MOUNT JOY, Pa. (WHTM) — Early season baseball in the Lancaster Lebanon League is already in midseason form as the defending District III champs in 5A visited a 5A state semifinalist.

Manheim Central, the reigning district champs, visited last year’s 5A state semifinalist Wednesday and fans were treated to high-level baseball at Melhorn Field. The Barons utilized the long ball, a two-run home run from Nolan Book and a solo home run from Kye Watson, to lift Manheim past Donegal for a 3-2 win in a key LL League tilt.

The Barons carried a 3-0 lead into the sixth inning, when Donegal’s sophomore standout catcher Coy Allman started the rally for the Indians with a RBI single to trim the lead to 3-1. Donegal drove in another run on a sacrifice fly later in the inning to trim the lead to one.

Allman had an opportunity to play the hero with runners on the corners and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but the Barons forced the second-rated 2025 prospect in Pennsylvania to pop up and they survived with a crucial league win.