Blue Streaks rally in Seventh

This past Monday, Manheim Township rode some late-inning lightning to a win over L-L Section One rival Hempfield.

Friday night at Ephrata's wind-swept War Memorial Field, the Blue Streaks did it again.

J.D. Dornes, whose two-run home run in the seventh inning stunned the Black Knights, broke a 2-2 tie with the Mountaineers by grounding an RBI single to right. It was the first of seven hits in the seventh inning, and led to a seven-run outburst and eventual 9-4 [box score] Sections One-Two crossover win.
 

"The last couple of games I haven't been hitting the ball well, so (the big hit against) Hempfield really brought me up," said Dornes, who began the night batting .280 with seven hits in 25 at-bats.

By his own admission, he was brought back down Thursday, when he struck out to end the game in a loss to section neighbor Warwick.

"That was tough," he said. "I felt like I let the team down."

Against defending league champion Ephrata (3-1 L-L, 4-1 overall), Dornes was 0 for 3 with an RBI when he strode to the plate with two on and no outs in the seventh. Fully expecting to get a bunt sign from Blue Streaks boss Bill Sassaman, Dornes was pleasantly surprised when he instead got the green light to hit away.

"Coach usually bunts in that situation," Dornes said. "I was glad he had confidence in me."

Dornes rode the second pitch from reliever Jayson Frymyer to the opposite field in right, giving him his second RBI of the night and giving the Streaks (4-1, 6-2) a lead they never lost.

Township followed with a fusillade of hits -- six singles and a double -- to take a commanding 9-2 lead.

"Baseball puts you on a stage, makes you a star and then humbles you," Sassaman said. "J.D. had a two-run home run Monday, then struck out when he had a chance to tie the game Thursday against Warwick.

"I went against the Bill Sassaman theory and let J.D. hit, and he came through for us."

So too, did starting pitcher Adam Yunginger, who went six innings for the win, surrendered just three hits and struck out eight to improve to 4-0.

Cameron Gallagher reached base in four of his five at-bats, producing two singles and scoring two runs. Darren Yoder went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored, and Mike Moshos had two hits, including an RBI double in the decisive seventh.

"Whenever we play Ephrata, they bring out the best in you," Sassaman said. "It's an Xs and Os chess match."

Mounts coach Adrian Shelley agreed.

"This," he said, "was a really, really intense baseball game."

A baseball game played amid weather usually found late in the football season.

"The football playoffs," Shelley said.

Game-time temperature was 48 degrees and the cold, gusting winds made it feel it closer to 38.

The wind played tricks with more than one fly ball caught in its current, and it was a strong gust that helped push foul Gallagher's monstrous drive to left in the seventh.

Yet despite the weather, the game was taut and well-played for the first six frames. Yunginger and Ephrata starter Evan Young kept the hitters in check, and the Mounts led 1-0 through four courtesy of a run scored in the first inning without benefit of a base hit.

Tim Murray led off with a walk, stole second, took third on a groundout and raced home on Mark Lowrie's RBI fly out.

Township took a 2-1 lead in the fifth on RBIs from Dornes and Yoder, but the Mounts tied matters in their half on Branden Rutt's run-scoring single. Rutt and Lowrie each had two RBIs.

Young, who began the night 1-0 with a 1.40 earned run average, was lifted in the seventh after walking the first two batters. He was tagged with the loss but drew praise from Shelley.

"Evan pitched a great game," he said. "He's becoming a very reliable starter."

And the Mounts and Blue Streaks are becoming two teams who may yet meet again this season.

"In mid-May," Sassaman said, smiling at the thought. "When the weather is warmer."

And the stakes higher.