Tarbet tosses no-hitter as Minerva baseball notches first win

Entering the second week of the young season at 0-1, Minerva was still searching for its first victory.

The Lions had to wait one more game, but when they broke through, it was in spectacular fashion.

After a 12-5 loss to Howland on March 31, Minerva welcomed Waterloo on April 2 with Lane Tarbet on the mound.

Tarbet delivered a no-hitter to power the Lions to an 11-0 win over the Vikings, striking out eight and walking two. Minerva’s record book is a bit hazy, but Tarbet’s outing marks either the second or third no-hitter in school history.

And it was not just pitching that shined for the Lions. In a five-inning game, Minerva’s bats were productive, especially Brennan Barnes. The junior shortstop went 3 for 4 with two doubles, two runs scored and three RBIs. Kolton Almasy, Parker Linkous and Braydon Wood added two hits apiece.

Two days later, Minerva hosted Canal Fulton Northwest, and the strong pitching continued with Wood on the mound. He tossed seven shutout innings, scattering six hits while striking out seven and walking two as Minerva (2-2) won a pitchers’ duel, 1-0.

Of the four hits Minerva recorded, none was bigger than Ray Meadows’ RBI single to score Wood. The Indians (1-2) threatened in the late innings, but Wood, backed by the Lions’ defense, worked out of each jam.

Softball

Minerva’s softball team logged four games, and while the week started rough, it ended with the Lady Lions’ first win of the season.

First up was a nonconference home game against Garaway on March 30. Results were not made available, but in a five-inning game, the Pirates (1-1) rolled to an 11-0 win over Minerva.

The next day, Minerva traveled to Howland, and the scoring drought continued as the Tigers posted a 7-0 win in a game that lasted five and a half innings.

On April 4, the Lady Lions hosted Mogadore for a doubleheader. The first game was a pitching duel between Minerva’s Gabby Kashdan and Mogadore’s Natalya Bartholomew.

Kashdan allowed four hits and struck out seven, but an earned run in the sixth proved to be the difference as Mogadore took the opener, 1-0.

In the second game, Minerva’s bats exploded for 14 hits in a 10-5 victory. After Mogadore scored twice in the first inning, the Lady Lions answered with seven runs in the second to break the game open.

Rachel Weaver and Adrianna Kashdan led the offense for Minerva (1-3). Kashdan went 3 for 4 with a run scored and three RBIs, while Weaver went 2 for 4 with two runs and three RBIs. Delaney Sell added three hits and scored two runs.

Track and field

Eight teams gathered April 4 for the Fairless Falcon Invitational, and it gave the 2026 Minerva track team a chance to flex its depth.

The Lions won several events. The boys placed first in four races, three sprints and one distance run, plus one field event. On the girls side, the Lady Lions won three of four relays, the shot put, the 800-meter run and the 3,200-meter run. Minerva also placed second in four events.

For the boys, seniors Nate Linkous (11.26) and Owen Shick (11.33) went 1-2 in the 100-meter dash. Shick followed with victories in the 200-meter dash (22.98) and 400-meter dash (51.64).

Rowen Hoffee won the 1,600-meter run in 4:33.18, while Owen Yoder placed second in the 3,200-meter run (10:17.60). The Lions also placed second in the 4x400-meter relay before Linkous picked up his second win of the day in the long jump with a leap of 18-11.

For the Lady Lions, sophomores Gracie Momirov-Dierick and Willa Shick each placed in the top three in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. In the 800-meter run, Tateum Richard (2:30.04) and Taylor McGeorge (2:41.32) placed first and second.

Addison Keyser finished second in the 1,600-meter run, followed by Makenzie Beavers’ victory in the 3,200-meter run, which she won by more than 50 seconds.

Minerva also won the 4x100-meter, 4x400-meter and 4x800-meter relays, and Autumn Thompson capped the day with another Minerva victory in the shot put at 34-2.25.