Sometimes a loss isn't just a loss. Take for example the boys' volleyball team and their 3-0 loss to Lancaster Mennonite on April 5. It was the Baron's first setback of the season, and it knocked them out of their first-place tie with Garden Spot.

Before that loss, Manheim enjoyed a 3-0 win over Cocalico on March 31st. Dylan Musser led the way with 25 assists, four digs, three aces and one kill. John Wagner added 22 digs and Trent Groff 11 kills, four digs and one block, helping Manheim to the 25-18, 25-21 and 25-22 win.

With the win over Cocalico in the books, the 29-27, 25-17, 25-19 loss to Mennonite was up next. Groff (nine kills, one dig) and Musser (17 assists, one ace) fronted the offense while Wenger (10 digs) and Barend Oostdam (three blocks, four kills) did the same on defense.

BASEBALL

The baseball team collected three more wins, upping their record to 5-0 in the process. The first of that trio came on April 1st with Central cruising by ELCO 14-0 in five innings. The star of the show was pitcher Jared Murray who covered all five innings and recorded all 15 outs via strikeout.

"Jared threw a really great game," said head coach Jason Thompson, "He used his fastball the majority of the time hitting inside and outside locations and just really challenged them. He pitched with confidence."

The Barons provided plenty of offensive support, rapping out 13 hits.

"We hit the ball well on a really blustery day," added Thompson.

Collin Thompson capped the six-run first with a two-run blast which came a few batters after Nolan Book's two-run double. Brady Harbach, who connected on a two-run shot of his own in the third, got the scoring started by reaching on a bases-loaded error.

Manheim survived a scare from Octorara on the 4th, holding on for a 4-2 win despite two late Brave runs. Connor Rohrer picked up the win after covering six innings but gave way to Cayde Connelly after surrendering those two runs. The pair combined for nine strikeouts and two walks. Book connected for another two-run double, this one coming as part of Manheim's four run fifth. Connelly added a one run single in the frame that stretched the lead to 4-0.

One day later the Baron outlasted Northern Lebanon 12-11 thanks to Mason Weaver's game winning single in the bottom of the seventh. Weaver's four hit game included a first inning blast that put Manheim on the board. Harbach, Connelly and Dylan Yoder joined the home run club, driving in six runs with those three swings. Yoder added a third inning single to his solo shot with Connelly's three run blast coming in the third and Harbach's two-run shot in the fourth. Book kept his RBI double streak alive, setting the stage for Weaver's heroics in the sixth.

TENNIS

The boy's tennis team was able to crack the win column, topping Garden Spot 6-1 on April 1st and doubled that total on the 4th with a 5-2 victory over Lebanon.

Against Spot, Central jumped out to an early 3-0 lead by sweeping doubles action. Ben Ginder and Luke Horst took one of those doubles wins with the remaining two going to Rodney Sauder-Owen Patten and Cole Lubeskie-Landen Statts pairings. Ginder, Horst and Sauder finished the win with singles victories.

Doubles wins also powered the win over Lebanon with Ginder-Horst, Sauder-Patten and Lubeskie-Statts making it 3-0 right out of the gate. This time it was just Ginder and Horst picking up singles victories for the 5-2 final.

Manheim Central also felt the sting of defeat, falling to Conestoga Valley by a 6-1 final on March 30th and to Red Lion by a 4-1 final on April 2nd. Ginder accounted for the lone win opposite CV while the Lubeskie-Statts pairing posted a three-set win at number two doubles against Red Lion.

SOFTBALL

The softball team suffered their first loss of 2022 on April 5th, dropping a 10-1 final to Northern Lebanon. Gabby Wettig took the loss after surrendering all 10-NL runs over her five innings. Wettig added four strikeouts to her pitching tally and collected four hits at the plate, including three doubles. Riley Hostetter covered the final inning in the circle for Manheim, picking up one strike out. Brynn Lehman drove in Central's lone run after reaching on an error in the sixth.

Before that loss, the Barons enjoyed wins over ELCO and Octorara with the 10-0 win over the Lady Braves on April 4th lasting just five innings. Wettig and Hostetter teamed up again with Wettig getting the start and the win for her three innings of hitless work. Manheim was helped by four Octorara errors leaving Mickey Lauver and Miranda Ober as team leaders with two RBI each.

The 8-2 win over ELCO on April 1st went the traditional seven innings. Wettig covered all seven innings, allowing two runs and five hits to go with 10 strikeouts. She also helped her own cause with a one-hit, two-RBI day at the plate. Emma Damon also finished with two RBI thanks to a sixth inning homerun. Lehman was the final member of the two RBI club with a third inning double.

TRACK

The track teams enjoyed comfortable wins over Lebanon on April 4th with the boy's winning 93-57 and the girls 111-39. Both teams posted a relay sweep for a quick 30-point boost to their respective team score. The Lady Barons swept the track, winning everything from the 100m to the 3200m. Malea Stoner (100H, 300H), Sarah Forry (800m, 1600m) and Milan Snell (200m, 400m) accounted for two wins each with Rachel Nolt (100m) and Reagan Ibach (3200m) rounding out the track victories. Chloe Enck picked up a win in the discus while Madison Knier covered the javelin, long jump, triple jump, and high jump.

For the boys, it was Landon McGallicher leading the way with Kahlen Watt and Tyler Fahnestock providing back-up. McGallicher claimed the 110H, the 300H and the 200m while Watt took the 100m and the javelin. Fahnestock enjoyed wins in the shot put and discus. Bode Sipel wrapped up the field wins by taking the triple jump while Cameron Evans claimed the 800m for the final win on the track.

CORRECTION: In last week's edition Connor Fahnestock was incorrectly listed as the winner of the shot put and discus, it was Tyler Fahnestock that claimed the two events in the in the March 29th win over Elizabethtown.