Knights. The left handed duo struck out seven, walked four and allowed five hits on the afternoon.
Hempfield was led offensively by Drew Benchich and Logan Harelson who combined for five base hits between them. Brayden Hostetter, Brody Gebhard and Logan Dougherty also had hits for the Black Knights.
The JV Knights fell by a score of 10-4. The JV Knights are now 10-2 on the season.
Hempfield is 10-4 on the season and 7-2 in Section One play.
April 22, 2024: Hempfield 15, Warwick 0
Hempfield’s offensive display helped lead the Black Knights past the host Warwick Warriors on a beautiful, picturesque day for baseball in Lititz.
Charles Sheerer and friends started the scoring early; Sheerer reached on an infield error and with one out, scored on double off the bat of Brayden Hostetter. A few pitches later Hostetter would score on a base hit from starting pitcher Drew Benchich.
In the second inning, seventeen Black Knight batters entered the batters box as Hempfield crossed the plate twelve times in the half inning. Dylan Jackson led off the inning with an single; a walk to Logan Harelson and a single by Logan Dougherty loaded the bases for Charles Sheerer. Sheerer was hit by a pitch to bring home Jackson; Josh Toole stepped in the batters box while Brayden Hostetter waited impatiently on deck. A walk to Toole brought home Logan Harelson and kept the bases loaded for Hostetter, whose double to deep right scored Dougherty and Sheerer. Drew Benchich walked to again load the bases. Camden Hulock’s sacrifice fly scored Connor Maisano, who was in to run for Toole. With two outs, Dylan Jackson, Logan Harelson, Logan Dougherty and Charles Sheerer reached base on consecutive singles. Josh Toole reached base after being hit by a pitch and Brayden Hostetter connected for his second double of the game to drive in Dougherty and Sheerer for a total of five RBI on the afternoon. The inning’s final run was driven in on another single from Drew Benchich.
Brody Gebhard led off the third inning with a single; Logan Harelson and Xavier Felix drew walks to load the bases and Gebhard scored on Charles Sheerer’s single to left.
On the mound for Hempfield was senior Drew Benchich. The towering right hander pitched into the second inning when he was relieved by senior Cameron Emerson. The duo limited the Warriors to two hits, striking out one while walking four.
The JV Knights were victorious by a score of 15-4. The JV Knights improve to 10-1 on the season.
With the win, Hempfield is 10-3 on the season and 7-1 in Section One play. It is the 857th win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
April 20, 2024: Hershey 3, Hempfield 2
The visiting Hershey Trojans bested Hempfield by a run in a mid-season non league game at historic J.K. Mechanical Stadium.
Jonathan O’Maille was the starting pitcher for Hempfield and went six complete innings. The sophomore left hander allowed three hits, struck out six and walked two. All three runs allowed were unearned. Ryan Jackson relieved O’Maille in the seventh and pitched a scoreless inning.
Down one run in the bottom of the third inning, Brayden Hostetter singled to center with two outs. An intentional walk to Drew Benchich put two runners on base for Camden Hulock, whose single to right scored Connor Maisano, running for Hostetter. Unfortunately, the tie was short lived as Hershey scored twice more in the top of the fourth inning to stretch the lead to 3-1. Hempfield got one of the runs back with two outs and no one on base when Logan Dougherty drew a walk and scored on Charles Sheerer’s single to right field. The fifth inning ended with Hershey leading 3-2, a lead that the Trojans would maintain over the final two innings.
The JV Knights were victorious by a score of 9-4. The JV Knights improve to 9-1 on the season.
Hempfield is 9-3 on the season and 6-1 in Section One play.
April 19, 2024: Hempfield 15, Penn Manor 0
Behind a six inning complete game effort from right hander Brody Gebhard, Hempfield was able to win on the road in Millersville at historic Cooper Park on the campus of Millersville University.
