Central Manor 18, Manor Church (BIC) 11

Central Manor avenged an early season loss with a 18-11 victory over Manor Church (BIC) in front of over 100 boisterous and well-fed fans Thursday night at Manor Church. The win was big for Manor, who effectively locked up a playoff seed no worse than sixth with three games remaining in the regular season.

The 18 runs, Central Manor’s second highest total of the season, came on the heels of a couple sluggish offensive performances. Pounding out two home runs was Austin Binkley, who despite being tardy to the game, was anything but at the plate. Batting last in the order, Binkley drove a second inning pitch deep into the left-center field gap, and then planted another in the same spot in the sixth. Also having good offensive games for Manor were Dan Fisher, who scored two runs on the night, Jon Kiefer whose leadoff hit set the tone for the game offensively and two more hits later in the game, Josh Baker who walked twice and score three runs and Seth Doman, whom despite not having his normal bat at the plate cahse in with a handful of RBI’s and a few hits. Dan Fisher won his ninth game of the season and struck out a batter in the first inning.

As previously mentioned, the win puts Central Manor in slightly better playoff positioning at a record of 12-7 with just three games remaining. The next contest will be on Tuesday night against current division-leader Lancaster Church of the Brethren. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00pm at Manor Church. Speaking for the players, we hope to see just as many of you at the game Thursday as we did tonight, the support is terrific.

Announcement: Central Manor Softball Tailgate

Tomorrow night will be the first ever Central Manor Softball tailgate, which will be held in the parking lot at Manor Church (BIC). Festivities get underway at 5:30pm and are scheduled to last through our crucial 7:00pm contest with local rival Manor BIC. There is even a game at 6:00pm to watch as Grace United Methodist of Millersville takes on western division leader Lancaster Church of the Brethren.

There will be food, drinks, good times, maybe some whiffle ball (?) and even a meet and greet with the players.

Ok, so the last part isn’t that terrific, but you should come out anyways.

Hempfield United Methodist 7, Central Manor 6

Central Manor could not break up the longest winning streak in the HCSPSL, losing to Hempfield United Methodist by the score of 7-6 Tuesday night at Wayside Presbyterian Church in Landisville. The win was HUM’s tenth straight, and the loss was CM’s third in four games.

Central Manor jumped out to an early lead in the first inning when Jon Kiefer scored from third on a Josh Baker sacrifice fly to center. After HUM tied the game in the bottom half of the inning, Paul Grego’s aggressive baserunning led to another CM run to take the lead. Both teams battled until the seventh when Central Manor would break a 5-5 tie. Austin Binkley tripled to the left-center field gap, and then Baker drove him in on an RBI single to the left side. After Seth Doman reached on an error and Don Lease walked to load the bases, Paul Grego popped out to second and Doman was doubled off second to end the rally. HUM would then come back to tie the game at six with no outs in the bottom-half, and eventually put a runner at third with just one out. The final play of the game was a pop fly to left field where Jon Kiefer’s throw would come up just short to give HUM the win. It was HUM’s second walk-off win in as many weeks.

Now at 11-7, Central Manor must regroup before their game on Thursday night when they take on local rival Manor Church (BIC) at 7:00pm. The game is to be played at Manor Church and we expect a huge crowd complete with a pre-game tailgating extravaganza. Come on out and support the team in what amounts to be a game for sixth-place in the first bracket.

This Week in the HCSPSL: Week Ten

Some teams have just five games remaining in the regular season and playoff brackets are starting to take shape. Last week’s results were great for some teams (notable Lancaster Church of the Brethren, who went 3-0 to take the Western division lead), and extremely costly for others (see us, who went 1-2 to fall behind in the division race). Here is this week’s schedule:

MONDAY, JULY 6TH

Make-up games unknown, see below for make-up game information

TUESDAY, JULY 7TH

Church of the Apostles

• 6:00pm: Wayside Presbyterian vs. Lancaster Church of the Brethren
• 7:00pm: Church of the Apostles vs. Zion Lutheran of East Petersburg

Highland Presbyterian

• 6:00pm: Highland Presbyterian vs. First Baptist
• 7:00pm: Christ the King vs. St. Peter’s

Manor Church (BIC)

• 6:00pm: Zion Lutheran of Landisville vs. Manor Church (BIC)
• 7:00pm: Grace United Methodist vs. Salem U.C.C.

