Recap

After finishing the first round of Section I games on Friday with a 9-6 win over McCaskey, Manheim Township was back for round 2 at Penn Manor on Monday afternoon. Following a week of Summer-like weather, the Blue Streaks and Comets were met with a game-time temp in the mid-50s and strong winds throughout.

A 1-2-3 top of the 1st for the Blue Streaks sent Gavin Glass to the mound for his 3rd start of the season. Glass surrendered a leadoff single to Adams, but collected three straight outs to close the 1st. The Township offense found its rhythm in the 2nd after two 1-out singles from Glass and Cole Stoltzfus gave the road team something to work with.   A walk with two outs to Trey Eckman loaded the bases for Josh Boll, Township’s Junior 2nd baseman, to take a pitch off the helmet and force a run home. The 1-0 MT lead would hold into the 4th as Glass worked speedily through two more bottom half innings.

Another run arrived for the Blue Streaks in the top of the 4th after Stoltzfus knocked a leadoff double to the fence in center field to warm up the bases. Ben Connors singled on a bunt to move up Stoltzfus and a shallow SAC fly from Eckman made it 2-0 Township. The Comets would cut the lead in half with a run in the bottom of the 4th off a Braegelmann RBI double, but the Blue Streaks had more left in them. After a Brader leadoff single in the 5th, Connors collected an RBI on a looping single down the right field line to put Township back in front by two, 3-1.

Penn Manor loaded the bases in the bottom of the 5th with only 1 out, but Glass manufactured back-to-back strikeouts to shut down the Comets offensive attack and preserve the lead. Quiet 6th innings for both squads left us still with a 3-1 game in the 7th. The Blue Streaks loaded the bases in the top of the 7th, but couldn’t come up with any additional runs to send back to the mound with Glass – just a few pitches under his pitch limit. A 1-pitch groundout and a 1-pitch fly out helped Glass stay on the mound to the very end as an unassisted ground out to Brader at shortstop ended the game on Glass’ final batter of the day. Township came out on top with the 3-1 victory.