MIKE GROSS | Sports Writer
The Lancaster-Lebanon League baseball season ended Monday as Manheim Township, Warwick and Northern Lebanon took long road trips and lost first-round games in the PIAA state tournament.
Mt. Lebanon 4, Manheim Township 1: The Blue Devils got four runs out of just two hits and ended Township’s season in a 6A first-rounder at Boyce Mayview Park near Pittsburgh.
The loss came despite a strong pitching outing by Township’s Gavin Glass, a senior committed to West Point. Glass gave up four runs, all unearned, all in the first inning. The Blue Streaks committed four errors.
Township scored in the fifth inning and, with seven hits, had some chances. Trey Eckman went 2-for-3 for Township, and Ryan Brader doubled.
Township bows out at 14-11. Mt. Lebanon, now 15-10, advanced to a quarterfinal meeting with Spring-Ford of District One, which is 21-3 after a 3-1 defeat of Central, from the Philadelphia Public League, in their first-round game Monday.
Selinsgrove 6, Warwick 1: The Seals got very solid pitching and took advantage of Warwick errors to advance to the 5A quarterfinals in a first-round game at Bowman Field in Williamsport.
Selinsgrove starter Tyler Swineford (five innings) and reliever Josh Domaracki combined on a five-hitter.
Warwick threatened several times, but their lone run came in the third inning on a single by Seth Adomnik, a walk drawn by Ethan Zipko, a sacrifice and fielder’s choice grounder.
Andrew Gephart went 2-for-3 for the Seals
The Warriors, Class 6A state champions a year ago, bow out at 13-12.
Selinsgrove (18-5) next faces Strath Haven, which got the first state-tournament win in school history when it beat Lower Dauphin 10-0 Monday.
Hopewell 3, Northern Lebanon 0: The Vikings’ normally-potent bats were held in check by a freshman pitcher in a 4A first-round game at Washington & Jefferson College.
Kingston Krotec struck out just two Vikings, but allowed four hits, no walks and had errorless defense behind him in a complete-game shutout. He needed just 83 pitches.
Dylan Fegley, DJ Byerly, James Voight and Brian Lowen had the hits for Northern Lebanon, which completed a turnaround season at 17-9.
Hopewell advanced to a quarterfinal with Erie Cathedral Prep (22-1), which beat defending state champion Montour Monday.
