Recap

On a night where Manheim Township varsity was looking to take down a non-section opponent in the Ephrata Mountaineers, the Blue Streaks could not get any lucky breaks on this Friday the 13th. With 7 men left on base for Township, they had their chances but couldn’t catch the Mounts after a 3-run 5th inning carried them through the game. Those runs were all Ephrata needed to secure the win 3-0.

Township put runners on base in the 1st inning to try and get their offense flowing early, but came up empty after a Ben DeMarco walk was nullified by a double play and a Colin Yablonski HBP was erased when he was caught stealing at 2nd base. Ethan Kile took the mound for the Blue Streaks after his solid outing on Monday afternoon in the snow at McCaskey. Kile started strong retiring the Mounts in order in back-to-back innings using 4 strikeouts in the 6 outs. MT had a chance at picking up a run in the 2nd after Kile singled and was replaced on the bases by Sam Emge. Emge was picked off at 3rd base for the second out of the inning and Township was retired from the inning without doing any damage.

Ephrata’s first baserunner came on a questionable ball 4 call in the bottom of the 3rd, but the next two Mounts were retired by Kile to end the inning. Township’s biggest chance for runs came in the top of the 4th inning when DeMarco and Nick Kurtz lead off with singles to put two men on with no outs. Kile grounded a ball towards 2nd base where the fielder entered the base path and collided with Kurtz who was on his way to 2nd. DeMarco scored on the play after the ball trickled away from the 2nd baseman in the collision. After discussion, Kurtz, who was initially ruled safe by the field umpire, was called out and the Township run came off the board as DeMarco was sent back to 3rd base due to the play being called dead. Instead of 1 out, Township now had 2 with no runs scored. The next batter was retired and the half inning was closed.

Kile surrendered a double and HBP to start off the bottom of the 4th inning, but bounced back with 3 consecutive outs to keep Ephrata off the board. With a 0-0 score moving into the 5th, Colin Fitzgerald, making his first start for the varsity Blue Streaks, singled into left field and was followed up by Colin Morrisette who also singled. Drew Sassaman entered the game to run for Fitzgerald on 2nd and both runners were advanced on a DeMarco walk. With the bases loaded and 2 outs, Kurtz grounded out to 1st base and the score remained unchanged 0-0.

Ephrata picked up 3 runs on a bases loaded triple to right field in the bottom of the 5th to take a 3-0 lead. Kile was replaced by left fielder Will Greiner on the mound and Greiner sat down the next three Mounts to get out of the inning. Township bats went quiet in the 6th and Fitzgerald’s lead off single in the 7th wasn’t quite enough to propel Township to make a rally.