Playing the host Comets for the second time in four days, Hempfield was able to score a second inning run when Camden Hulock led off the inning with a infield single and scored two batters later on Dylan Jackson’s sacrifice fly to right field. Hempfield stranded two runners in the third inning but was able to tally three more runs in the fifth. With one out, Logan Dougherty drew a walk and Charles Sheerer singled to center. Dougherty scored on a wild pitch while Sheerer advanced to second. Walks to Josh Toole and Drew Benchich loaded the bases with Black Knights with two outs. Consecutive singles from Camden Hulock and Brody Gebhard scored Sheerer and Connor Maisano, who was running for Toole.
Defensively, Gebhard worked out of first inning trouble as the first two Comet batters reached safely. In the second inning, Gebhard again stranded two Comet runners to bob and weave his way out of trouble and keep Penn Manor off the scoreboard. Hempfield enjoyed a 1-2-3 inning on defense in the third, and Gebhard was able to pitch around walks in both the fourth and fifth innings with no damage sustained. The right hander was assisted by strong defensive play by the Black Knights behind him; he allowed two hits and zero walks, striking out four and walking four on the afternoon.
With a four run lead in the top of the sixth, Hempfield erupted for eleven runs and sent fifteen batters to the plate. Logan Harelson started the inning with a single to center and Logan Dougherty was hit by a pitch. With two aboard, Charles Sheerer doubled to left to score Harelson and put two Black Knights into scoring position. A walk to Josh Toole loaded the bases for Brayden Hostetter, whose single to right brought home Dougherty and Sheerer and moved Connor Maisano, running for Toole, to third base. Maisano scored on Drew Benchich’s double to left and Hostetter advanced to third. Camden Hulock singled both Hostetter and Benchich home. Hulock would score when Dylan Jackson singled to center and a walk to Logan Harelson moved Jackson to second. Both runners advanced when Logan Dougherty singled. With the bases loaded, Charles Sheerer’s sacrifice fly scored Jackson and Josh Toole was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Brayden Hostetter, who promptly cleared them with a triple to deep right field – for Hostetter, it was five RBI in the same inning.
The JV Knights were victorious by a score of 15-4. The JV Knights improve to 8-1 on the season.
With the win, Hempfield is 9-2 on the season and 6-1 in Section One play. It is the 856th win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
April 17, 2024: Hempfield 11, J.P. McCaskey 1
Camden Hulock’s five inning complete game helped propel the Hempfield Black Knights past the visiting J.P. McCaskey Red Tornado on Senior Appreciation Night at historic J.K. Mechanical Field in Landisville.
Making his first Varsity pitching start, the young sophomore worked around a first inning, two out walk to retire the side in four batters. Hulock and his defense recorded outs on ten of the first twelve Red Tornado batters to keep J.P. McCaskey both off the bases and the scoreboard. He struck out four, walked three and allowed one earned run. Fans of Hempfield Baseball who regularly tune in to AM radio broadcasts on WHBN may recall May 2, 2022 as the last time a Hempfield sophomore thew a complete game – Hulock’s teammate Logan Harelson, also a five inning game with an 11-1 final score.
Hempfield scored three first inning runs. With one out, Josh Toole worked a walk and Connor Maisano, running for Toole, scored when Drew Benchich ripped a double to right center. Camden Hulock reached when he was hit by a pitch and was replaced by tranquil Jacob Manuel at first base. Brody Gebhard laced a base hit to the opposite field to score Benchich and Manuel and give the home team an early lead.
After some interesting umpiring took at least one Hempfield run off the board in the second inning, Hempfield crossed the plate twice in the fourth. A one out walk to Brody Gebhard and a two out walk to Logan Harelson put two Black Knights aboard – both would score on wild pitches.
In what would be the final half inning of the game, Hempfield took advantage of four walks and two hit batsmen to post six runs and end the game via the ten run rule.
Despite only being at about the mid-season (regular season) mark, Senior Appreication Night was hosted at J.K. Mechanical Field after the contest. The coaching staff and Hempfield School District would like to acknowledge our seven baseball seniors – Drew Benchich, Cameron Emerson, Logan Harelson, Ryan Jackson, Jacob Manuel, Jackson Rubin and Charles Sheerer. While we thank them for and acknowledge their past contributions to the Hempfield Baseball Program, we also look forward to the next weeks (months?) of baseball together as the 2024 season continues to unfold.