Wayside Presbyterian

• 6:00pm: Grace Baptist vs. Landisville Mennonite
• 7:00pm: Central Manor vs. Hempfield United Methodist

THURSDAY, JULY 9TH

Church of the Apostles

• 6:00pm: Zion Lutheran of East Petersburg vs. Christ the King
• 7:00pm: First Baptist vs. Grace Baptist

Highland Presbyterian

• 6:00pm: Church of the Apostles vs. St. Peter’s
• 7:00pm: Highland Presbyterian vs. Landisville Mennonite

Manor Church (BIC)

• 6:00pm: Grace United Methodist vs. Lancaster Church of the Brethren
• 7:00pm: Manor Church (BIC) vs. Central Manor

Wayside Presbyterian

• 6:00pm: Salem U.C.C. vs. Wayside Presbyterian
• 7:00pm: Zion Lutheran of Landisville vs. Hempfield United Methodist

Game of the Week: Central Manor vs. Hempfield United Methodist

After a disastrous week for CM, they will face a HUM team that is closest to them in the playoff race. Sitting three games out, Tuesday night’s game at Wayside could make or break any hopes of a late season run at the division title for both teams; HUM still has yet to play two make-up games.

Weather: Sunny and near 85 on Monday; partly sunny with a stray shower in the afternoon on Tuesday, highs in the mid-80’s; periods of clouds and sun with a high near 80 on Thursday.

Make-ups: The following is a list of make-up games each team has yet to play: One game: Grace Baptist, Grace United Methodist, Highland Presbyterian, Landisville Mennonite, Manor Church (BIC), St. Peter’s, Wayside Presbyterian, Zion Lutheran of East Petersburg. Two games: Hempfield United Methodist. (If not listed, no make-up games remaining)

Current Playoff Seedings: Here is how the playoffs would look if they began today (there are no tiebreaker scenarios this week):

BRACKET 1

• 1. Landisville Mennonite (14-2, 1st East; LW 3)
• 2. Lancaster C.O.B. (14-3, 1st West; LW 4)
• 3. First Baptist (14-3, 2nd East; LW 1)
• 4. Salem U.C.C. (13-4, 2nd West; LW 2)
• 5. Hempfield U.M. (12-3, 3rd West; LW 5)
• 6. Central Manor (11-6, 4th West; LW 6)
• 7. Manor Church (10-6, 5th West; LW 7)
• 8. Church of the Apostles (10-7, 3rd East; LW 8)

BRACKET 2

• 1. Grace Baptist (8-8, 4th East; LW 1)
• 2. Zion – Landisville (6-11, 6th West; LW 2)
• 3. Highland Presbyterian (5-11, 5th East; LW 4)
• 4. Christ the King (5-12, 6th East; LW 5)
• 5. Grace UM (4-12, 7th West; LW 3)
• 6. St. Peter’s (3-13, 7th East; LW 6)
• 7. Zion – East Petersburg (2-14, 8th East; LW 7)
• 8. Wayside Presbyterian (0-16, 8th West; LW 8)

Salem U.C.C. 8, Central Manor 6

In a pivotal western-division game at Manor Church (BIC) on Thursday night, Central Manor’s defense was not enough to keep them winners. The maroon and white were downed by rival Salem U.C.C. 8-6 in front of a huge crowd watching the game on the hillside.

Offensive highlights included an Austin Binkley homerun to left-center and a towering ground rule double off the bat of Josh Baker over the hill in left. Central Manor continued to ground out and could never get a serious rally together to push runs across. Dan Fisher pitched a game good enough for the win, but was denied by poor run support and a couple of tough defensive plays.

The loss puts CM at 11-6 on the season and hurts the chances of a division championship. The next game is schedule for Tuesday night against Hempfield United Methodist and will be played at Wayside Presbyterian Church. The game is Central Manor’s first at Wayside this season, and will begin at 7:00pm.

