Late-inning offense too little, too late for Blue Streaks as Warriors come up big in Section 1 showdown, 10-5

On a mid-April afternoon that felt more like early March, the Warwick Warriors visited Manheim Township to make up their first contest of the season against the hosting Blue Streaks. With circling winds and a “feels like” temp in the mid-30’s, this game was bound to be interesting in one way or another.

The Warriors were facing Township pitcher Ben Shenosky for the first time in 2022 after seeing him twice last season – including when Shenosky got the last laugh in a 2-0 grudge match victory in Lititz. Warwick came out swinging in the first inning to put their mark on this game early. A leadoff walk to Woolley, single for Hess, and walk to Seibert quickly loaded the bases for the visitors. An RBI single for Williams gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead before a SAC fly from Slogik made it 2-0. Warwick would hold a 3-run lead after the top of the 1st after courtesy runner Cossette stole home before the conclusion of the half inning. A leadoff single from Blue Streaks’ center fielder JT Weaver would be all Township could respond with in the bottom half of the 1st. 

The Warriors would score again in the 2nd after walks to the first two batters in the inning proved costly. A dropped ball on a pickoff attempt at 3rd allowed Stuhltrager to score as Warwick upped the lead to 4-0. Shenosky was replaced on the mound by Gavin Glass before completing the 2nd inning. An RBI double off the fence in left for Montgomery in the 3rd gave Warwick a 5-0 lead through 3. The Blue Streaks were without answers at the plate in the 2nd and 3rd as the Warriors’ starter Seibert set Township down in order both innings. 

The flood gates opened in the 4th as the Warriors piled on 4 more runs on a SAC fly for Seibert and a 3-run homerun off the bat of Slogik. The Blue Streaks finally put a run across the plate in the bottom of the 4th after Michael Heckman collected a leadoff double. Consecutive ground outs allowed Heckman to score easily to make it 9-1. A rare quiet inning for the Warriors in the 5th as Township’s 2nd reliever Cole Stoltzfus set the visitors down in order, but unfortunately for the Blue Streaks, a Weaver double is all the Township offense could collect in the 5th.

Following Warwick’s 10th and final run on the day coming in the top of the 6th, Township showed some life at the plate. A bottom of the 6th leadoff homerun from Ryan Flury put a 2nd run on the board for MT before back-to-back-to-back singles from Ryan Brader, Shenosky, and Ty Jenkins made things interesting. A fielder’s choice on a Glass ground ball made it a 10-3 game and a Jack Armstrong infield single made it 10-4. Seibert’s day was done at 100 pitches just before Weaver nearly knocked a ball over the fence in left field. The line drive clipped the top of the fence in left and bounced back into play – unfortunately for only a double and nothing more. Glass would score on the double to lock us at 10-5 – the score that would hold up through the 7th as this game went final.

With the loss, the Blue Streaks fall to 8-2 on the season (3-2 in Section 1) and will travel to Lampeter-Strasburg tomorrow night (4/20) to face the Pioneers as the second half of the season gets going.