Shenandoah Valley's Haden Kechula (4) slides into second base during the opening round of the annual Russ Rothermel Memorial Tournament at Del Hauck Field. Also pictured is Minersville's Garret Sukeena (21) (Photo by Kelly Wiley).

Eagles, Spartans, Colts notch

big victories

MINERSVILLE — Shenandoah Valley answered at just the right time.

The Blue Devils rallied from an early deficit to defeat Minersville 6-4 in the opening round of the annual Russ Rothermel Memorial Tournament during non-league baseball action Saturday at Del Hauck Field.

Minersville jumped out to a 4-2 lead through two innings, but the Blue Devils answered in the fourth. Gene Sinkus delivered a two-run single and an error brought home another run to give Shenandoah Valley the lead.

Chase McCole earned the win in relief, tossing five scoreless innings while striking out six.

The Blue Devils finished with 10 hits, led by Sinkus and Jostin Lajara with two each. Sinkus and McCole each drove in two runs.

Minersville collected seven hits, with Nolan Plesnarski recording two. Jayce Rizzardi drove in two runs.

In the second game, Tri-Valley shut out Panther Valley (see below).

The tournament continues Saturday with Shenandoah Valley facing Tri-Valley in the championship at 3 p.m. at Del Hauck Field. Minersville will meet Panther Valley in the consolation game at date and time to be announced.

Russ Rothermel was a 1966 graduate of Minersville Area High School and was drafted by the Houston Astros. Minersville hosts an annual tournament in his honor. First pitch duties for the tournament were granted to Mia Toth, granddaughter of Russ. She pitched to her brother, Luke Toth, grandson of Rothermel. Check out his stats here.

Quick stats (courtesy of Del Hauck):

• All Star Pitcher 1968 NY-Penn League; 1973 Southern League

• Lettered three years in Baseball and Basketball at Minersville

• Pitcher for the 1966 Valley View Legion – Schuylkill County Baseball League Champions

• Pitched in 1966 East-West Legion All Star Game

• Played On Minersville High School’s 1966 undefeated basketball team (22-0)

• Member of the Charleston Charlies, 1978 Minor League Baseball Champions

Bench, McCole (3) and Kachula; Plesnarski, Toth (5) and Ryan. W – McCole (1-0). L – Plesnarski (0-1).

Hits: Shenandoah Valley – McCole, Bench, Jt. Lajara 2, Gradwell, Saba, Jw. Lajara, Christopher, Sinkus 2. Minersville — Rogers, N. Plesnarski 2, Rizzardi, Ryan, Cutler, J. Plesnarski.

2B – McCole, Ryan.

Tri-Valley 8, Panther Valley 0

MINERSVILLE — Tri-Valley used a dominant pitching effort to shut out Panther Valley in the opening round of the Russ Rothermel Memorial Tournament.

The Dawgs broke through in the second inning and added two more in the third before pulling away late.

Tri-Valley’s pitching staff  of Braeden Doyle, Peyton Schley, Gavin Klock and Owen Miller were in control throughout, combining on a two-hit shutout with 17 strikeouts.

Schley led the offense, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, while Miller added two hits and scored three runs. The Dawgs also worked nine walks and swiped seven bases.

Doyle, Schley (3), Klock (5), Miller (7) and Troutman, Kaslavage; Wehr, Breiner (3), Perilli (6). W – Doyle (1-0). L – Wehr (0-1).

Hits: Tri-Valley – Klock, Miller 2, Schley 3, Troutman, Kaslavage. Panther Valley – Breiner, Perilli.

2B – Schley.

North Schuylkill 2, Wyomissing 1

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — Pitching took center stage as North Schuylkill edged Wyomissing in a non-league game.

In the fourth inning, the Spartans scored twice on a walk and a sacrifice fly by Chase Slotcavage to take the lead.

Stephen Minahan led the way on the mound for North Schuylkill, allowing three hits and one run over six innings while striking out five. Hunter Rogers closed it out with a scoreless seventh.

North Schuylkill managed three hits, with Landen Smith, Dylan Cairo and Joseph Groody each recording one. Aaron Brayford also drove in a run and Cairo added a stolen base.

Rauenzahn, Graham (4) and Goodhead; Minahan, Rogers (7) and Rollenhagen. W – Minahan (1-0). L – Rauenzahn. Sv – Rogers (1).

Hits: Wyomissing – Graham, Rauenzahn, Lecher. North Schuylkill – Groody, Smith, Cairo.

Blue Mountain 9, Crestwood 0

ORWIGSBURG — Blue Mountain used a big fourth inning and strong pitching to defeat Crestwood in a non-league matchup.

The Eagles broke a scoreless tie in the third before erupting for six runs in the fourth. Aiden Finn doubled home two runs, Brady Strause added an RBI single, Sonny Amato doubled in a run and Ryan Clemas delivered a two-run single.

Blue Mountain’s pitching staff was in control throughout, combining on a three-hit shutout. Lucas Pritiskutch earned the win in relief, while Strause and Tyler Bensinger also worked scoreless innings.

