Blue Streaks’ 2022 season comes to an end after defeat in opening round of State Playoffs

Starting a new week with a new challenge, the Manheim Township Blue Streaks, the District III 6A runner-up, traveled to DeSales University to face the District 11 6A champion Liberty Hurricane in the first round of the PIAA 6A State tournament. The playoff matchup against Liberty was the first meeting ever between these two teams in Township’s nearly 80 year history.

Early in the top of the 1st, the Blue Streaks looked eager to plate some runs on Liberty’s starter Gyauch-Quirk after last week’s low-scoring District III 6A Championship game against Warwick. JT Weaver led off the game with a double to deep left field and Michael Heckman reached safely on a bunt single behind him. With runners on 1st and 3rd, a strike ‘em out/throw ‘em out saw 2 outs hit the board with Weaver still on 3rd. A strikeout ended the inning with no Township runs finding the plate. Fisher Druck got the nod to take the mound after coming on in relief to win at Governor Mifflin in the District III Semifinals a week ago. A confident bottom of the 1st for the tall righty brought the Blue Streaks right back to the plate after a ground out and 2 Ks set down the top of the Hurricane lineup.

1-2-3 half innings for both teams in the 2nd moved the game right along into the 3rd. Ty Jenkins would poke a single to the left fielder to lead off the 3rd and landed on 2nd after an error by the left fielder on the play. After being sacrificed over to 3rd by Jack Armstrong, Township had another chance for runs early in the inning. A wild pitch during Weaver’s 2nd AB sent Jenkins down the 3rd base line towards home, but a questionable call over the plate handed the Blue Streaks their second out. No other action in the top half of the 3rd. Druck continued to roll in the bottom of the 3rd striking out the side – looking, swinging, swinging. 

A leadoff single for Heckman and ground rule double for Ryan Flury had Township threatening again with no outs in the top of the 4th. Two strikeouts and a ground out would again send the Blue Streaks back to the dugout empty handed. The Hurricane capitalized on a HBP to Spinosa bringing him around to score on a 2-out double from O’Neill to break the scoreless tie and make it 1-0 Liberty after 4.

Liberty would get a 1-out double from Rivera in the bottom of the 5th before Gavin Glass snared a hard ground ball at 3rd and caught him on the base path between 2nd and 3rd to hold the Hurricane at bay. Druck would finish off the half inning with another K – his 8th and final of the day. A fast top of the 6th put the Blue Streaks back on defense with Weaver now on the mound. Strikeout looking, strikeout looking, and strikeout looking from Weaver fired up the Blue Streaks dugout heading into the 7th and final inning.

A leadoff single up the middle off the bat of Ben Shenosky gave Township life. Pinch runner Cole Stoltzfus moved to 2nd on a missed pickoff attempt at 1st and MT had the tying runner in scoring position with no outs. Tyler Mulholland sacrificed Stoltzfus to 3rd with a bunt back to the pitcher and the tying run now stood just 90 feet from home. Unfortunately for the Blue Streaks, a line out and fly out to the warning track in deep left-center ended the game and their season. 1-0 Liberty.

Over 27 games in their 2022 campaign, Manheim Township Varsity accrued a 21-6 record, a Lancaster-Lebanon League title, a runner-up in the District III 6A tournament and a PIAA State Playoff birth. The 21 wins ties this year’s team for third place all time in MT history for most wins in a season. Thank you to the families and friends of MT Baseball for the support this year and congratulations and good luck to our now-graduated Seniors who have had an incredible career as Blue Streaks.