Blue Streaks come up a run short in defensive battle at Penn Manor, 3-2

The Manheim Township Blue Streaks boarded a bus on Monday afternoon to head south to Penn Manor to face the Comets for the second time in the last week. Last Monday evening, the Comets bested the Blue Streaks 5-4 in 10 innings at Westfield Insurance Park.

Late-afternoon lightning around the county put an hour delay on the start of this one, but the game got underway around 5:15. Batting first, the Blue Streaks tallied some runs early. Ben Connors sent a fly ball over the head of the center fielder and pulled into 2nd with a leadoff double to get things started. A Josh Boll bunt single and a fielder’s choice on a Traeton Sauder grounder loaded the bases with no outs. A wild pitch during Andrew Flury’s first at bat this afternoon scored Connors from 3rd and a passed ball two batters later scored Boll to give the Blue Streaks a 2-0 lead. Two K’s with the bases loaded ended the MT threat in the 1st.

Penn Manor’s leadoff batter, Avery, made some noise of his own with a triple to center field to lead off the bottom of the 1st. A groundout was enough to send the runner home and cut the Township lead in half, but Trey Eckman, on the mound, settled in and held a 2-1 lead after 1. Christian Kleckner singled up the middle to lead off the 2nd, but a double play two batters later brought Eckman back to the mound. A walk, passed ball, and single put men on the corners for the Comets before a fielder’s choice in the infield was enough to let the tying run cross the plate in the 2nd. Penn Manor snatched another run in the 3rd, thanks to a SAC fly to center field from Zink, to take their first lead on the day, 3-2.

Uneventful 4th and 5th innings preserved the 3-2 Penn Manor lead. Township grounded into their third double play on the afternoon in the top of the 6th after getting another base runner early in the inning. A diving catch on a liner by Kaden Kemp and subsequent throw to 1st base to double up the runner helped Eckman work through another quick half inning in the bottom of the 6th.

A great diving play on a Kleckner hard ground ball, a Connors’ fly out to right field, and ground out for Boll ended the game with the Comets defeating the Blue Streaks 3-2.

The loss drops the Blue Streaks back to .500 on the season with a 4-4 record before they return home on Wednesday to host Warwick. First pitch 4:15 PM.