Recap

Coming off a loss to close out the opening week of the season, the Manheim Township Blue Streaks were back at home to host the Penn Manor Comets on Monday afternoon. Penn Manor also was defeated on Friday afternoon in their away game at Warwick. Ben Shenosky (1-0, 1.40 ERA, 7K in 2022) got his 2nd start of the season for the Blue Streaks following a win on opening day against Cocalico. The Comets got to Shenosky early in the 1st after Braegelmann walked on four pitches and Green crushed a ball over the fence in left to give PM an early 2-0 lead. Shenosky ended the top half of the 1st with 3 strikeouts to minimize the damage. Township’s offense wouldn’t take long to respond. JT Weaver took the first pitch he saw on the day from the Comet’s starting pitcher Sipel to the fence in center field and landed on 3rd with MT’s first triple of the season. Michael Heckman followed suit by skying a ball that nearly cleared the left field fence for a double that plated Weaver. After stealing 3rd, Heckman scored on a collision at the plate to tie the game at 2-2 with Fisher Druck reaching base on a fielder’s choice. The 2-2 score would hold steady for the next few innings as each starting pitcher held the opposing offenses relatively quiet. Township loaded the bases with only 1 out in the 2nd, but an inning-ending double play nixed any opportunity for runs. After numerous thwarted chances, the Blue Streaks found some runs in the bottom of the 4th. With a leadoff walk to Gavin Glass and fielding errors on ground balls for Weaver and Heckman, Township had again loaded the bases with only 1 out. The third error of the inning on the Comets pushed two runs across the plate for the Blue Streaks to take a 4-2 lead, still with two men on base. A pop-fly single to left from Ryan Brader scored Heckman before Shenosky helped his own cause with an RBI single down the left field line to score Druck from 2nd. Now leading 6-2, Township nabbed a 7th run on an additional Penn Manor fielding error that allowed Brader to cross the plate. In the 5-run half inning, the Blue Streaks batted around for the first time this season. Shenosky made quick work of the Comets again in the 5th – needing only 10 pitches to collect 3 outs. Ryan Peipher, in his 2nd AB of the season, started off the bottom of the 5th with a double to left field for MT. Weaver reached base for the 3rd time on the afternoon as a bunt down the 3rd base line sent the Comet’s infield scrambling. A follow-up bunt single from Heckman brought pinch-runner Jack Armstrong across the plate and a SAC fly from Ryan Flury made it 9-2 Township through 5. Shenosky’s day lasted through the 6th inning as the reliable starter tallied 13 Ks and surrendered only one hit (the 1st inning HR) on the day. Heckman relieved Shenosky on the mound in the 7th and held the game in check to give the Blue Streaks the 9-2 win over Penn Manor.