The JV Knights were victorious by a score of 16-1. The JV Knights improve to 7-1 on the season.
With the win, Hempfield is 8-2 on the season and 5-1 in Section One play. It is the 855th win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
April 16, 2024: Penn Manor 4, Hempfield 3
Penn Manor outlasted Hempfield to emerge victorious in a tightly contested match up in Section One.
Penn Manor jumped out to an early three run lead after posting a run in the first inning and two runs in the second. Hempfield starting pitcher Dylan Jackson was able to keep the Comets off the scoreboard in the middle innings, and Hempfield rallied for three runs in the home fifth to tie the game.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Logan Dougherty and Charles Sheerer drew back to back walks to put two men aboard with Josh Toole at the plate. Toole doubled to right center to score Dougherty and Sheerer. After a Penn Manor pitching change, Brayden Hostetter connected for his third hit of the day – a double – to score Connor Maisano who was on to run for Toole.
Both teams traded zeros in the sixth inning; in the top of the seventh Penn Manor took advantage of a lead off walk in plating the go ahead run. Hempfield would not go down without a fight as the Black Knights had two runners in scoring position with two outs when the final out was recorded.
The JV Knights were victorious by a score of 5-2. The JV Knights improve to 6-1 on the season.
Hempfield is 7-2 on the season and 4-1 in Section One play.
April 15, 2024: Hempfield 4, Cedar Crest 0
Hempfield was able to escape Cornwall with a victory behind a masterful pitching outing by senior Drew Benchich.
Pitching against Cedar Crest for the second time in a week, the sturdy right hander made quick work of the Falcon line up, retiring ten of the first eleven batters he faced. Benchich struck out six, walked one and allowed two hits – a lead off single in the third inning and a two out single in the fourth inning. Mixing pitches and hitting targets with great precision, he completed 21 outs in merely 72 pitches en route to a rare high school complete game shutout.
The Black Knight offense was hard pressed to keep pace with Benchich. After stranding a lead off runner in the first inning, Brody Gebhard led off the Knight’s third inning with a single to left field. Logan Dougherty and Charles Sheerer reached safely to load the bases for Josh Toole, who singled home Gebhard and Dougherty to stake Hempfield to a two run lead. Hempfield would add two more in the fifth inning. Logan Dougherty worked a lead off walk and moved to second base when Josh Toole walked. A wild pitch advanced the base runners by 90 feet; with the infield drawn in, Brayden Hostetter lashed a line single to left to score Dougherty and tranquil Jacob Manuel, who was running for Toole.
The JV Knights fell by a score of 3-0. The JV Knights are now 5-1 on the season.
With the win, Hempfield is 7-1 on the season and 4-0 in Section One play. It is the 854th win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
April 10, 2024: Hempfield 8, Manheim Township 2
On a splendid spring afternoon, Hempfield used multiple three run innings in the third and sixth to open up and extend a lead over the Manheim Township Blue Streaks at beautiful Westfield Insurance Park.
The visiting Black Knights reached the scoreboard first when, in the second inning, Drew Benchich was hit by a pitch and Camden Hulock reached on an infield error. With two Knights aboard, Logan Harelson singled to load the bases. Benchich would score on Dylan Jackson’s RBI ground out. A walk to Brody Gebhard again put two runners on board with two outs, but the Black Knights would get no more in the second. In the third, Charles Sheerer and friends started a rally. Sheerer’s triple to right was followed quickly by a single to left from Josh Toole. Connor Maisano, running for Toole, advanced into scoring position and scored on Brayden Hostetter’s single to right. Hostetter would score a few batters later for the inning’s third run to stake Hempfield to a 4-0 lead.
After two scoreless innings from Hempfield’s batters in the fourth and fifth, Dylan Jackson led off the sixth reaching on an error. Brody Gebhard’s single to left put runners on the corners and a walk to Logan Dougherty loaded the bases with the ominous presence of Charles Sheerer in the batters box with Josh Toole waiting impatiently on deck. A walk to Sheerer forced home Dylan Jackson; Jacob Manuel, running for Gebhard, along with Logan Dougherty scored on Josh Toole’s line drive double to left. The three runs was a buoy to Hempfield; unfortunately, the Black Knights left the bases loaded without further damage. Hempfield’s final run scored in the top of the seventh. With Dylan Jackson aboard after drawing a walk, Brody Gebhard displayed his opposite field approach with a double to right, moving Jackson to third. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Logan Dougherty scored Dylan Jackson to give Hempfield its eighth and final run.
