HS Baseball Roundup: Minersville holds on, Marian erupts late; Cairo’s walk-off lifts North Schuylkill
Minersville's Nolan Plesnarski pitching (Photo by Kelly Wiley)
SHENANDOAH — Minersville built a big lead early and then had just enough to withstand a late Shenandoah Valley push.
Nolan Plesnarski set the tone on both sides as Minersville defeated Shenandoah Valley 7-5 in a Schuylkill League Division II baseball game Friday at Shenandoah Valley, holding off a three-run seventh inning from the Blue Devils.
The Battlin’ Miners jumped out quickly, scoring in the first before erupting in the second behind extra-base hits from Cam Rogers and Jason Correll, along with a single from Garrett Sukeena. Minersville continued to add on through the middle innings, building a 7-0 advantage as Nolan Plesnarski controlled the game on the mound.
Nolan Plesnarski earned the win, working six strong innings while allowing just two runs — none earned — on five hits with six strikeouts and no walks. At the plate, he added two hits, while Rogers, Sukeena and Jude Plesnarski also had multi-hit efforts in a 10-hit attack. Rogers and Sukeena each drove in two runs.
Shenandoah Valley didn’t go quietly, rallying late behind Jostin Lajara, who had two hits, and Ethan Bench, who drove in a pair of runs. Haden Kechula, Freddy Gradwell, Kvyonn Christopher and Dylan Getz also chipped in hits as the Blue Devils cut into the deficit.
The win clinches Minersville a spot in the District 11 (Class AA) playoffs for the 25th consecutive year. Teams can clinch a district playoff berth by winning half their regular season contests or winning half their league games.
Teams highlighted in in green on the D-11 website have clinched a playoff spot in their classification. Check out the link below and select a spring sport for all teams in D-11 who have cliched playoff berths through Friday.
https://powerranking.gimpsoftware.com/DistrictXISchedulePage.html
| Teams | 123 | 456 | 7 | — | Runs | Hits | Errors |
| Min (8-9, 7-5) | 140 | 002 | 0 | — | 7 | 10 | 4 |
| SV (10-7, 7-5) | 000 | 002 | 3 | — | 5 | 7 | 1 |
N. Plesnarski, C. Rogers (7) and B. Rogers; Jt. Lajara, Kechula (1) and catchers. W — N. Plesnarski (3-3). L — Jt. Lajara (0-1).
HITS: Minersville — N. Plesnarski 2, C. Rogers 2, Correll, Sukeena 2, B. Rogers, J. Plesnarski 2. Shenandoah Valley — Kechula, Jt. Lajara 2, Bench, Getz, Gradwell, Christopher.
2B — C. Rogers, Correll, N. Plesnarski, Bench.
Marian 10, Schuylkill Haven 3
HOMETOWN — Mitchel Knock and Danny Lemus sparked a game-changing rally as Marian pulled away late from Schuylkill Haven in a Division II game.
Marian erupted for eight runs in the sixth inning to defeat Schuylkill Haven, turning a tight contest into a runaway with a flurry of extra-base hits and timely swings. Knock started the surge with a two-run double, Lemus followed with an RBI double, and Roman Bednarek, Cole Jordan and Rocco Griguoli each delivered key hits in the inning.
Bednarek also handled things on the mound, earning the win with six strong innings while allowing just three hits and two runs (one earned). At the plate, Bednarek, Brayden Grant and Jordan each collected two hits as the Colts finished with 11, consistently applying pressure throughout the lineup.
Schuylkill Haven got on the board early and stayed within striking distance into the middle innings, with Chase Yoder collecting two hits and Landon Trostle driving in a run. Alan Evans doubled and Bode Hinnershitz knocked in a run for the Hurricanes.
| Teams | 123 | 456 | 7 | — | Runs | Hits | Errors |
| SH (11-7, 9-3) | 010 | 000 | 2 | — | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Mar (14-3, 10-2) | 020 | 008 | x | — | 10 | 11 | 1 |
Yoder, Trostle (5) and Diehl; Bednarek, Grier (7) and Labenburg. W — Bednarek (5-0). L — Yoder (2-3).
HITS: Schuylkill Haven — Evans, Yoder 2, Trostle. Marian — Bauder, Bednarek 2, Jordan 2, Griguoli, Grant 2, Knock, Lemus, Defrancisco.
2B — Evans, Grant, Jordan, Lemus, Knock, Bednarek.
North Schuylkill 2, Notre Dame-Green Pond 1
FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — Dylan Cairo delivered under pressure once again as North Schuylkill walked off Notre Dame-Green Pond in a tight non-league battle.
Cairo drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh to lift the Spartans over the Crusaders, capping a pitcher’s duel at Robert Wetzel Field.
Hunter Rogers set the tone on the mound, going six strong innings while allowing just one hit and one unearned run with eight strikeouts. Offensively, Landen Smith drove in the Spartans’ first run earlier in the game, while Cairo provided the decisive moment late.
North Schuylkill finished with seven hits, getting contributions from Rogers, Stephen Minahan, Smith, Seth Hubler, Kole Rollenhagen, Joey Groody and Cairo.
Cairo was also the hero in the Spartans’ 1-0 walk-off victory over Shikellamy, delivering an RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning in that win.
| Teams | 123 | 456 | 7 | — | Runs | Hits | Errors |
| ND (13-5) | 000 | 000 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| NS (12-5) | 000 | 100 | 1 | — | 2 | 7 | 1 |
