It might be a total of 10 games or just more than half of their 2023 slate, but the Manheim Central softball team has experienced two different seasons. The Lady Barons opened with losses in four of their first five games, including three straight to kick things off. Since then, Central has ripped off five straight wins to improve to 6-4 overall.

Manheim's toughest test of that five-game run came on April 14th in a 4-2 win over Cocalico. Central needed a two-run sixth to regain the lead and secure the win. Brianna Mylin and Brynn Lehman accounted for those two runs with Kayleigh Detz and Paige Garner adding one RBI apiece. Riley Hostetter covered all seven innings, mowing down 17 Lady Eagles to collect the win.

Manheim Central broke open the flood gates for their April 17th win over Octorara, scoring in all six innings to secure a 22-12, 10-run rule victory. Hostetter picked up the win despite allowing eight runs over her five innings with Garner covering the final four Lady Braves runs and three outs.

Three different Lady Barons finished with three RBI, but it was Hailey Peterson leading the way with six RBI on four singles. Lehman, Hostetter and Mylin complied the three RBI club while Garner added two RBI on her fourth inning single.

Offense continued to rule in Manheim's April 19th win over Garden Spot. The Lady Barons needed a mere three innings to topple Spot by a 24-2 final. Garner was the lone player to finish with three RBI while both Detz and Michaela Lauver tallied four RBI. Mylin topped them all with her two hit, five RBI game. Hostetter enjoyed the run support, covering all but the final out which went to Garner.

TENNIS

The Baron tennis team closed out their 2023 regular season with a win, topping Ephrata by a 4-3 count on the 19th. Aaron Cassel picked up the lone singles win after teaming with Rodney Sauder for a number two doubles win. Ben Ginder and Owen Patten claimed the top doubles win while Zach Spangler and Jon Breinich took number three doubles, putting Central on the winning path.

One day prior the Barons were unbale to hang with Conestoga Valley, falling by a 7-0 final.

Central was unable to stay with Cocalico on the 17th, leading to a 5-2 loss. Sauder played a part in both team points, joining forces with Cassel for a number two doubles win before posting a singles victory.

VOLLEYBALL

Stop the presses...the boys' volleyball team dropped their first set of 2023 during a 3-1 win over Garden Spot on the 18th. Central opened and closed with 25-15 wins and answered Spot's 25-19 game two triumph with a 25-21 momentum stealing game three win. Dylan Musser finished with 26 assists and two aces while Jacob Moyer had eight kills and 10 digs.

Central had no such trouble with Lebanon on the 13th, rolling to a 3-0 sweep with wins of 25-8, 25-10 and 25-7. Musser posted 20 assists and 10 aces in the win while Landon Mattiace finished with six kills and one block.

BASEBALL

The baseball team shook off back-to-back losses with wins over Octorara and Garden Spot, setting their 2023 mark at 6-5.

The second half of the back-to-back losses came on April 14 with Cocalico using an early push to secure the 9-0 win. Seven of those nine runs came on Cole Lawhorne's watch meaning that despite only three coming as earned the righty still took the loss. Chase Travitz covered the remaining three innings with the pair combining for six strikeouts and four walks. Ty Clugston and Brady Harbach were the lone Barons to reach base on a hit.

Central righted their ship with a 6-3 win over Octorara on the 17th with Jared Murray leading the way. The senior lefty struck out eight and walked two while scattering seven hits and allowing three second inning runs. Cael Martin pitched the final two innings, allowing just one hit while striking out three.

That three-run burst from the Braves put Central in a hole that took until the sixth to fully climb out. The comeback started in the third where Colin Neiles made it 2-0 with his RBI single after a wild pitch gave Central their first run. The comeback was completed in the sixth with Nolan Book and Ky Watson each driving in one run while Clugston pushed two more across for the 6-3 final.

The Barons enjoyed more breathing room on the 19th, posting a 9-0 win over Garden Spot. Travitz and Lawhorne teamed up, with Travitz getting the start, and the win for his five innings of work. Lawhorne pushed the Barons strikeout total to seven, adding his two to Travitz's five.

Central essentially put the game away with a four run second inning highlighted by matching two-run singles from Watson and Book. That did not make the Barons' hitless three-run burst in the fourth any less enjoyable. Manheim benefitted from two wild pitches and a Spartan error to extend their lead to 7-0. Clugston added a sac fly in the fifth while Murray tacked on a one run single in the sixth to finish the scoring.

TRACK

The track teams traveled to southern Lancaster county on April 17th to battle the Golden Mules in a Section Two showdown. The boys dropped their half of the showdown by a 91.5-58.5 final while the Lady Barons cruised to a 94-56 win.

Landon McGallicher was the star for the boys, collecting two solo wins to go with his part in the victorious 1600m relay. He claimed the 110H in 15.2 and the 300H in 40.9 and teamed with Cameron Evans, Grahason Lindberg and Ryan Kenneff for the 1600m relay win. Kenneff picked up the only other win on the track with his 2:06.8 in the 800m. Zach Hahn claimed the final win, tossing the javelin 145-3.

As the final would suggest, wins were plentiful for the Lady Barons starting with Maddie Knier and her wins in the high jump, long jump, and javelin. Lacie Nelson in the shotput and Bella Sensenig in the pole vault finished the field wins for Central.

Two relay wins helped the cause with Julia Kahler, Sarah Forry, Julianna Lindberg, and Reagan Ibach taking the 3200m relay while Abbie Reed, Forry, Emma Herman and Milan Snell captured the 1600m relay in 4:23. Reed branched out on her own for wins in the 100H and 300H with Forry adding an 800m win and Snell a 400m victory.

The Barons spent Saturday April 15th in Landisville for the 19th Annual Black Knight Invitational, collecting nine podium finishes. McGallicher was the lone member of the boys' team to reach the podium, finishing second in the 110H with a 14.98.

Knier made two podium trips, collecting silver for her work in the high jump and long jump. Nelson added a third-place finish in the shot put while Sensenig took fifth in the pole vault. Snell finished fourth in the 100m with a 12.86.

Central nearly turned the podium Maroon for the 100H presentation, occupying three of the eight spots. Reed took the top spot with a 16.25, Liz Voegele claimed fifth with a 16.66 while Kylie Mattiace settled into eighth thanks to her 17.10.