Recap

Looking for redemption from last season’s league semifinals loss, the Manheim Township Blue Streaks faced the Manheim Central Barons in the opening round of the 2022 Lancaster-Lebanon League playoffs. The Section I runner up Blue Streaks defeated the Section III champion Barons 7-0 in the final game of the regular season 4 days ago.

Barons starter Rohrer made quick work of the Blue Streaks in the 1st before JT Weaver, starting for Township, took the mound. Two walks in his first three batters allowed Central to put some early pressure on, but the reliable senior worked out of the jam. Fisher Druck and Ben Shenoskyworked back-to-back walks to start the top of the 2nd before Tyler Mulholland slapped an RBI-single to left field to give the Blue Streaks their first run. Ty Jenkins followed suit with an RBI-single to left three pitches later that brought pinch runner Ben Connors around from 2nd to make it 2-0 MT.

After Weaver’s early struggles, he settled down and set the Barons down in order in the 2nd and 3rd innings. 2-out singles for Druck and Shenosky gave the Blue Streaks some life in the 3rd, but the 2-0 score held up through 3. Weaver continued to mow through the Central lineup as he set down 16 consecutive batters until a HBP in the 6th gave the Barons a baserunner for the first time since the bottom of the 1st. While the Township offense went quiet after the 3rd, the Barons found a brief spark in the bottom of the 7th as their final batters arrived at the plate.

The first hit surrendered all day by Weaver came off the bat of Thompson in the 7th in the form of a 1-out double with the Barons still down 2-0. Following out number two, a single for Murray later cut the Township lead in half and left the tying run at first base. Weaver would go on to collect his 11th and final strikeout of the day to seal the 2-1 quarterfinals road victory and send MT to round 2 of leagues.