HS Baseball Roundup: Big surges, early knockouts headline Thursday action
Gavin Deiter, Williams Valley baseball
Vikings rallies, Blue Devils rolls; Eagles, Cardinals, Colts and Miners pile up runs
TOWER CITY — Williams Valley struck at the right time.
The Vikings used a late surge to pull away from Schuylkill Haven 8-6 in a Schuylkill League Division II baseball game Thursday at Williams Valley.
The Vikings answered early and then broke the game open in the sixth inning, taking advantage of walks and errors to score four runs and seize control.
Gavin Deiter led Williams Valley with three RBIs, while Cayden Witmer earned the win in relief, striking out five over the final 1.2 innings.
The Hurricanes finished with seven hits, with Michael Terefencko collecting two and Chase Yoder and Bode Hinnershitz each driving in two runs.
Despite out-hitting the Vikings, the Hurricanes couldn’t overcome Williams Valley’s timely hitting and late rally.
| Teams | 123 | 456 | 7 | — | Runs | Hits | Errors |
| SH (4-3, 3-1) | 104 | 010 | 0 | — | 6 | 7 | 3 |
| WV (3-1, 3-1) | 200 | 204 | x | — | 8 | 4 | 2 |
Yoder, Terefencko (5), Trostle (6) and Diehl; Bowser, Witmer (6) and Thompson.
HITS: Schuylkill Haven — Evans, Toder, Terefencko 2, Houck, Hinnershitz, Trostle. Williams Valley — Thompson, Deiter, Witmer, Bowser.
2B — Terefencko. 3B — Witmer.
Shenandoah Valley 9, Mahanoy Area 4
SHENANDOAH — Shenandoah Valley jumped out early and never looked back in a win over Mahanoy Area in a Division II contest.
The Blue Devils answered Mahanoy’s first-inning run with three of their own and continued to build the lead with multi-run frames in the second and third innings to take control.
Chase McCole and Jostin Lajara led the offense with two hits apiece, while both also drove in two runs. Haden Kechula added an RBI as part of the early surge.
Ethan Bench earned the win, striking out seven over four innings, while Mahanoy Area was paced by Mike Gambone, who had two hits and drove in three runs.
| Teams | 123 | 456 | 7 | — | Runs | Hits | Errors |
| Mah (1-4, 0-4) | 101 | 002 | 0 | — | 4 | 7 | 3 |
| SV (4-2, 3-1) | 323 | 010 | 0 | — | 9 | 9 | 1 |
Noraka, Wagner (3) and Gambone; Bench, Kechula (5) and Jt. Lajara.
HITS: Mahanoy Area — Ogrodnick 2, Gambone 2, Zilker, Wagner, Rick. Shenandoah Valley — McCole 2, Kechula, Jt. Lajara 2, Bench, Sinkus, Gradwell, Saba.
2B — Gambone 2, Rick, McCole, Bench.
Blue Mountain 16, Tamaqua 4
TAMAQUA — Cohen Kirby tallied three hits as Blue Mountain used a fast start to roll past Tamaqua in a Division I matchup.
The Eagles jumped out early with four runs in the first and added three more in the third, highlighted by home runs from Kirby and Frankie Russo to build a commanding lead.
Brady Strause drove in four runs, while Russo added two hits and a homer as Blue Mountain finished with 12 hits.
Tamaqua managed six hits, with Ryder Holmberg and Luke Frohnheiser collecting two apiece.
| Teams | 123 | 456 | 7 | — | Runs | Hits | Errors |
| BM (5-1, 3-1) | 413 | 003 | 5 | — | 16 | 12 | 1 |
| Tam (0-5, 0-2) | 000 | 400 | 0 | — | 4 | 6 | 2 |
Russo, Kirby (5), Clemas (7) and Sebastian; Witkowski, Kamant (3), Frohnheiser (7) and Frohnheiser, Witkowski (7).
HITS: Blue Mountain — Sebastian, Strause 2, Kirby 3, Amato, Setlock, Hoover, Russo 2, Blehm. Tamaqua — Yenser, Holmberg 2, Deiter.
2B — Strause 2, Sebastian, Holmburg. HR — Kirby, Russo.
Marian 11, Nativity 1, 6 inn.
HOMETOWN — Marian broke things open with a big fourth inning and rolled past Nativity in six innings in a Division II showdown.
The Colts scored two runs in the first and then erupted for seven in the fourth to put the game out of reach. Chase Grier earned the win, allowing one run on four hits over six innings while striking out five.
Marian finished with nine hits, with Noah Bauder leading the way with two. Roman Bednarek, Cole Defrancisco and Jonathan Derr each drove in a run.
Nativity managed four hits, with Ryan Grabowski, Trey Keating, Liam Garrity and Marc Lutzkanin each recording one.
| Teams | 123 | 456 | — | Runs | Hits | Errors | |
| Nat (1-6, 1-3) | 010 | 000 | — | 1 | 4 | 6 | |
| Mar (4-1, 3-1) | 200 | 702 | — | 11 | 9 | 3 |
Examitas, Sullivan (4) and Bartashus; Grier and catcher.
HITS: Nativity — Grabowski, Keating, Garrity, Lutzkanin. Marian — Bauder 2, Diaz, Bednerak, Derr, Defrancisco, Jordan, Cannon, Grier.
Pine Grove 10, North Schuylkill 0, 5 inn.
PINE GROVE — Dane Hannevig collected four RBIs as Pine Grove used patience at the plate to power past North Schuylkill in five innings in a Division I ballgame.
The Cardinals took the lead in the second and gradually built it before breaking the game open with six runs in the fifth. Ian Brown delivered a key bases-clearing double.
Jacob Hatter earned the win, tossing a two-hit shutout with eight strikeouts, while Pine Grove drew 13 walks to keep constant pressure on the Spartans.
Aaron Brayford had a pair of hits for the Spartans.
| Teams | 123 | 45 | — | Runs | Hits | Errors | |
| NS (4-1, 2-2) | 000 | 00 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| PG (3-5, 2-1) | 020 | 26 | — | 10 | 4 | 2 |
Minihan, Monahan (4), Groody (5) and Rollenhagen; Hatter and Dixon.
HITS: North Schuylkill — Brayford 2. Pine Grove — Hannevig, Brown, Hatter, Nagle.
2B — Hannevig, Nagle.
Minersville 19, Weatherly 1 4 inn.
WEATHERLY — Minersville erupted early and never slowed down in a win over Weatherly in four innings in a Division II contest matchup.
Nolan Plesnarski, Aidan Ryan, Luke Toth, Jayce Rizzardi and Camden Rogers each collected two hits as Minersville finished with 13 hits. Toth led the way with three RBIs.
Jude Plesnarski earned the win, allowing one hit and one unearned run over three innings.
Bradlee Connors collected the lone hit for the Wreckers.
| Teams | 123 | 4 | — | Runs | Hits | Errors | |
| Min (4-2, 3-1) | 348 | 4 | — | 19 | 13 | 3 | |
| Wea (0-5, 0-4) | 001 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 | 7 |
