Recap

Hosting a District III Quarterfinals game for the second consecutive season, the #4 seed Manheim Township Blue Streaks returned from a week-long hiatus following their league title win to host the #12 seed Wilson Bulldogs on Thursday night. These schools were facing off on the baseball diamond for the first time since the Blue Streaks defeated the Bulldogs 4-3 in the District Quarterfinals in 2011. Ben Shenosky (6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 9 K), getting his first start for the Blue Streaks since the team’s L-L League Semifinals win over L-S, came out hot in the 1st inning. Striking out the side to start the game, Shenosky was fired up and ready to set the tone early. Unfortunately for the Blue Streaks, the Bulldogs’ starter, Livingston, had similar plans. The top of Township’s lineup was retired quickly in the 1st as well to reset the balance of momentum early in the game. Each starting pitcher traded blows through the early innings as the teams remained scoreless (and hitless) through 3. In the bottom of the 4th, with 2 outs, Tyler Mulholland tallied the Blue Streaks first hit of the game with a single up the middle. During Ryan Brader’s at-bat, Mulholland advanced twice on wild pitches to land at 3rd before Brader walked. With runners on the corners, Ty Jenkins singled home Mulholland on an infield ground ball to the left before reaching 2nd on an overthrow. Township would leave Brader and Jenkins in scoring position, but would take a 1-0 lead to the 5th inning. A 1-out walk to Shutter in the top of the 6th, gave Wilson life as courtesy runner Frantz moved to 3rd on a single from Fernandez and scored on a throwaway on a pickoff attempt to 1st. With the score tied 1-1, the top of Township’s lineup couldn’t get anything going in their half of the 5th to counter the Wilson run. Wilson put on the pressure again in the 6th as the Bulldogs moved runners to 2nd and 3rd with only 1 out before back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat (and Shenosky’s outing at 106 pitches). The often reliable bat of Fisher Druck fired up the Township offense when they needed it most in the bottom of the 6th inning. A leadoff double for the MT first baseman put a runner in scoring position with 3 outs to work with. Pinch runner Ben Connors easily moved to 3rd on a SAC bunt from Shenosky and would score on a wild pitch during Mulholland’s next AB. The 2-1 lead would expand to 3-1 after consecutive walks to Brader and Jenkins loaded the bases for JT Weaver to pick up an RBI on a bases-loaded walk before the conclusion of the inning. Weaver would turn around and head directly to the mound to attempt to save the game for the Blue Streaks in the top of the 7th. With two outs and a runner on, back-to-back hit-by-pitches would load the bases for Wilson, but a 6-3 groundout from Michael Heckman to Druck would close the door on any comeback chance for the Bulldogs and send the Blue Streaks to the District Semifinals for the first time since 2019.