Barons, Indians force one-game playoff for section title

Manheim Central senior pitcher Tanner Fahnestock delivers against Cocalico on Monday. He yielded just one earned run on five hits while going the distance for the victory. (Photo by Mike Shull)

Manheim Central baseball coach Matt Huber was at home last Friday when he started receiving text messages from his players.

It was good news.

Turns out Section Three-leading Donegal had suffered a 1-0 loss to Northern Lebanon, allowing the Barons to pull into a first-place tie with just one game left in the regular season.

“I was excited,” Huber said of his reaction. “Once we verified it and made sure, we knew we had to come out and win Monday to give ourselves a chance.”

Win they did, as Tanner Fahnestock went the distance in a complete-game five-hitter and added two hits, as Manheim Central (13-3 L-L, 14-4 overall) knocked off Cocalico 5-2 in their Section Three finale in Manheim.

That, coupled with a 12-8 victory by Donegal (13-3 L-L, 15-4 overall) against Lebanon, sets up a one-game playoff to decide all the Section marbles on Thursday at 4 p.m. at Ephrata’s War Memorial Field.

“We have a chance to do something special,” Huber said. “I don’t think Manheim has won a Section title in 21 years. So to have a one-game playoff and to write our names in the record books is a special opportunity for this team.”

They took care of business on Monday by snapping a 2-2 tie with a run in the bottom of the fifth and then adding two insurance runs in the sixth.

Blake Reiff and Dan Wiederrecht each added two hits off of Cocalico pitchers Alec Sherk and Tyler Strickler to help the Barons’ cause.

“I thought they stepped up to the plate and rose to the challenge,” Huber said. “We talked about the opportunity that has opened before us. The door seems to be cracked and we’re going to have a chance to do something special.”

The Barons cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the first as Frank Bowman stroked a one-out single, Reiff doubled and both runners scored on Kevin Starner’s base hit.

Cocalico responded when Nate Baxter delivered an RBI double in the second and then Nick Lucky singled and scored on an MC error in the third to tie it 2-2.

It remained that way until the fifth when the Barons went in front to stay. Reiff singled, Starner reached on an error and Fahnestock’s RBI single put the Barons up 3-2.

Then they added two insurance runs in the sixth. With two outs, Peter Breit singled and crossed the plate on Wiederrecht’s RBI triple. Wiederrecht then scored MC’s fifth run on an overthrow at home.

That was enough for Fahnestock, who yielded just one earned run on five hits. He K’d four and walked two in seven innings of work.

“I thought he threw exceptional,” Huber said. “The second half of the season, he’s just had an incredible demeanor on the mound. Last week at Norlebco was the same out of him. Today we got another great effort. He’s just really has command around the plate right now.”

Last Friday, Frank Bowman and Blake Reiff each had two hits and two RBI’s, as the Barons took a 5-0 lead through two innings and held on to defeat host Lebanon 6-3 in a Section Three game.

Kevin Starner and Peter Breit also had RBI’s in support of winning pitcher Bryce Eberly, who worked 5 2/3 innings.

Manheim Central was also in action last Wednesday, April 30, pulling out an 8-7 victory in nine innings over Norlebco in Fredericksburg.

Reiff started the Barons’ winning rally in the ninth with a walk and later scored on a bloop single in shallow right field. From there, MC reliever Tanner Fahnestock wriggled out of a two-on, two-out jam to close the door. Fahnestock got the win pitching seven innings out of the ‘pen.

In a back-and-forth game, Norlebco, which slugged three home runs, took a 5-2 lead after three. The Barons regained a 6-5 advantage with a four-run rally in the fifth, but NL went back in front with two in the bottom of the sixth.

With two outs in the seventh, Brenden Good had a clutch two-out game-tying RBI single.

Fahnestock was 2-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI’s to help his own cause. Bowman and Reiff each added two hits and Reiff scored three runs.

Last Tuesday, April 28, Reiff went 3-for-4 with three doubles and four RBI’s and Dan Wiederrecht was 4-for-4 with two runs scored to lead the Barons in a 10-3 victory over Pequea Valley.

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