Hanover’s softball season ended in a 3-1 district semifinal loss to eventual champion Lee-Davis. The loss means the Hawks will not reach the regionals for the first time in four years. But it was also a sad goodbye for three outstanding seniors; Mary Baker, Jess Spiegler and Amanda Woolard.

  For such a young team, each of the Hawks’ seniors took on the role of leader.
  “I don’t really care of we win or lose, as long as everybody has their head up and has a good time, that’s what I was concerned about,” Baker said. “I think that’s what matters.”

  For Woolard, the growth of the Hawks was noticeable over the course of the season. “I think we really came far for being so young,” she said. “We knew we could win this game but sometimes it just doesn’t work out the way you want it to.”

  Spiegler agreed. “We have come so far, we had so many new players,” Spiegler said. “Everyone contributed something to the team to get us to come together. To lose to Lee-Davis by two runs in the seventh inning is more than I could ask for.”

  Spiegler finished her career with nearly 300 consecutive errorless plays at first and not having committed an error since her sophomore season.

  The season also came to a close for the Atlee baseball team thanks largely to the play of Lee-Davis’ Brandon Angus.

  Against Raiders’ starter Ryan Farrar, Lee-Davis generated just enough offense to pull out a 2-1 win and it was Angus who provided a double-dagger.

  In the bottom of the third, Angus scored Lee-Davis’ decisive run by hurdling over Atlee catcher Mitch Keeler to reach home safely.

  But Angus’ best play of the night came with the Raiders threatening in the top of the seventh. With no outs and two men on base, including Farrar at second, Atlee’s Taylor Sandefur sent a shot deep into center field. When Angus made the catch, Farrar took off for third in what appeared to be a safe run. But Angus made the throw from center field to catch Farrar and complete a double-play that took the wind out of the Raiders’ threat.

  “I thought it was stupid base running at first,” Farrar said. “But it wasn’t stupid, that’s what they told me…It’s the worst feeling in the world to get thrown out like that in the last inning like that in a big situation.

  “I thought to myself I’m there, especially from the third baseman’s reaction, it was like it’s not even coming,” Farrar said. “I was like, ‘all right I’ve got this.’ Then when I go to slide it’s there. It was a perfect throw. He put it right on the money.”

  Lee-Davis head coach Kenny Lewis said Angus’ throw did not surprise him. “He’s capable of doing it and he picked a good time to do it.
“It was certainly a huge out and big momentum shift and allowed us to do some other things that maybe insured the win.