Defensively for Hempfield, Brody Gebhard took the hill for the Black Knights and pitched into the sixth. The sturdy righthander scattered three hits on the afternoon. After Manheim Township loaded the bases on walks in the first inning, Gebhard found his rhythm in retiring 13 of the next 17 batters he faced. With the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth, Gebhard was relieved by Dylan Jackson on the mound; the Black Knights also brought in the stabilizing presence of esoteric Derek Katch to the infield. Without a ball being hit out of the infield, Manheim Township was able to have two runners cross the plate before the final out of the sixth was recorded. In the Township seventh, Jackson retired the side in order on a strike out and then recorded the twentieth and twenty first outs on ground balls to the aforementioned Katch.
The JV Knights were victorious by a score of 7-5. The JV Knights are now 5-0 on the season.
With the win, Hempfield is 6-1 on the season and 3-0 in Section One play. It is the 853rd win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
April 8, 2024: Hempfield 5, Cedar Crest 1
Drew Benchich and Ryan Jackson starred on the mound for Hempfield, combining to allow one unearned run and one hit to the visiting Cedar Crest Falcons on a gorgeous afternoon for baseball at historic J.K. Mechanical Park.
Pitching at home in front of his adoring legion, Benchich retired the first six batters he faced. The towering righthander escaped unscathed from two walks in the third inning. After an efficient fourth inning, Benchich made it through five and two-thirds of an inning before allowing an infield single. Ryan Jackson relieved Benchich with two runners aboard. A walk to Dayton DiBiaso loaded the bases and brought the tying run to the plate but Jackson was able to strike out Carson DiBiaso to restore order and end the inning. After a leadoff walk in the seventh inning, Jackson struck out the side to end the game.
For the Black Knight offense: Josh Toole led off the fourth inning with a single and was replaced by Connor Maisano on the bases. A fielders choice ground out moved Maisano to second while Drew Benchich’s single put runners on the corners and one out, with tranquil Jacob Manuel in to run for Benchich at first. The indomitable tandem of Manuel and Maisano engineered Hempfield’s first run, and after making it to third base Manuel scored the second run when he was balked home.
Hempfield added on in the fifth inning when Logan Dougherty drew a two out walk with no one on base. Another walk to Charles Sheerer set the stage for Josh Toole’s double to right center, scoring both Dougherty and Sheerer. Hempfield’s final run scored after Brayden Hostetter worked through an excellent at bat, fouling off pitches until connecting on a sharp base hit to right field to score Maisano, who was again running for Toole.
Acknowledgement should be made to the Hempfield defense on this day. While the Black Knights did commit two errors, there were some exceptional plays on several ground balls and pop flies where outs where the team’s defense played brilliantly.
The JV Knights resumed their season as the field conditions were finally dry and playable after last week’s rains. The JV Knights were victorious by a score of 11-1 and improve to 4-0 on the season.
With the win, Hempfield is 5-1 on the season and 2-0 in Section One play. It is the 852nd win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
April 6, 2024: Hempfield 12, Chambersburg 2
A prolific offense and solid, active defense helped Hempfield hit their way past the visiting Chambersburg Trojans on a Saturday matinee Non-League contest at historic J.K. Mechanical Field.
With the patrons in the bleachers and grandstands in their shirt sleeves, Drew Benchich started on the mound for Hempfield and surrendered just one hit over three innings of work. He was relieved by Cameron Emerson in the fourth inning. Emerson pitched the fourth and fifth inning, allowing one run. The pitching tandem allowed two Chambersburg runs while the defense worked behind them – the Trojans had runners on the bases in four of their five innings.
Charles Sheerer and friends started the offense in the bottom of the first inning. Sheerer reached on a single and Josh Toole drew a walk. Brayden Hostetter’s blast to right field scored Sheerer and moved Connor Maisano, running for Toole, to third. A passed ball scored Maisano while Hostetter scored on Camden Hulock’s single to center.
