Bulldogs down the Blue Streaks 4-2 in District Semifinals

Playing in the District III 6A Semifinals for the second consecutive season, the #11 seeded Manheim Township Blue Streaks traveled to Wilson West Middle School to face the #7 Wilson Bulldogs on Thursday afternoon. Township beat Wilson last Spring in the District Quarterfinals 3-1 under the lights at home. 

In the top of the 1st, Ryan Brader reached base with one out on a single to left field, but was picked off during the next AB. Township took the field on defense with no other action in their first trip to the plate. Wilson’s T Hunsicker and Gabaldon jumped on the Blue Streaks’ starter Gavin Glass early and both reached on singles to start the bottom of the 1st. A 5-4-3 double play tallied 2 outs for Glass, but with a runner still on 3rd, Sekulski reached safely on a hard ground ball snared by Trey Eckman at 3rd and the early Wilson run made it 1-0 Bulldogs. 

MT responded quickly in the top of the 2nd. Glass reached on an infield error and courtesy runner, Ryan Turner, landed on 3rd after a SAC bunt by Tyler Mulholland and a ground out from Cole Stoltzfus. Ben Connors drilled a hard grounder to the shortstop who bobbled the play and allowed Turner to tie the game up 1-1. Nick Tomlinson threw out Fernandez, Wilson’s leadoff runner in the 2nd, at 2nd and Glass picked up his first strikeout to close the 2nd and hold the game at 1-1 through 2. 

The Blue Streaks continued making solid contact at the plate in the 3rd after Brader walked, Tomlinson singled and Mulholland lined an RBI-single into left field to give Township their first lead on the day, 2-1. Glass kept the Bulldogs quiet through the 3rd and 4th innings before they took advantage of a 1-out walk in the bottom of the 5th. Following the walk to T Hunsicker, Gabaldon singled and set up C Hunsicker to line a double down the left field line to tie the game at 2-2. A SAC fly for Fiorini with the bases loaded put the Bulldogs back in front again 3-2 before the end of the 5th.

The Blue Streaks had a runner in scoring position in the 6th after Mulholland singled with 1 out and Stoltzfus walked. A pop out and back pick of Stoltzfus at 1st ended the top of the 6th before Township could even things up. Wilson added on in the bottom of the 6th with another SAC fly to make it a 4-2 ballgame before Glass exited with 1 out and Eckman took over on the mound. A strikeout and groundout ended the inning and sent the Blue Streaks back to the plate looking for some sort of repeat to Monday’s 4-run top of the 7th. 

Eckman singled down the left field line with 1 out in the top of the 7th, but the Bulldogs held strong and retired the top two of Township’s lineup to seal the 4-2 Wilson victory. 

The District Semifinals loss does not end the Blue Streaks’ season as they will still have a shot at a spot in the PIAA State tournament in the District III 6A Third Place game on Tuesday May 30th against Red Lion. Win and they’re in.