Luke Giering-Exeter

Baseball is a funny game. One minute you’re in complete control and the next you’re fighting to stay on top. Exeter held off Boyertown 10-8 on a sunny Saturday in Reiffton. The Eagles led 7-0 in the 4th inning, but needed St. Joseph’s commit Alex Kelsey to get them out of a 7th inning jam. Kelsey took over for sophomore Mason Goodhart with two men on and nobody out. The hard-throwing southpaw struck out two and didn’t allow a run to earn the save. Exeter jumped on senior Devin Hoelzle for four runs in the first frame. Joel Ummarino ripped a three-run homer down the right field line. “That was awesome…he’s huge for a sophomore,” said Luke Giering. Ummarino (6’2, 230) plays linebacker and defensive end for the Eagles’ football team. Brenton Feathers, one of four sophomores in the lineup, added a RBI single to left in the 1st inning. Junior Jonah Mayer took over for Hoelzle in the second. Mayer gave up one unearned run on a pair of hits in two innings. Todd Moyer, who’s in his 41st season as the Bears’ coach, then turned to sophomore lefty Luke Hagan. Giering’s two-run line drive double to left off of Hagan put Exeter in front 7-0 in the fourth. Giering went 3-for-3 with two doubles. The Eagles piled up eleven hits. “We’re explosive. We’re definitely dangerous. We’re gonna hopefully show some teams that we’re better than they think,” stated Giering. Exeter has scored 26 runs in three games. Giering and Kelsey are the only senior starters for head coach Justin Freese. This is his 29th year as the Eagles’ skipper. Boyertown got on the board in the 5th inning thanks to a wild pitch and a RBI groundout by Logan Barndt. Exeter tacked on three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Freshman catcher Brandon Weller and sophomore shortstop Jake Franek provided RBI doubles. Chase Youse knocked in their final run with a single down the third base line. Hagan was charged with five runs, four earned, on six hits in 2.2 innings. The (0-3) Bears had managed just two runs in their first two contests. They erupted for six runs in the 6th inning. Randy Wynings launched a RBI double to center before Beck Babb hammered a two-run double to left field. Gavin Miller’s outing ended after he walked Easton Albert with the bases loaded. Goodhart walked cleanup hitter Gavin Slaughter to force in another run. Designated hitter Connor Moyer struck out to end the threat. However, Boyertown was now within two runs at 10-8. The top of the 7th began with an error and a walk. That’s when Freese called upon Kelsey to seal the deal. Miller picked up the win despite not getting a lot of help from his defense. The junior allowed eight runs, seven earned, on seven hits and five walks. He struck out four and hit two batters over 5.2 innings. “He’s a great pitcher. He comes in and throws strikes. We gotta be a little better behind him. Whenever we have Gavin on the mound, we can beat anybody,” remarked Giering. Hafer was 2-for-3 with two runs. Six different players drove in runs for the Eagles. Moyer and Ryan Soffa each had a pair of hits for the Bears. Exeter’s young squad improved to (2-1). “I think it’s a good learning moment,” said Giering.