Chris Hole-Gov. Mifflin

If you knock a team’s starting pitcher out of the game in the second inning, usually you’re in good shape. Unfortunately for Gov. Mifflin, Manheim Township could turn to Fisher Druck. The PSU-Harrisburg commit tossed 5.1 innings of scoreless relief as the fourth-seeded Blue Streaks beat the top-seeded Mustangs 7-6 in the District 3-6A semifinals. Ben Shenosky, who’s headed to Wake Forest, delivered a 2-out, RBI single to left in the top of the sixth to put the Lancaster-Lebanon League champs on top for good. Shenosky went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs. He struck out nine and earned the win in the quarterfinals against Wilson with six strong innings. JT Weaver was on the mound for Manheim Township on Tuesday. He entered with a sparkling 1.33 ERA. The Shippensburg commit had held opponents to 21 hits over 42 frames with 63 strikeouts. The Mustangs, however, jumped on Weaver with three runs in the first inning. Xander Velez, an all-county selection, ripped an RBI double, and Matt Ventura followed with a 2-run single to right. The (21-4) Blue Streaks answered immediately with six runs, three earned, off of freshman Ethan Grim in the second inning. Weaver helped himself with an RBI single to center to make it 3-2. Ryan Flury, who’s going to Bloomsburg, drew a bases loaded walk to even the score. The senior catcher has seven home runs and a team-high 27 RBI this season. Shenosky’s 2-run single up the middle gave Manheim Township a 6-3 advantage. Gov. Mifflin responded well. The (20-3) Mustangs got three runs on just two hits in the bottom of the second. Mason Woolwine and Darien Troche provided RBI singles. Weaver gave up six runs on five hits and three walks in 1.2 innings. It was a rough afternoon for the senior right-hander who fired a complete game 3-hitter versus Ephrata for the L-L League title. Druck came to the rescue in Shillington. The 6’4, 205-pound righty struck out six, walked two, and held Gov. Mifflin to two hits. Druck got freshman Bryce Detwiler to ground into a 1-6-3 double play with two men on to end the sixth. Mustangs’ head coach Chris Hole told me that they didn’t attack Druck’s fastball early in the count. He said, “He was tough. He was probably close to 90 mph. Once you get behind against a kid that good, he’s going to be able to dominate you.” Woolwine and Velez each had a pair of hits. Hole mentioned that Woolwine has been a tremendous leader all year. He thought that Grim had his best velocity of the season and kept them in the game. The young right-hander allowed six runs, three earned, on seven hits in 4.2 innings. Grim walked four and hit two more. He came into the week with a 1.34 ERA. Junior Matt Novotny limited the Blue Streaks to one run and two hits the rest of the way. Seven different players had at least one hit for Manheim Township. Hole knows that teams from the L-L League are battle-tested. Two of the Blue Streaks’ four losses came against Warwick. Meanwhile, Gov. Mifflin was without its biggest bat in the lineup. UConn commit Tyler Minick missed his second straight game due to an injury. The junior shortstop was named the Berks County Player of the Year. Hole stressed to his ball club that they still have something to play for on Thursday. If the Mustangs can defeat #3 seed Cumberland Valley, they will qualify for the state playoffs. Velez is available to pitch that game which will be at Gov. Mifflin. Hole noted that he’s very confident in the junior righty. Manheim Township will take on Warwick in Thursday’s District 3-6A championship.