As in many sports schedules in the Lancaster-Lebanon League, the games against your section opponents are played followed by crossover contests and then again once more through your section rivals as you come down the home stretch of the season.
In case of the Manheim Township softball team, head coach Kirk Luther feels his squad will stay competitive in Section One.
"The top four teams, which I would like to include us, are going to be very competitive," Luther said. "I expect things to be tight all year long."
The Streaks' offense has certainly helped them stay in the hunt. They scored 27 runs in a span of two games, defeating Section One rivals Cedar Crest and McCaskey.
In the Cedar Crest game at home, Township had nine hits while pitcher Casey Martin tossed a shutout while the offense erupted for seven runs in the first inning of an 11-0 win.
"We hit the ball hard," Luther said.
Martin helped herself with a 2-for-2 day at the plate, including a double and two walks. She scored three runs.
Returning junior Juliana Lueders was 2-for-4 with a home run. Freshman standout Delaney Smith went 3-for-3 with a walk and a home run as well.
In the McCaskey game, the Streaks busted out for an 11-run sixth inning to post a 16-4 victory. The win evened the Streaks' league record at 2-2.
"The McCaskey game was a little weird," Luther admitted. "We were up 5-0 and they made it 5-4.
"Casey came in [in relief] and shut them down," he continued. 'She was dominant, striking out eight of the nine batters she faced."
Township sent 17 batters to the plate in the top of the sixth inning.
"We struggled but in the sixth inning we started hitting the ball all over the place," said Luther. "Made you wonder where was this all the rest of the game. We just relaxed and started hitting the ball."
Lueders and Maddie Rinier both went 3-for-5 with Rinier roping a double and Lueders lacing a triple.
Smith went 3-for-5 with four RBI. She improved her batting average to .588.
Smith, incidentally, is the younger sister of MT alumna Lacy Smith.
"Lacy has been playing for University of Virginia," Luther noted. "She tied the university's career home run record this year and still has a few games left to try and break it."
Township played Saturday against Manheim Central, winning in walk-off fashion with Smith driving home the game-winning run.
"We won 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh," Luther explained. "It was pretty exciting."
The Streaks were up 3-2 heading into the final frame. The Barons tied it with a run in the top of the seventh. With two away in the home half, Marin singled and Smith doubled to score Martin and win the game.
"We were looking to steal the base," Luther explained. "So Casey was running on the pitch. Delaney just hit it hard. There wasn't even a play at the plate."
TENNIS
Coming off two losses on the week, the boys' tennis team cruised past Wilson 4-0 in a non-league road match Thursday. The Streaks won the match on Fletcher Henneman's 6-0, 6-2 singles victory - the fourth team point.
The doubles matches went to Nick Oster and Matt Sciamanna (6-2, 6-4) as well as Jack Gingrich and Dylan Norton (6-0, 6-1).
On Wednesday, the Streaks hosted Manheim Central. The Gingrich/Norton twosome claimed the third doubles 8-2 in a 6-1 loss.
Monday's league match against Conestoga Valley was another 6-1 loss. T.J. Kade's 6-1, 6-4 singles win was the only MT point. However, Drew Greiner made it a tough battle with Luca Puleo at number two singles. He won the first set 6-4 before Puleo won the second and the tiebreaker.
Township fell to 2-6 overall (1-3 league).
GIRLS LACROSSE
Township extended its win streak to seven while improving to 6-0 in L-L League girls' lacrosse play. The week included a 19-12 win at Parkland plus three league wins with 20 or more goals each.
Tuesday saw the Streaks dominate Cedar Crest 23-3 at home as Lucy Svetec and Taylor Kopan each tallied four goals and two assists. Sophie Ilkhanoff and Ariana Baublitz registered hat tricks while three more players - Sydney Witmer, Megan Rice and Shannon Elias - scored two goals each. Rice added three assists to her scoring.
Kaite Fluck, Grier Walker and Ashlyn Campagna each netted one goal. Kaity Petersheim assisted on two goals.
Gail Wilkes, who had three saves against Crest, faced more challenges the next day at Parkland. She came up with eight saves in the win. The Streaks out-shot the Trojans 25-20.
Rice and Kopan each scored five goals. Elias, who had three assists, chipped in with two goals as did Svetec (2a), Baublitz and Campagna. Campbell Heller added one more.
The Thursday score at Warwick and Friday's at Cocalico were 20-1 and 20-9, respectively. Wilkes had three saves in each win.
The three hat tricks at Warwick came from Kopan (1a) Rice (3a) and Svetec. Baublitz, Walker Campagna and Petersheim each had two goals while Fluck, Witmer and Elias each scored once.
Rice's five goals led the scoring at Cocalico. Four more players added hat tricks - Svetec (2), Elias (1), Kopan (1) and Baublitz (1). Witmer scored twice while Campagna added two assists. Walker scored one.
BASEBALL
After starting the season with back-to-back defeats, the Township baseball team put together the winning formula of solid pitching and timely hitting for a three-game winning streak. The Streaks topped Exeter in a non-league game on Saturday, March 30, and continued winning with victories over league rivals Cedar Crest and McCaskey. Township improved to 2-2 in the L-L League (3-2 overall).
Ryan Jones was one of the offensive stars in the Exeter game, which Township won 7-3 at home, and was the winning pitcher as well.
Jones went 2-for-2 with a RBI. Battery mate Brendan Moshos went 2-for-4 with a run scored and one batted in. Matt Peipher was 2-for-2 with a RBI, and Colin Yablonski went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs.