The Black Knights erupted for six runs in the third inning. Drew Benchich and Logan Harelson singled to start off the inning. Camden Hulock followed by drawing a walk and Brody Gebhard reached base after being hit by a pitch. Logan Dougherty’s single to center scored two Black Knights and Derek Katch followed with a fielders choice ground out to score Gebhard. With four runs across, Hempfield added two more when Charles Sheerer singled to score Dougherty; Sheerer would score on Brayden Hostetter’s sacrifice fly to left.
Hempfield scored a run in the fourth inning when Camden Hulock sent a pitch into the left field bleachers for a solo home run. In the fifth inning, with two outs and no runners on base, Drew Benchich drew a walk and scored when Logan Harelson doubled to left field. Consecutive wild pitches scored Harelson to end the game.
The JV Knights did not play on this day due to continued problematic field conditions at the Junior Varsity field.
With the win, Hempfield is 4-1 on the season and 1-0 in Section One play. It is the 851st win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
April 5, 2024: Hempfield 11, Warwick 1
Behind the pitching of Logan Harelson, Hempfield was able to withstand the visiting Warwick Warriors on a frigid, blustery day at historic J.K. Mechanic Field.
The Warriors drew first blood on the scoreboard in the top of the third inning when Michael Valudes singled to left. A stolen base and sacrifice bunt put Valudes on third base, and he would come in to score when the out of Logan Munoz was recorded.
Hempfield countered with a run in the bottom of the third inning when Logan Dougherty singled to centerfield. With Derek Katch and Charles Sheerer aboard, Dougherty scored on Josh Toole’s single to right. In the home half of the fourth inning, Camden Hulock drew a one out walk and scored on Brody Gebhard’s ground out to second base. With two outs and the bases empty, Logan Dougherty, Derek Katch, Charles Sheerer, Josh Toole, Brayden Hostetter and Drew Benchich all reached safely. With Dougherty, Katch and Sheerer having scored, Logan Harelson delivered a double to left to score Connor Maisano (running for Toole), Hostetter and Benchich.
The contest’s final three runs scored in the bottom of the fifth inning. With one out, Logan Dougherty reached on an error and a walk to Derek Katch set the stage for Charles Sheerer. Hitting with runners at the corners, Sheerer’s single up the middle scored Dougherty and moved Katch to scoring position. One batter later, Brayden Hostetter’s single through the right side scored Sheerer and ended the game.
On the mound for Hempfield, Logan Harelson worked effectively through five innings. Pitching at home in front of his adoring legion, the Shadow Warrior pitched through the Warrior line up allowing only two hits while striking out eight. The only run allowed was the aforementioned third inning run. The left hander retired the last seven batters he faced in a row. Frequent checks indicated that Harleson’s ankles were indeed warm despite the game time temperatures.
The JV Knights were dormant on this day due to field conditions at the Junior Varsity field.
With the win, Hempfield is 3-1 on the season and 1-0 in Section One play. It is the 850th win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
March 28, 2024: Hempfield 10, Spring Grove 0
Lefthanders Logan Harelson and Ryan Jackson combined forces on the mound to lead Hempfield past the visiting Spring Grove Rockets on a calm, overcast day at historic JK Mechanical Field.
Pitching at home in front of his adoring legion, Harelson efficiently worked through the Spring Grove line up. The Shadow Warrior struck out seven and walked four while his colleague Ryan Jackson struck out two and walked none. Neither pitcher allowed a hit; the visiting Rockets did not advance a runner past second base in the contest. Hempfield remains unbeaten when not allowing a run.
Brayden Hostetter and friends started the action in the first inning with no one on and two outs. Hostetter singled to left and scored just a few pitches later when Drew Benchich singled to left field. In the second inning, Logan Harelson connected for a lead off single, bringing Brody Gebhard to the plate. Gebhard’s single advanced Ryan Jackson, who was on to run for Harelson, for the game’s second run. With one out, Logan Dougherty connected on a line drive single to right to score Gebhard and Charles Sheerer’s RBI ground out brought home Dougherty to extend the lead to 4-0.
