Tomlinson bomb on Senior Night helps put Township ahead for good over McCaskey 5-2

Hosting their final regular season home game of 2023, the Manheim Township Blue Streaks honored their seniors pregame for Senior Night prior to taking on the McCaskey Red Tornado. The Blue Streaks got the best of McCaskey both prior times the teams have faced off this season.

Looking for his 5th win in this his 7th start of the season, Gavin Glass took the mound to start for the Blue Streaks. Aside from a leadoff single for Fluck, Glass kept the Red Tornado quiet early on. With back-to-back 1-2-3 innings for the Blue Streaks on offense to start the game, this matchup remained scoreless through the first two innings. McCaskey’s Webb reached base in the top of the 3rd after a dropped third strike and came around to score on a Morales single later in the inning. With a 1-0 lead, McCaskey’s starter Carlisle continued to mystify the home team through the bottom of the 3rd.

After another swift inning from Glass in the top of the 4th, Township finally got on the board in the bottom half of the same inning. Ryan Brader slashed a single into left field before Nick Tomlinson jacked his second homer of the season beyond the left field fence to give the Blue Streaks their first lead of the night. A single from Cole Stoltzfus put another runner on base with no outs and two batters later, Tyler Mulholland reached on an infield error that allowed Stoltzfus to score to make it 3-1 MT. A fourth run would cross the plate for Township in the bottom of the 5th on a SAC fly from Brader that plated Ty Jenkins after an earlier single for the senior center fielder.

The Red Tornado immediately worked to counter the Blue Streaks in the top of the 6th by using a walk, single, and infield error to make it a 4-2 ballgame. Glass worked out of a bases-loaded jam with only one out by getting a strikeout and a fly out to Stoltzfus in right field to send Township back to the plate in the 6th. A pair of singles for Glass and Mulholland to start the bottom of the 6th gave the home team a chance for extra run support. With the bases loaded, Andrew Flury, pinch hitting, hit a sacrifice fly to center field to allow Lance Leidig, pinch running, to score easily from 3rd. The 5-2 lead would be sent with Alex Miller back to the mound in the 7th.

Miller, whose arm has proved invaluable as of late with a packed schedule and limited pitching support, entered for Glass looking for his first ever varsity save. A pair of strikeouts and a fielder’s choice later and Miller helped seal the 5-2 victory for the Blue Streaks on Senior Night. Senior pictures to follow in a later post.

Township wraps up their regular season on the road at Cocalico tomorrow afternoon before looking at some District III playoff action in the coming weeks. More details to follow.