Jones tossed five innings, striking out four Eagles and not allowing a walk. He only allowed two earned runs. Colin Fitzgerald came on to pitch two scoreless innings and finish the game.
Yablonski pitched a two-hitter at Cedar Crest, striking out eight batters. He also delivered at the plate, slugging a two-run triple.
The game was scoreless until Drew Sassaman singled, stole a base and scored on a RBI single by Jones in the fifth. After a walk, Yablonski hit a triple for two crucial runs.
The McCaskey game was unusual in that the 19-9 rout didn't seem to be headed in that direction after three innings. The visiting McCaskey squad responded to Township's six-run second inning with a five-run third, which tied the game at 6-6 midway into the third. However, the Streaks responded with a five-spot of their own in the home half and added four runs in the fifth inning and another four in the sixth in response to McCaskey's three-run rally.
There were a total of 29 hits in the game, including 16 by the Streaks.
Moshos, Jones and Yablonski highlighted the offense with four hits each. In fact, Yablonski went 8-for-12 over the three-game win streak.
The four hits for Jones included a double, a home run and six RBI's. Yablonski had two doubles and four RBI's while Moshos tripled and scored a run. Will Greiner went 2-for-4 with a run and a RBI. Sassaman had two singles and three runs scored. Fitzgerald was 3-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI.
TRACK & FIELD
The girls' track & field team raced past Penn Manor 97-53 on the road Monday afternoon, improving to 1-1. The boys' team (2-0) topped the Comets 85-65.
Sophomore Andrew Gusavage joined Andrew Sheehan, Riley Horton and senior anchor Ian Miller to win the 4 x 800 relay in 9:20.6.
Miller was also good for first in the 3,200 (9:54.6) and the 1,800 (4:34.6)
Both sprints went to Township as Titan Cox won the 200 in 22.5 seconds and the 100 in 11.1. Cox also won the long jump (20-0.5).
Evan Dorenkamp (2:06.3) had the winning pace in the 800. In the hurdles it was Elvis Morara winning the 300 in 43.7 and Wayne Robinson the high hurdles at 15.5.
Jack Rodenberger's javelin toss went 176-2 while Michael Steger's discus toss of 129-07 was also good for first.
The girls' 4x400 relay went to Ashleigh Gushiken, Macy Mosner, Sadie Weaver-Walls and Ava Pasewicz (4:32.0). Avery Ebersole, Sydney Horn, Aurelia Huss and Anabelle Lapp claimed the 4x800 in 12:17.5.
Gushiken won the 400 (1:05.7); Weaver-Walls took the 300 hurdles (50.6) and Horn the high hurdles at 15.5. The wins from Kline (1,600 - 5:40.7) and Lapp (3,200 - 12:40.8) rounded out the track events.
Kyra Rishell won the long jump (15-8.5) and the triple jump (33-0) while Kate Grohotolski came out on top in the javelin (117-8). Horn's 11-6 pole vault was also best on the day.
BOYS' LACROSSE
With wins over rivals Cedar Crest and Warwick, the boys' lacrosse team stayed unbeaten (4-0) in L-L League play. In addition, the Streaks doubled up Conestoga out of District One in a non-league game at Township on Saturday.
Hat tricks by Eddie Newman, Thomas Freeman and Tyler Kurtz led the way in Tuesday's 15-3 win at Crest. Freeman assisted on three goals. Jeff Sturla scored two.
Nick Guittierez, John Grandrimo, Colton Pierson and Sean Curcio each scored one. Max Liang and Curcio each added an assist.
That 15-3 score was duplicated in beating Warwick on Thursday at home. Township scored eight in the first quarter.
The game featured hat tricks by Curcio and Bryce Hutchinson while Freeman had two goals and two assists. Also scoring twice were Kurtz and Newman. Sturla (1g, 1a) and Grandrimo (1a) also contributed.
Owen Hirsch, who had five saves in the Warwick game, recorded four saves in this win.
The defending state champion Blue Streaks scored three in the first quarter and maintained a three-goal lead at halftime, adding five goals in the third quarter of their 11-6 win on Saturday.
In out-shooting Conestoga 32-21, the Streaks were led by Freeman's five goals and two assists. Also scoring were Curcio (3, 3), Newman (1, 1) Solen Layser (1, 1), Hutchinson (1g) while Guitterez had an assist.
Hirsch faced a tough opponent, but grabbed nine saves for the win.
VOLLEYBALL
The Streaks came up empty in a pair of road matches this past week, losing at Palmyra in non-league play on Monday and to Section One foe McCaskey Tuesday evening.
The Cougars won 25-15 in the first set. Township made it much closer in the second set, losing 25-21 eventually before the Cougars completed the 3-0 win with a 25-10 third set.
Tyler Vicidomini led the Streaks with eight kills, three blocks and 10 digs. Zach Johnson added an impressive six aces. Sophomore Quinn McCarty finished with three blocks while Wilson Jimenez Belliard led the team in assists with 12.
Three of the four sets in the 3-1 loss at McCaskey were close ones. Township lost 25-22 and 25-21 but won convincingly by a 25-14 margin in the third set. The Red Tornado won 25-21 in the fourth. The Streaks fell to 1-4 (1-2 league).
Vicidomini piled up 15 kills and 15 digs as well as registering two blocks. Johnson and David Over each served up a pair of aces. Jimenez-Belliard distributed 26 assists.
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