North Manchester, Ind. - Manchester controlled all three games of its conference series against Berea this weekend at Gratz Field, using a combination of timely hitting, early scoring bursts and steady pitching to complete a three-game sweep and improve to 17–20 overall and 10–12 in conference play.
In the series opener on Saturday, Manchester set the tone early, scoring in five different innings on the way to a 13–2 victory. The Spartans erupted for a seven-run third inning, blowing the game open after building a 4–0 lead through two innings. Max Horner anchored the offense with a standout performance, going 3-for-4 with five RBI, including a three-run double during the third-inning rally. Owen Ritchie and Evann Schmidtendorff each drove in runs during the big inning as Manchester sent double-digit hitters to the plate.
On the mound, Ty Layson turned in a complete-game effort, allowing just two runs on six hits over seven innings while striking out five. After surrendering Berea's only runs in the third, Layson retired the side in order in four of the final five innings. Manchester finished with 12 hits, drew seven walks, and capitalized on multiple Berea defensive miscues to keep pressure on throughout the game.
The nightcap followed a similar script, as Manchester opened the game with a decisive seven-run first inning and never looked back in an 11–2 victory. Horner once again jump-started the offense by reaching base three times and scoring twice, while Joel Kennedy delivered a key two-run extra-base hit during the opening rally. Manchester collected 17 hits in the game and stole seven bases, consistently putting pressure on Berea's defense.
Manchester pitching limited Berea to six hits, with the staff stranding runners in multiple innings and allowing only two runs across nine frames. The defense played clean baseball behind them, committing no errors in the contest.
Manchester completed the sweep on Sunday with a 15–5 win, once again striking early with six runs in the first inning and adding crooked numbers in the third and fourth innings to pull away. Kennedy continued his strong weekend, finishing 3-for-6 with four RBI, while Donavin Massing drove in four runs with a home run and a sacrifice fly. Horner reached base four times, scored three runs and added two RBI as Manchester totaled 16 hits and drew eight walks.
The Spartan pitching staff settled in after the early innings, and the defense turned in another error-free performance to close the series. Manchester scored 39 runs across the three games, held Berea to nine total runs, and scored at least six runs in the opening inning over the course of the series. Horner reached base safely in every game and drove in nine runs during the sweep.
