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What one swing of the bat can do


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A homerun is a simple yet transcendent action.

The act of driving a ball over the fence and out of the park can single-handedly swing the momentum in any baseball/softball game.

It’s even sweeter when that homerun is hit by a freshman.

Such was the case on Wednesday when Manheim Township freshman third baseman Reilly Gearhart smashed a solo homerun in the bottom of the third inning when her team was down by three runs.

Gearhart’s homerun opened the flood gates for the Blue Streaks who scored four runs in the third inning to take a 4-3 lead over Warwick.  Manheim Township went on to score five more runs in the fifth inning to ensure a 9-3 victory.

While it accounted for just one run, Gearhart’s homerun elevated the spirits of her teammates while possible lowering the morale of the Warriors who became error-prone after the fact.

Manheim Township coach Kirk Luther informed me that Gearhart has popped four homers since last Monday and provides a “spark” for his team.

“That was huge. This last week she has just caught fire” he said.  “She’s been amazing for us.”

When asked about her mindset when she steps up to the plate, Gearhart stressed a need to jumpstart her team.

“I knew I had to get our team going somehow. As long as I got a base hit; I was fine with it but I knew I had to do something bigger,” she said. “I’m glad I could get my team going.”

Despite talking the team goals while being very modest about her accomplishments, Gearhart still put a lot of responsibility upon herself.

“Since I hit leadoff, I feel that I have to get them going somehow,” she said.

Quite the mentality for a freshman…