Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
Baseball is a funny game. Daniel Boone entered the week with a .149 team batting average. The Blazers scored a total of six runs in their first five games. On Monday night, they erupted for seven runs in the third inning of a 12-3 victory at Twin Valley. Daniel Boone piled up eleven hits from eight different players. “I’ve been waiting for it a little bit. That third inning when we exploded, that’s what we needed. It gave everybody in our lineup the confidence to do it,” said first-year head coach Kolbie Reeser. After starting the season 0-for-10, sophomore standout Greyson Bell launched two home runs. “Super excited, I haven’t had the best season hitting so far. Especially in a game like this against two good arms, I’ll definitely take it,” he replied.
Bell also got the job done on the mound with nine strikeouts over five innings. The 6’2, 185-pound southpaw allowed three runs on three hits and a pair of walks. He has 26 strikeouts in 15 frames this season. The highly touted lefty has limited opponents to five hits. “It’s once in a generation, you pray for a guy like that on your team. He is everything you ask for and he is as advertised,” emphasized Reeser. Bell throws five pitchers and he’s working on a cutter. His fastball is 90-92 mph. Baseball America ranks him as the #4 overall prospect in the 2028 class. The (2-3) Raiders managed four hits, but just one after the second inning. Jay Oliver, another first-year head coach, is short-handed due to injuries. Juniors Nate DiRocco and Grant Moser are both out of action.
Twin Valley struck first in the bottom of the second inning. Tyler Rhode, a junior catcher, ripped a two-run single up the middle. Cole Devine stole third base and came home on a wild pitch to make it 3-0. The (2-4) Blazers responded immediately and in a big way. Ryan Kriebel got things started by drawing a leadoff walk from Kutztown University commit Nate Lord. An error on a bunt by Josh Banas was followed by a wild pitch to get Daniel Boone on the scoreboard. After a walk to Jacob Hasara, the No. 9 hitter, Owen Howells singled to right field. The ball was misplayed in the outfield which allowed another run to score and tied the game at 3-3. Bell put Daniel Boone in front with a two-run homer to right. Brody Majeski then took over on the hill for the Raiders. Lord was charged with six runs, five earned, on two hits and three walks. The All-County selection from a season ago had four strikeouts in two innings. Majeski walked Chase Yenser and gave up a single to Maddox Roy. A wild pitch with two outs put Twin Valley in a 6-3 hole. Jace Michener’s sacrifice fly to right field gave the Blazers a 7-3 cushion.
Bell hammered a solo homer to right-center in the fourth inning. The lights went out in the top of the fifth which resulted in a delay of 13 minutes. However, it didn’t slow down Daniel Boone. The Blazers tacked on four runs in the fifth to make it 12-3. Freshman Devon Lopez provided a pinch-hit, two-run single up the middle. Howells knocked in another run with a single to center. Majeski gave up six runs, five earned, on seven hits in three innings. The junior righty struck out four and walked one. Sophomore Aidan Howells and Yenser each tossed a scoreless inning of relief for Daniel Boone. Yenser, who had three strikeouts in the seventh, is committed to Baylor for golf.
Bell, Kriebel, and Owen Howells finished with two hits apiece for the Blazers. They went (6-14) last spring, but returned seven starters. “I set the expectation back in October. You know (6-14), they can throw that out the window. With the talent we have on our team, we’re not gonna shy away from anything. We won’t fear anybody,” stated Reeser. The 2020 Gov. Mifflin graduate was the head coach at Tulpehocken a season ago. Reeser added, “The expectation is to get back into the postseason and make a deep run.”