Central Manor 21, Grace UMC 13

The maroon and white won a slugfest for the first time all season Tuesday night, beating Grace UMC 21-13 at Manor Church (BIC). The win, thier second of the year over GUMC, puts CM at 11-5 and keeps hope alive for a top seed in the upcoming playoffs, which begin in three weeks.

It was a prodigious night for CM’s bats, as both Austin Binkley and Jon Kiefer hit two home runs each. The two shots put Kiefer over the 10-home run mark for the season, a Central Manor first. Also playing well were Paul Grego, who frequently turned singles into doubles, and Andrew Haverstick, who had three hits and scored multiple times. Defensively for Manor, Haverstick made a diving stop on a sharp ground ball, catcher Daryn Vinson had four put-outs behind the dish, and the two collaborated with Vinson for a terrific out at the plate to end the fourth inning. Dan Fisher gave up the most runs in a game all year, but was picked up by the offense when it mattered most.

Central Manor next plays long-time rival Salem U.C.C. in a game that has huge implications on the HCSPSL Western division standings. Game time is set for 7:00pm on Thursday night, and the game will be at Manor Church (BIC). See you at the diamond.

St. Peter’s 6, Central Manor 5

Central Manor dropped their fifth game of the season on Monday night, losing to St. Peter’s 6-5 in the last at-bats. The loss concludes CM’s portion of the crossover schedule, where they went just 4-3 and now sit with an overall record of 10-5.

Scoring runs for CM were Don Lease, Austin Binkley, Josh Baker with two and Jon Kiefer, who tied the game at five in the top of the seventh after hitting a one-out triple to left-center field. Manor would lose the tie in the seventh when they, after getting the first out, gave up three consecutive hits to end the game. Clinton Martin, who pitched well enough to win, picks up his first loss of the season.

Now at least 1-1/2 games out in the division, Manor needs to be very efficient over the remaining seven games of the season. The first of those seven is tomorrow night, when they play Grace United Methodist at Manor Church (BIC). Game time is set for 6:00pm.

This Week in the HCSPSL: Week Nine

Just three and a half weeks remain in the HCSPSL regular season, and both divisions are clogged at the top. In the east, First Baptist and Landisville Mennonite are tied, mostly due to LM’s undefeated run through crossover play. Both teams have tough make-up games left before moving back into divisional play, LM against Hempfield United Methodist and First Baptist against Lancaster Church of the Brethren. In the western division, four teams are within one game of first place, including the aforementioned LCOB, who is tied for first place with Salem U.C.C. and HUM, who lies just one-half game back of first, and one-half game ahead of Central Manor. Here is the schedule for this week:

MONDAY, JUNE 29TH

Highland Presbyterian

• 6:00pm: Central Manor vs. St. Peter’s
• 7:00pm: Game information unknown

TUESDAY, JUNE 30TH

Church of the Apostles

• 6:00pm: Grace Baptist vs. Church of the Apostles
• 7:00pm: Christ the King vs. First Baptist

Highland Presbyterian

• 6:00pm: Landisville Mennonite vs. Zion Lutheran of East Petersburg
• 7:00pm: St. Peter’s vs. Highland Presbyterian

Manor Church (BIC)

• 6:00pm: ­Central Manor vs. Grace United Methodist
• 7:00pm: Wayside Presbyterian vs. Manor Church (BIC)

Wayside Presbyterian

• 6:00pm: Hempfield United Methodist vs. Salem U.C.C.
• 7:00pm: Lancaster Church of the Brethren vs. Zion Lutheran of Landisville

THURSDAY, JULY 2ND

Church of the Apostles

• 6:00pm: Landisville Mennonite vs. Church of the Apostles
• 7:00pm: Manor Church (BIC) vs. Lancaster Church of the Brethren

Highland Presbyterian

• 6:00pm: St. Peter’s vs. First Baptist
• 7:00pm: Christ the King vs. Highland Presbyterian

Manor Church (BIC)

• 6:00pm: Grace United Methodist vs. Hempfield United Methodist
• 7:00pm: Salem U.C.C. vs. Central Manor

Wayside Presbyterian

• 6:00pm: Grace Baptist vs. Zion Lutheran of East Petersburg
• 7:00pm: Zion Lutheran of Landisville vs. Wayside Presbyterian

Game of the Week: Hempfield United Methodist vs. Salem U.C.C.

