PENN MANOR, HEMPFIELD, MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, LITITZ WIN OPENERS
What an unforgettable debut for Cameron Black.
Making his first career postseason start, Penn Manor’s left-hander allowed just two hits and struck out six in six innings Tuesday night to lead PM, the No. 1 seed, to a 7-0 victory over New Holland, the No. 8, in the first round of the American Legion District 10 playoffs at Comet Field in Millersville.
Black had New Holland feeling blue, walking just two hitters and throwing first-pitch strikes to 15 of the 23 hitters he faced. Black, who improved to 5-0 this season, threw 78 pitches – 54 were strikes.
Up next for Penn Manor (15-3 overall) is a winner’s bracket game against Lititz on Thursday at 5:45 p.m. back at Comet Field.
Lititz rallied for five runs in its final at-bat Tuesday night and shocked Quarryville 6-3.
New Holland (8-9) was relegated to the loser’s bracket round, and will take on Quarryville (12-4) on Thursday at 5 p.m. at Ephrata’s War Memorial Field.
Also Tuesday, Manheim Township blanked Ephrata 2-0 and Hempfield edged Bainbridge 8-6 in extra innings.
Bobby Adams had three hits for Penn Manor, which had 11 hits in all – all singles. But they were more than enough for the Southern Division champs, who jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the third on two walks and four singles, including an RBI hit by Adams.
Tony Oktela added an RBI single in the third.
PM sent nine batters to the plate in the third, and Matt Rayha and Andrew Sellers added RBI singles in the fourth, when PM tacked on three more runs.
Sellers, who relieved Black, slammed the door by striking out New Holland in order in the seventh.
Also Tuesday:
Lititz 6, Quarryville 3
Austin Klinger hit a three-run double with two outs in the top of the seventh to lift Lititz, the No. 5 seed, which rallied past Quarryville, the No. 4 seed.
Lititz (9-7 overall) started its improbable comeback with nobody on base and two outs in its final at-bat in the seventh. But Lititz loaded the bases for Klinger, whose bases-clearing double gave them the lead for good, as Lititz scored five runs in its final shot.
Mark Stuckey earned the win in relief for Lititz.
Nate Blough, one of Solanco’s heroes during the spring varsity baseball season, took the loss after relieving Jason Long, who was in line for the victory before Klinger stole the show.
Hempfield 8, Bainbridge 6
It took an extra inning, but Hempfield, the No. 6 seed, erupted for four runs in the top of the eighth, and then held off Bainbridge, the No. 3 seed, in the bottom and advanced to Thursday’s winner’s bracket round.
Hempfield (9-7) pounded out 15 hits, including Mike Schusko’s solo swat in the second inning, which gave Hempfield a 3-0 lead. But Bainbridge (10-6) rallied two runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and one in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings.
Nate Martin had a pair of hits and knocked in three runs for Bainbridge, which scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth, but it wasn’t enough.
Joel Gatti picked up the win in relief for Hempfield, which will take on Manheim Township in the winner’s bracket round Thursday.
Bainbridge will take on Ephrata on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in a loser’s bracket game at Ephrata War Memorial.
Manheim Township 2, Ephrata 0
At Lancaster Bible College, Keith Bires fired a five-hitter and struck out six to lead Township, the No. 2 seed, over Ephrata, the No. 7 seed.
Ethan Rieker drove in both of Township’s runs with a fifth-inning hit, as Township, the Eastern Division champ, improved to 13-4 overall.
Ephrata (8-9) will take on Bainbridge in a loser’s bracket game Thursday.
