Baseball Game Preview: Manchester Township Hawks vs. Lacey Township Lions

The Manchester Township Hawks are taking a road trip to face off against the Lacey Township Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams were dealt some close losses in their previous games and are determined not to let this one get away.

Manchester Township blew Pinelands Regional out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Thursday Pinelands Regional got their revenge. The Hawks fell just short of the Wildcats by a score of 4-2. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

Jimmy Censoplano was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he didn't allow a single earned run over six innings pitched.

At the plate, Manchester Township saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Justyce Garcia, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base. That stolen base marked the first that Garcia has snagged this season.

Meanwhile, Lacey Township fell victim to Manchester Township and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They fell just short of the Hawks by a score of 2-0. The Lions have struggled against the Hawks recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost meeting.

Manchester Township's defeat dropped their record down to 5-12. As for Lacey Township, their loss dropped their record down to 9-7.

Manchester Township skirted past Lacey Township 2-0 when the teams last played on Wednesday. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hawks since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.