A battle of teams atop the western division highlights this week’s schedule. HUM comes in off a win against First Baptist last week while Salem looks to stay atop the standings.

Weather: Mostly sunny with a high in the mid-80’s on Monday, then cloudy and sunny with a chance of passing thunderstorms on Tuesday and Thursday with highs in the low 80’s.

Make-ups: The following is a list of make-up games each team has yet to play: No games: Christ the King and Zion Lutheran of Landisville. One Game: Central Manor, Church of the Apostles, First Baptist, Grace Baptist, Lancaster Church of the Brethren, Landisville Mennonite, Manor Church (BIC), Salem U.C.C., Wayside Presbyterian and Zion Lutheran of East Petersburg. Two Games: Grace United Methodist, Highland Presbyterian, Hempfield United Methodist and St. Peter’s.

Current Playoff Seedings: Here is how the playoffs would look if they began today:

BRACKET 1

• 1. First Baptist (12-2, 1st East), beat LM head-to-head
• 2. Salem U.C.C. (11-3, 1st West), beat LCOB head-to-head
• 3. Landisville Mennonite (12-2, 2nd West), lost to FB head-to-head
• 4. Lancaster C.O.B. (11-3, 2nd West), lost to Salem head-to-head
• 5. Hempfield U.M. (10-3, 3rd West)
• 6. Central Manor (10-4, 4th West)
• 7. Manor Church (9-5, 5th West)
• 8. Church of the Apostles (8-6, 3rd East)

BRACKET 2

• 1. Grace Baptist (7-7, 4th East)
• 2. Zion – Landisville (5-10, 6th West)
• 3. Grace UM (4-9, 7th West), -9 run differential (yet to play HIGH)
• 4. Highland Presbyterian (4-9, 5th East), -20 run differential (yet to play GUM)
• 5. Christ the King (4-11, 6th East)
• 6. St. Peter’s (2-11, 7th East)
• 7. Zion – East Petersburg (2-12, 8th East)
• 8. Wayside Presbyterian (0-14, 8th West)

Central Manor 13, Zion Lutheran of East Petersburg 3 (F/5)

For the second straight game, the maroon and white invoked the 10-run rule in downing Zion Lutheran of East Petersburg 13-3 at Manor Church (BIC). Thursday’s contest was the first ever meeting between the two teams.

Leadoff hitter Jon Kiefer began the game with a trip around the bases after an error, and the offense continued hitting through the first two innings putting up ten runs early. From there on, solid defense carried them through the rest of the game. Pitcher Dan Fisher collected his seventh win of the season with the victory.

Standing at 10-4 on the season, Central Manor lies in fourth place in the western division of the HCSPSL, but are just a single game out of first place. They wil close out the crossover section of thier schedule with a make-up game against St. Peter’s on Monday night. First pitch at Highland Presbyterian is set for 6:00pm.

Central Manor 21, Grace Baptist 1 (F/5)

Central Manor used a five-leaf clover and two separate ten-run innings to get past former divisional rival Grace Baptist by the score of 21-1 on Tuesday night at Manor Church (BIC) on Tuesday night.

All 11 players in CM’s lineup contributed hits and scored a run in the effort, including Austin Binkley who found a five-leaf clover before the game, and Jon Kiefer who belted a grand slam in the second for his team-leading eighth home run of the season. Scoring ten runs in the first and second innings, Manor played solid defense the rest of the way behind starter Clinton Martin, who now sits at 3-0 on the season.

With the win, the maroon and white now sit at 9-4 on the season. They will enter Thursday’s game with Zion Lutheran of East Petersburg with a chance to get to double digits in the win column for just the second time in team history. Game time is set for 6:00pm at Manor Church (BIC).