Kleckner over-the-shoulder snag saves Blue Streaks from being walked off at Warwick

On the road for the third consecutive game this week, the Manheim Township Blue Streaks returned to Lititz on Friday afternoon to face the Warwick Warriors for their final meeting of the 2024 regular season. Township was victorious 15-5 at Warwick on April 9th and then held on for an 8-6 victory at home against the Warriors on April 17th.

The Blue Streaks started off this game with a bang after an Andrew Flury 2-run homerun in the top of the 1st gave Township a 2-0 lead. Ben Connors had reached base on a leadoff single three batters prior. Braden Leed (3-1, 3.39 ERA, 31 K) made his fifth start of the season and held the Warriors scoreless in the 1st after a 2-out triple from Martin landed a man in scoring position.

A Christian Kleckner double to leadoff the top of the 2nd put Township in business again. Walks to Angelo Billiard and Leed loaded the bases with only 1 out, but Warriors’ starter Easler escaped the inning unscathed. Leed settled in on the mound and struck out the side in the bottom of the 2nd. 

Scoreless half innings in the 3rd took the game into the bottom of the 4th where Warwick worked their way onto the scoreboard. A pair of singles for Martin and Shaffer followed by a SAC bunt put runners at 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. A ground out from Martin was enough to score one for the Warriors, but Leed picked up another K to hang on to a 2-1 lead through 4. 

A busy top of the 5th at the plate for the Blue Streaks helped extend their lead again. A 1-out double from Josh Boll, walk for Traeton Sauder, and single for Flury loaded the bases again for Township. A 2-run single off the bat of Jacob Carrasco made it 4-1 MT before a 2-run single from Kaden Kemp made it 6-1. Leed continued to work into the bottom of the 6th before being replaced by Sauder on the mound with two men on base. A 2-run line drive single from Munoz pulled the Warriors within 3, but Sauder picked up three strikeouts to keep the game at 6-3 MT.

The bases were loaded for the third time on the afternoon for the Township offense in the top of the 7th, but the Blue Streaks couldn’t pick up any insurance runs for Sauder before he jogged out for the final half inning. A tense bottom of the 7th saw Warwick load the bases on a single, error, and walk before a HBP and wild pitch brought the Warriors within 1 on the scoreboard. The tying run stood at 3rd and the winning run at 2nd as a 2-out pop-fly to no mans land in shallow left field was incredibly nabbed out of nowhere from a sprinting Kleckner from shortstop to seal the game. 6-5 MT.

Already 3-0 on the week, the Blue Streaks will travel to Solanco for a long-delayed makeup game against the Golden Mules on Saturday morning. First pitch 10:30 AM.