Recap

After a wet 5-inning shutout at Penn Manor on Friday afternoon, the Varsity Blue Streaks were back in action at Manheim Central on Saturday. The weather was much more favorable for a baseball game and the varsity squad took full advantage of it.

Township started slow at the plate in this game going 1-2-3 in the top of the 1st inning. Colin Yablonski made his 3rd start of the season coming off of a 3-1 victory at Cedar Crest earlier in the week and he pitched lights out in this one. Yablonski struck out the side in each of the first 3 innings of the game (while allowing 1 walk in each). Township’s offense reappeared in the top of the 2nd as Yablonski reached base on a HBP, Matt Peipher reached on a sacrifice error, and Kyle Musser scored Yablonski on a sacrifice error to give MT a 1-0 lead. Will Greiner walked before Peipher scored on a Colin Fitzgerald ground out.

The scoring picked up again in the top of the 3rd after a lead-off Brenden Moshos double turned into a 3-0 MT lead when Yablonski tripled off the wall in right-center field for the 2nd time this season. A 3-run lead was all Yablonski needed to keep rolling through the Barons’ offense. A lead-off fly ball in the bottom of the 4th to Musser in left field ended Yablonski’s consecutive strikeout streak at 9, but he picked up two more K’s to end the half inning and push his game total to 11.

The Barons’ first hit of the day didn’t come until Yablonski’s last inning on the mound. In the bottom of the 5th, Colin nabbed 3 more strikeouts after surrendering a single to left field and another walk. His day was done after 98 pitches, 14 K’s, 4 BB, and only 1 H.

The score remained 3-0 MT until we reached the top of the 6th inning when the flood gates opened. Ryan Jones walked before being picked off at 1st base for the first out of the inning. Yablonski, who remained in the game at 3rd base, tripled again to center field to put a man in scoring position for the Blue Streaks. Three consecutive hits from Peipher, Musser, and Greiner pushed a 5th run across the plate to give MT a 5-0 lead, still with only 1 out. Fitzgerald walked after Musser scored on a wild pitch and Drew Sassaman made it 7-0 Blue Streaks on a single of his own that plated Greiner from 3rd. The 9th batter of the inning, Ben DeMarco, singled to make it 8-0 MT before Township was retired 2 batters later.

Fitzgerald, pitching in relief of Yablonski, kept the Barons quiet over the final two innings of this game. Township picked up their 9th and final run on a Colin Morrisette SAC fly that scored Evan Clark who reached base on a double in the 7th. The 9-0 victory makes it back-to-back shutouts for the Blue Streaks and 5 wins in a row!