The Eagles finished with nine hits, with Finn driving in two runs. Evan Setlock, Josh Hoover, Frankie Russo, Riley Sebastian, Cohen Kirby, Strause, Clemas and Amato each collected a hit.

Fedak, Reed (3), Brace (4), Brown (6) and catcher; Strause, Pritiskutch (3), Bensinger (7) and Sebastian. W – Pritiskutch (1-0). L – Fedak.

Hits: Crestwood – Wagaman, McShea, Leroy. Blue Mountain – Sebastian, Finn, Strause, Kirby, Amato, Clemas, Hoover, Setlock, Russo.

2B – Finn, Setlock, Sebastian, Amato.

Marian 18, MMI Prep 5

FREELAND — Marian Catholic erupted early and never looked back in a win over MMI Prep in a non-league game.

The Colts broke the game open with seven runs in the first inning, highlighted by Roman Bednarek’s two-run home run. Marian added five more runs in the second and continued to build its lead from there.

Marian capitalized on patience at the plate, drawing 12 walks while collecting seven hits. Bednarek reached base four times, including three walks, while Chase Grier and Brayden Grant each drove in two runs.

Danny Lemus led Marian at the plate with two hits, and the Colts were aggressive on the bases, piling up multiple stolen bases.

Defrancisco, Jordan (3), Lemus (5) and Labenburg, Reaman; Skuba, Gombeda (2), Drobnock (3), Radzwich (4) and Radzwich, Jordan. W – Defrancisco (1-0). L – Skuba.

Hits: Marian – Bednarek, Derr, Jordan, Grier, Lemus 2, Grant. MMI Prep – Skuba, Garcia, Radzwich.

2B – Grant, Grier, Jordan. HR – Bednarek.

Cardinal Classic
at Stump Stadium

Opening Round

Pine Grove 5, Nativity 2

PINE GROVE — Pine Grove used a pair of big middle innings to defeat Nativity in the opening game of the Cardinal Classic.

The Cardinals broke a scoreless tie in the third inning, taking advantage of a double by Dane Hannevig and an error to score twice. After the Hilltoppers tied the game in the fourth, Pine Grove answered in the bottom half when Austin Frantz delivered a two-run single to put the Cardinals back in front.

Quincy Allen earned the win on the mound, allowing two runs over four innings. Ian Brown and Grady Strubhar combined for three scoreless innings in relief to secure the victory.

Pine Grove finished with six hits, with Frantz driving in two runs. Hannevig, Wyatt Snyder, Wyatt Dixon, Chase Nagle and Allen each added a hit.

Nativity also had six hits, with Bentley Werez and Nick Clarke each driving in a run.

Lake-Lehman advanced to the championship game following the the conclusion of the Cards and Toppers with a 7-3 win over Western Wayne.

Karinch, Examitas (5) and Bartashus; Allen, Brown (5), Strubhar (7) and Dixon. W – Allen (1-0). L – Karinch (0-1).

Hits: Nativity – Karinch, Grabowski, Bartashus, Lutzkanin, Clarke, Werez. Pine Grove – Hannevig, Snyder, Allen, Frantz, Dixon, Nagle.

2B – Hannevig.

Consolation Game
Western Wayne 2, Nativity 1

PINE GROVE — Nativity was one out away before Western Wayne rallied for a win in the consolation game of the Cardinal Classic.

The Hilltoppers took an early lead in the first inning when Ryan Examitas delivered an RBI single, and they carried that 1-0 advantage to the seventh.

The Wildcats broke through in their final at-bat, as Andrew Boandl lined a two-run single to walk it off.

Ryan Grabowski turned in a strong outing on the mound for Nativity, allowing two runs on five hits over 6.2 innings while striking out six.

Nativity finished with three hits, with Grabowski, Examitas and Levi Frehafer each recording one.

Grabowski and Bartashus; McCollum and Grodack. W – McCollum. L – Grabowski (0-1).

Hits: Nativity – Grabowski, Examitas, Frehafer. Western Wayne – Decandis, Glackin, McCollum, Ferraro, Boandl.

2B – Hannevig.

Championship Game
Lake-Lehman 2, Pine Grove 1

PINE GROVE — The Cardinals broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning when Jacob Hatter delivered an RBI single to give Pine Grove a 1-0 lead.

Lake-Lehman answered in the seventh, taking advantage of a pair of Pine Grove errors to score two runs and pull ahead.

Wyatt Snyder turned in a strong performance on the mound for Pine Grove, striking out 10 over 6.2 innings while allowing just two hits to the Knights. Pine Grove finished with four hits, with Jake Hatter leading the way with two, while Dane Hannevig and Quincy Allen added one each.

Jenkins and Albee; Snyder and Dixon. W – Jenkins. L – Snyder (0-1).

Hits: Lake-Lehman – Albee, James. Pine Grove – Hannevig, Hatter 2, Allen.

2B – Hannevig.