EphrataRecap
A week and a half removed from the regular season, the #11 seeded Manheim Township Blue Streaks headed back to Ephrata on Friday night to face the 2023 L-L League Champion #6 seed Ephrata Mountaineers in the opening round of the District III 6A playoffs. Ephrata beat the Blue Streaks at the end of the regular season 9-2 in their only prior meeting this season.
The Blue Streaks could not get anything going in the 1st inning as Ty Jenkins, Ryan Brader, and Nick Tomlinson were retired in order. Gavin Glass took the mound for the Blue Streaks with hopes of sending the team to Dallastown on Monday afternoon for the District Quarterfinals. Ephrata put one man on in the bottom of the 1st off an MT infield error, but Glass held the Mounts scoreless. Tyler Mulholland would record the game’s first hit in the top of the 2nd, but the score remained 0-0 through 2.
Glass continued strong through the 3rd, 4th, and 5th innings without surrendering a run and barely allowing an Ephrata runner to reach base. With 1 out in the top of the 6th, the Blue Streaks offense smelled blood and attacked after back-to-back walks to Brader and Tomlinson provided Township with their best chance for runs all night. Glass helped his own cause driving in a run on a misplayed liner to center field which sent Brader across for the game’s first run. With runners on the corners and now two outs, Mulholland grounded through the second baseman and reached safely to plate courtesy runner Lance Leidig to open up a 2-0 lead. Township wasn’t done though as Cole Stoltzfus roped a 2-run single to right field to double the Blue Streaks lead and send Glass back to the mound with a cushion. Although a Mountaineer runner reached on an error in the 6th, Glass once again held steady and sent the Blue Streaks to the 7th still with a 4-0 lead.
A 1-2-3 top of the 7th left it up to Glass as he had pitches remaining to finish off Ephrata in the final half inning. A leadoff ground out to Christian Kleckner at shortstop tallied the first out before a single for Prange and walk to Zimmerman put two men on for the home team. Unfazed, Glass proceeded to strikeout the next two batters and send the Blue Streaks home with a 4-0 win in front of a raucous crowd.
