Last year the boys' lacrosse team suffered a 14-7 loss in the PIAA semifinals against Marple Newton High School. Despite graduating seven seniors from that squad, the Pioneers have high expectations.

"We're coming off the best season in program history," said head coach Mike McConomy, "and we're bringing back so many key players. Our expectations are high."

Those key players are returning starters Owen Krause at face off, Drexton Frank and Morgan Smith (defense), Bryce Thomas in goal, and Colin Sullivan, Zach Labrecque, and Chase Barber (attack).

Those high expectations resulted in a 15-4 season opening win at Governor Mifflin on Friday, March 24.

L-S held a slim 3-2 led in the first quarter but broke the game wide open with a 7-1 second quarter and capped the scoring with a 5-1 third.

Labrecque's six goals and two assists sparked the offense. "KJ Kessler, a senior newcomer, had four goals and one assist," noted McConomy. "We out shot Mifflin 54-9."

Also contributing to the attack were Colin Sullivan (2g, 4a), Chase Barber (2g, 2a) and Grant Filius (1g).

At Lancaster Country Day on Wednesday, Labrecque posted another six goal game, and Sullivan chipped in with five to account for 11 of Lampeter's 15 goals while the defense held LCD to five in the Pioneers Section Two opener.

SOFTBALL

In a slugfest in Lititz Friday, March 24, Warwick scored the game-winner in the bottom of the seventh, handing L-S an 11-10 season-opening, non-section loss. In a game that see-sawed back-and-forth, the teams combined for 29 hits and eight errors.

Both teams scored three first inning runs. L-S took the lead with one in the third and gained some distance with a four-run fourth. Warwick scored three in the bottom of the fourth and then took a 10-8 lead with four more runs in the sixth, setting up a nerve-wracking seventh.

Paige Baxter opened the seventh with a lead-off triple and scored on Gabby Hiles' groundout. Maura Savoca and Chloe Meck worked back-to-back singles and Savoca scampered home on N. Hill's base hit, knotting the score. A popout and a groundout ended the inning.

Warwick opened the bottom half with a base hit by Shaak who then moved to third on a flyout to right and scored on a single by Heisey to short.

Baxter and Meck both went 3-4. Hiles was 2-4 with three RBI and Zuber smacked a solo homer in the first.

Raub started in the circle and gave up four runs on four hits over three innings, striking out four. Baxter took the loss, allowing five hits and two runs over one and one-third innings.

The Pioneers faced defending District 3 6A champs Penn Manor on Tuesday but couldn't get over the hump in a 9-2 loss. A 5-run Comet burst in the fourth inning gave Manor all the momentum they needed. L-S scored one run in the third and one more in the sixth with Gabby Hiles and Kara Scranton picking up the RBIs. Mackenzie Maki and Baxter finished with two hits each.

Savoca, Raub and Baxter handled the pitching and combined for three strikeouts, six walks and scattered ten hits.

Despite an early 4-3 lead against Berks Catholic on Wednesday, the Pioneers gave up nine runs over the final three innings and suffered a 12-4 loss. Maki and Meck collected two hits each in the seven hit attack and Raub led with two RBIs.

Baxter started in the circle, scattered eight hits, and gave up five runs in four innings. Natalie Hill struck out two and walked four over the last two innings.

TENNIS

The tennis team suffered its first loss of the season with a 3-2 result at McCaskey Thursday, March 23. It was their third one-point match of the season.

Kyle Pawson and Justin Gouger were solid at No. 1 doubles, winning 6-1, 6-0 and Spencer Teaman's 7-6, 6-1 No. 3 singles win wrapped up the scoring.

Kenny Finn and Owen Lapp stepped in at No. 2 doubles. They battled back from a 6-3 first set loss with a 6-2 second set win but fell short 13-11.

GIRLS' LACROSSE

The girls' lacrosse team hosted Dallastown Wednesday, March 22, in their season opener and pulled out a 16-12 victory. Freshman Sophia Labrecque poured in six goals and Rowan Kimmel, the 2022 L-L League co-MVP, added four goals and two assists to spark the offense.

L-S held a 9-7 lead at the half and outscored the Wildcats 7-5 after the break.

Hannah Cissne and Bethany Stoltzfus chipped in with two goals each while Leigh Saurbaugh and Ryann Logan combined for two goals and four assists.

The winning continued on Monday, March 27 with a 22-6 non-league win over visiting Garden Spot. The Pioneers built a 14-4 first half advantage and never looked back.

The balanced attack featured eight different goal scorers with Rowan Kimmel's 5g, 2a day leading the way. Bethany Stoltzfus (4g, 1a), Logan (3g, 1a), Saurbaugh (3g, 1a), Labrecque (2g, 2a), D Delinger (2g), M Puleo (2g) and Abigail Wolff (1g, 1a) accounted for the scoring.

Zoe Dilling recorded five saves.

The Pioneers poured in 21 goals on the 29th and improved to 3-0 with a 20 goal victory over Lancaster Country Day. Cissne racked up 6 goals and Kimmel added 5 and three assists as L-S built a 14-0 first half lead en route to a 21-1 final. Logan (3g, 2a), Stoltzfus (2g, 1a), Trinity Wise (2g), Wolff (1g, 2a), Denlinger (1g), Brenneman (1g) and Abigail Welchans (3a) rounded out the offensive threats.

Dilling and Kelly combined for six saves.

BASEBALL

The returning Section Two champ Pioneers have gotten off to a slow start, dropping their first two games of the season, a 3-0 result at Octorara on the 22nd and a heartbreaking 3-2 final at Penn Manor the 28th before righting the ship with a 2-1 nod over Manheim Central one day later.

The Braves scored all of their runs in the fifth inning and out hit the Pioneers 4-1.

Against the Comets, L-S held an early 2-0 lead, scoring one in the first on an error and the second run in the third on a fielder's choice bunt by Peyton Harsh, plating Jason Long who doubled to open the inning.

A wild pitch scored the tying run in the fourth inning.

Neither team threatened in the sixth or seventh and L-S went three up, three down in the top of the eighth. Manor broke through with three straight base hits in the bottom half.

The Comets out-hit L-S 5-3 and took advantage of three Pioneer miscues.

Returning starter Jason Long, who led the Pioneers with a .403 average and four homers last year, and Anthony Turek, a .333 hitter last season, had two of Lampeter's hits with Luke Brenneman collecting the third. L-S struck out 10 times in the loss.

On the hill, Peyton Harsh threw 4.1 innings, striking out seven and walking five. Mason Coe added one strikeout and one walk in 2.2 innings pitched and Logan Leaman threw to the last two batters.

The Pioneers scored two runs in the seventh inning and held off Manheim 2-1 on Wednesday. Cayden See singled, moved to third on a base hit by Long and scored on an error, tying the game. Then, with two outs, White's line drive to center pushed in Long with the game-winner.

Long went the distance on the hill, striking out nine and walking one in the one-hit win.