There are times where simply having the ball bounce in your favor determines the difference between a win and a loss. And baseball is a sport that embraces such a phenomenon.

On Wednesday, April 27, the breaks went in Hempfield's favor in a 3-1 defeat of Section One rival Penn Manor. After the teams had traded runs in the first inning. In the sixth, a walk, an infield single, an error and a sacrifice fly gave the Black Knights the lead.

Aiden Rodenberger's solid start - eight strikeouts and only three walks in 5.1 innings - and Austin Dunlap's scoreless relief appearance helped Hempfield improve to 12-4 on the year.

The Knights were coming off a 10-0 Monday afternoon defeat of Lampeter-Strasburg at Landisville. Logan Harelson pitched the shutout.

Dunlap's RBI grounder scored the only run Harelson would need in the first inning. Cameron Berger's two-run single made it 4-0 in the second. Lampeter's pitching wildness added two more runs as a bases-loaded walk was issued to Josh Toole and a wild pitch scored another. A sacrifice fly by Dunlap and an RBI single by Chuck Sheerer padded the lead followed by Stephen Katch's RBI single.

Hempfield lost 6-5 at Ephrata on Friday, April 22 with the Mountaineers scoring on a bases-loaded walk in extra innings.

The big inning for the Knights was the third inning with four runs, including sacrifice fly RBI's by Rodenberger and Berger. Rieker stroked a two-run single after more walks put runners in scoring position. Sheerer's RBI single tied the game at 5-5 in the seventh inning.

TRACK

In the 95th Annual Jack Roddick/Shippensburg HS Track & Field Invitational on April 23, juniors Aidan Hodge and Chris Titter placed in the 3,200- and 800-meter events, respectively. Hodge set a 42-year-old school record and established a personal best time of 9:15.92 as he took fourth in the 3,200. His time was also an L-L League Meet and District Three meet qualifier. Teammate Joe Fahrney's time of 10:01.69 was also a qualifier for the LL's as was Titter's 800-m time of 1:59.51 - where he earned eighth place.

"Aidan was thrown off his plan a bit in the first lap after getting boxed in and losing the front pack," said Knights' coach Curt Rogers. "But he calmly set his pace and began passing people lap by lap.

"Chris followed his race plan and ran under two minutes with a personal record," continued the coach. "His patience and closing speed are strengths that showed today."

In addition, Ryan French ran the 1,600 race and posted a time of 4:46.48.

Hempfield also participated in the Blue Jay Invitational at Elizabethtown College on Saturday. The Hempfield boys finished second while 49 the girls earned sixth place.

Ryan Criste long-jumped to a first-place 21-foot-9.5 personal best and league qualifier. He took second with a 5-10 high jump - also good for LL's.

Sam Freedman took fourth (4:37.18) in the 1600-m and fourth in the 800 with 2:05.67 - both personal bests. Dale Winand was third in the 1,600 at 4:36.95. He and Freeman qualified for leagues.

Brody Weachter's second-place pole vault of 11-6 was also good for LL's. Other personal records included Logan Muhlberg's league-qualifying finish of 51.34 seconds in the 400, as well as Sam Meyer's 10:19.83 in the 3200. R.J. Repass (132-2) and Cody Gehres (130-10) also had personal bests in the javelin while Tanner Dennis (39-0.75) set one in the triple jump.

The girls' highlights included Sydney Rhoads taking second in the high jump at 4-8 and Kylie Ridilla setting a personal record of 30-9.5 in the triple jump.

While Georgia Kielmeyer's second-place finish at 50.98 in the 300-m hurdles was a personal best,

Paige Harrington, Callie Herr, Katie Gardner, and Ava Pagano took third (11:04.34) in the 4x800 relay

SOFTBALL

The Knights' busy stretch of four softball games in six days included three games that ended with a 10-run margin of victory plus a close 5-4 loss at Lampeter-Strasburg on Monday, April 25.

On Friday, April 22, one of those 10-run games took place with Hempfield being on the winning side against Ephrata.

Elizabeth Williams slugged a two-run home run. It was a huge day for sophomore Avery Landis, who went 3-for-3 with a triple and three runs scored and two driven in. Mikayla Hughes also went 3-for-3 with a run and three RBI's. Olivia Cover doubled and drove in three runs out of the number nine hole.

Courtney Guthrie tossed five innings in her one-hit shutout. She struck out six.

Mikayla Hughes (2-for-3) homered and drove in three runs in the 5-4 loss to L-S. Freshman Kali Peifer hit a double.

Guthrie pitched five innings in another shutout on Saturday - a non-league 10-0 defeat of Governor Mifflin. She had three strikeouts. Sophomore Carley Ernst finished with a scoreless sixth inning.

Hempfield was on the losing end of an 11-1 game at Penn Manor on Wednesday. A home run by Hughes accounted for the lone run by Hempfield.

VOLLEYBALL

The volleyball team stayed atop the Section One standings at 8-0, defeating Manheim Township and Penn Manor on the road. The Knights won both matches by the score of 3-0.

On Thursday, April 21, they cruised to winning sets of 25-13, 25-13 and 25-11 at Township. Dante Keener led with nine kills. Caden Bonner distributed 29 assists while Mason Orth finished with a team-high seven digs. Cole Jackson contributed three service aces and Cole Overbaugh registered two blocks.

In victories of 25-17, 25-12 and 25-20 on Tuesday at Manor, Keener compiled eight kills and Bonner dished out 30 assists while Orth finished the day with one ace and 21 digs.

GIRLS' LACROSSE

Hempfield improved to 8-0 in the L-L League (12-1 overall) with a collective score of 52-3 over three opponents. The Knights won at Ephrata 21-1 on April 22 followed by a 20-1 non-league triumph at Lower Dauphin on Saturday and an 11-1 victory at Garden Spot on Tuesday, April 26.

Along with four goals each by Kelsea Dague and Isabella Masengarb, the Ephrata match included a hat trick by Whitney Hershey and two goals each by Natale Bole, Brynn Axe and Ava Corvino.

Eryn Murphy, who had two saves, collected eight in the Lower Dauphin game.

The scoring leaders were Dague (7g, 1a), Axe (5g, 1a), and Hershey (2g, 3a) with Bole scoring two on the day also.

Dague found the Garden Spot net six times plus one assist. Hershey scored twice while Masengarb, Kenna Price and Mauren Karauser each scored once. Murphy made nine saves.

BOYS' LACROSSE

In an exciting 20-10 defeat of Dallastown on Saturday, the Knights scored eight times in the first quarter.

At game's end, Max Grube had scored six times and assisted on three goals. A.J. McAlpine (5g, 1a) Ryan Heuston (3g, 1a) Jason Hilton (3g, 1a) and Zach Antesberger (2g) also scored multiple goals.