Recap

Following a single day delay due to a rain-soaked field on Monday, the Manheim Township Blue Streaks kicked off their 2025 campaign on Tuesday afternoon by hosting the Hershey Trojans. This matchup was the first meeting between these two teams since March 27th, 1979 where the Trojans walked off the Blue Streaks 8-7 in the season opener in Hershey.

Unfortunately for the Blue Streaks in 2025, they met a similar fate in their opener against the Trojans. Braden Leed, Township’s opening day starter, was rattled in the top of the 1st by a leadoff walk to Hershey’s Erwin and a later single by Nelson to put the visitors on top 1-0. Escaping the inning with no further damage, Leed hoped to get some early run support from his squad.

The Blue Streaks went 1-2-3 in both the bottom of the 1st and 2nd innings before finally getting a pair of baserunners in the 3rd thanks to a first-pitch HBP to Lincoln Stoltzfus and walk to Dio Acosta two batters later. Another walk to Connor DelVecchio would load the bases with two outs, but a fielder’s choice would end the 3rd. Earlier in the top of the 3rd, Hershey’s Green slapped a 2-run homer over the fence in right field to give the Trojans a 3-0 lead on Leed.

Alex Miller, Township’s Senior lefty, came in to pitch in relief of Leed in the top of the 4th and managed a quick 1-2-3 inning to keep the lead at just three. With their first hits of the game coming in the bottom of the 4th, Township put two men on with no outs after Angelo Billiard and Keaton Musser put the ball in play. An infield error brought Billiard in to score on Stoltfus’ at bat before an Alex Derderian rocket to left-center sent Musser home to reel the score in 3-2. Leed would be intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs before the Blue Streaks went down on strikes in the 4th.

Township tied the game up in the 5th thanks to a leadoff Jacob Carrasco single that turned into the tying run on a Musser infield grounder error. With both relief pitchers trading blows through the 6th inning, something had to give in the 7th. A first-pitch HBP on Hershey’s Fultz to start the top of the 7th spelled trouble for the Blue Streaks as a pair of SAC bunts brought courtesy runner Erwin around the score and give the visitors the lead. Tyler Shirk provided Township with their last two outs on the mound in the top of the 7th before the home bats tried to work a comeback in the last half inning.

A leadoff walk to Billiard followed by a 1-out single for Jack Kenneff put the tying run on 3rd with the go-ahead runner at 1st. Pinch runner Sebastian Llessi reached 2nd on a stolen bag with two outs, but the Blue Streaks’ comeback effort was thwarted on a ground out to the second baseman. 4-3 Hershey. Final.