Drew Benchich’s drive into the left field bleachers gave Hempfield a 5-0 lead after three innings. For Hempifeld in the fouth inning, Camden Hulock doubled and scored when Logan Dougherty singled him home. Dougherty advanced to third on a sacrifice fly and scored on a wild pitch. The Black Knights ended the game in the home half of the fifth inning. Brayden Hostetter singled and consecutive walks to Drew Benchich and Dylan Jackson loaded the bases. After an infield error, Brody Gebhard’s single to right plated Benchich and Jackson.
The JV Knights were winners by a score of 6-5 and improve their record to 3-0 on the season. On Tuesday, the JV Knights earned their second win of the year by defeating Governor Mifflin by a score of 12-0.
With the win, Hempfield is 2-1 on the season. It is the 849th win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
March 22, 2024: Governor Mifflin 6, Hempfield 0
Bryce Detwiler’s fourth inning grand slam provided most of the afternoon’s offensive fireworks for Governor Mifflin as the visiting Mustangs shut out the Hempfield Black Knights.
Starting pitchers Ethan Grim (Governor Mifflin) and Brody Gebhard (Hempfield) traded zeros through the first three innings. In the fourth, the Mustangs capitalized on an infield error and the Black Knights bunt defense to load the bases. A fielders choice ground out from Bryce Wunderlich plated Mifflin’s first run before the aforementioned Detwiler’s home run to left opened up a five run lead for the visitors. Bryce Wunderlich scored Governor Mifflin’s sixth run when he singled to open the sixth inning and came around to score on Bryce Detwiler’s single to left.
Brody Gebhard and reliever Ryan Jackson pitched admirably; the tandem struck out ten Mustangs and yielded five hits. Unfortunately, the Governor Mifflin staff of Ethan Grim and R.J. Weaver were very effective against our Hempfield hitters — the pair allowed only two hits and one walk while striking out twelve.
The JV Knights did not play; we will play Governor Mifflin’s JV team on Tuesday, March 26.
With the loss, Hempfield drops to 1-1 on the season.
March 18, 2024: Hempfield 10, Northeastern 3
The echos of winter could be heard and felt across the Manchester Valley as the Hempfield Black Knights opened up their 2024 campaign under cloudy skies and crispy March temperatures. Undeterred by the conditions due to frequent cold acclimation offseason workouts, the Black Knights crawled out to a four run lead after five and one half innings. Northeastern, our foes on this day, tightened the lead to one by scoring three runs in the bottom half of the sixth. Hempfield was able to put the game away in the top of the seventh when the first six batters of the inning reached base.
Josh Toole connected for Hempfield’s first hit of the season with a single to left field. Ryan Jackson, running for Toole, would score the season’s first run when Logan Harelson drew a bases loaded walk. In the third inning, Drew Benchich drew a one out walk and reached second on Dylan Jackson’s single to left. Brody Gebhard singled home Benchich to extend the lead by a single run. Dylan Jackson scored again in the fifth inning on a Northeastern error and in the sixth inning, Charles Sheerer tripled and scored on Drew Benchich’s sacrifice fly. The Black Knights benefited from seventh inning hits from Camden Hulock, Charles Sheerer, Dylan Jackson and Brody Gebhard en route to a six run final frame.
Logan Harelson started for the Black Knights and threw very effectively over six innings of work. The left hander struck out nine, walked six and yielded only one hit. It appeared his ankles were warm and functional throughout. Two of Northeastern’s three runs in the sixth inning were unearned. The Bobcats had the tying run on third and the go ahead run on first in the bottom of the sixth inning; Harelson was able to strike out the last batter he faced to restore order and keep Hempfield in front. The frigid conditions had many wondering if there would be an Iceman appearance. In the seventh inning, Ryan Jackson emerged from the bullpen and closed the door on Northeastern with an efficient 7th inning.
The JV Knights started the season in appropriate fashion, defeating Northeastern in five innings by a score of 11-1. Congratulations!
With the win, Hempfield is 1-0 on the young season. It is the 848th win for the Hempfield Baseball Program.
