MT drops regular season finale at Cocalico 7-4

Less than 24 hours after beating McCaskey 5-2 on Senior Night, the Manheim Township Blue Streaks were back in action to close out the regular season on the road at Cocalico.

The Blue Streaks had an early opportunity for runs in the 1st inning after Ty Jenkins singled and Ryan Brader reached on an infield error. With runners at 1st and 3rd and no outs, a double play and strikeout ended Township’s first half inning with the game remaining scoreless. Trey Eckman took the mound for his 6th start of the season and struggled early on against the top of the Eagles’ lineup. Six of the first eight Cocalico batters reached base and five runs came home before the Blue Streaks could get back to the plate in the 2nd. Braden Leed came in with two outs recorded and collected the third in the bottom of the 1st to hold the deficit at 5-0. 

Cocalico tacked on another two runs with a homerun in the bottom of the 3rd while Township continued to struggle offensively. The Blue Streaks finally flipped the script in the 5th as they put up four runs to cut into the 7-run deficit. Cole Stoltzfus’ 8th HBP of the season came at the start of the top of the 5th and Tyler Mulholland followed up with a bunt single. Infield errors on grounders from Ben Connors and Kaden Kemp pushed two runs across the plate and a bases-clearing double from Brader made it just 7-4 after 5 innings.

Aside from the homer in the 3rd, the only hit surrendered after the 1st inning, Leed continued to mow through the Eagles’ lineup – accruing 11 Ks on the afternoon. Even with runners on the bases in both the 6th and 7th innings, Township could not push any additional runs across to pull any closer and Cocalico sealed the 7-4 victory in the top of the 7th.

The loss in this non-section game now puts the Blue Streaks at 11-9 at the conclusion of the regular season. The team will wait and see if they will qualify for a spot in the 12-team District III 6A playoffs.