Recap

A day after heavy winds wreaked havoc on the infield dirt and postponed the game for unplayable conditions, the Manheim Township Blue Streaks traveled back to Landisville to continue their showdown against the Hempfield Black Knights on Saturday morning. We picked up where we left off on Friday with an 0-1 count in Drew Sassaman’s first AB with Kyle Musserstanding on 2nd base after a leadoff double yesterday.

Sassaman proceeded to rip a line drive into right-center to score Musser quickly, but was out at 2nd on the throw. That single run is all the Blue Streaks would gather in the 1st before starting pitcher Ben Shenosky (4 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 5 K) made his way to the mound. A leadoff walk and error on a pickoff attempt later in the inning allowed the Black Knights to tie it up 1-1 before a 2-run homerun over the left field fence opened a 3-1 Hempfield lead after 1.

With 2 outs in the top of the 2nd, Musser tied the game up 3-3 on an RBI single to left to score JT Weaver and Michael Heckman who reached base safely on singles earlier in the inning. Hempfield couldn’t respond again in the bottom half as Shenosky buckled down and set the Black Knights down in order. Township’s appetite for offense was only growing as we entered the 3rd.

A leadoff ground ball through the left side put Colin Fitzgerald on base before Evan Clark and Ryan Jones collected walks to load the bases. Dylan King drilled a ball through the 3rd baseman to drive home two runs and land on 2nd with a double as Township retook the lead, 5-3. With 1 out, Weaver took a pitch the other way to right field and drove home Jones and King to double the Blue Streaks’ lead, 7-3. A Heckman HBP only compounded the Black Knights’ issues as Musser grabbed his 3rd hit in as many innings with an RBI single to right field to score two more and make it 9-3. An additional RBI single from Sassaman capped off the 7-run inning to give Shenosky a 10-3 lead as he headed back to the mound in the bottom of the 3rd.

Hempfield scratched a 4th run across in the 3rd on a double, wild pitch, and ground out, but still trailed 10-4 through 3. In the 4th, the Blue Streaks pounced on Hempfield’s relief pitcher with early singles from King and Weaver. Heckman jumped on the RBI train with a double down the left field line to score Ryan Flury, who reached on a fielder’s choice after King’s single. Musser picked up his 5th RBI on the day thanks to a SAC fly to right field to raise the lead to 12-4 through Township’s half of the 4th. The Black Knights responded with a second 2-run homerun off Shenosky in the 4th as they refused to let the Blue Streaks run away with an easy win.

The 6-run lead wasn’t enough for Township as they stayed patient at the plate and loaded the bases on a few walks before an additional walk to Weaver forced the 13th run across the plate for the Streaks. Heckman picked up his 2nd RBI of the day on a SAC fly to the left fielder to prop up a 14-6 lead. Clark relieved Shenosky in the 5th and kept Hempfield quiet after surrendering an infield single to the leadoff batter.

Clark helped himself out with a SAC fly in the 6th to give Township a 15-6 lead before Hempfield grabbed a run in each of the final two innings to settle at a 15-8 Township victory. Fisher Druckpitched the final half inning for the Blue Streaks in the win.