Valley – Berks Sports Report

Lauren Williams-Twin Valley

Paul Roberts — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 17:36:57 +0000

Twin Valley sophomore Lauren Williams was missing most of her shots while warming up for a key Division 2 matchup at Conrad Weiser. When the game started, however, the 5’7 guard was on fire. Williams scored nine of her career-high 16 points in the opening quarter of a 55-50 victory at Robesonia. “It was exciting, our team brought energy. It was a really good game,” she said. Hailey Kilgore, who leads the Raiders at 14 ppg., picked up two fouls in the first five minutes. Williams stepped up and helped Twin Valley build a 17-12 advantage after eight minutes. The Raiders were on top 32-28 at halftime and 46-39 entering the fourth quarter. Williams banked in a jumper to make it 49-43 with four and a-half minutes remaining. Alex Trevena responded with the last of her four 3-pointers for the Scouts. Trevena, a 5’7 senior guard, ended up with 14 points. She’s committed to Kent State for softball. Lauren Grabosky finished off a fast break to get Conrad Weiser within 49-48. The 6’ senior center went 1-of-2 from the free throw line with two and a-half minutes left. It stayed 51-49 until Gisselle Feliciano was fouled with 47 seconds to go. The senior guard split a pair of free throws. Twin Valley junior guard Ellie Kaplan sank two clutch foul shots with 19 seconds to play. She then partially blocked Trevena’s tying 3-point attempt from the left wing. Kaplan, a Syracuse lacrosse commit, provided five points off the bench. Hailey Kilgore sealed the deal with two free throws with five seconds remaining. The 5’7 junior chipped in with eight points. The Raiders went 15-of-18 from the foul line, while the Scouts were 15-of-24. Conrad Weiser missed five free throws in the final quarter. Geniva Paul had a game-high 17 points. The talented 5’10 sophomore scored 13 points in the first half. Grabosky contributed eight points and sophomore guard Dylan Bossler had six off the bench. Twin Valley snapped Conrad Weiser’s five-game winning streak. The (11-3, 4-0) Raiders moved two games ahead of the (9-3, 2-2) Scouts in the division standings. “It was really important. We still have to stay focused. We have a tough schedule ahead, but it was a really good win,” noted Williams. She and junior Olivia Schmittinger entered the night averaging 6.5 points apiece. They combined for 28 points on Tuesday. Five of Schmittinger’s twelve points came in the third quarter. Freshman Olivia Kilgore, Hailey’s sister, had seven points. Twin Valley has turned things around after going (7-15, 4-7) a season ago. The Raiders are currently fourth in the District 3-5A power rankings in Matt Hahn’s first year as head coach. “I think we have more chemistry than we had last year,” explained Williams.

Gov. Mifflin falls to C.V. in OT

Paul Roberts — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 17:26:14 +0000

It looked like Cumberland Valley was going to cruise to a win over Gov. Mifflin in the CoBL Winter Classic on Saturday afternoon. The defending District 3-6A champions led the Mustangs 35-20 in the third quarter at Exeter. Gov. Mifflin, however, opened the fourth quarter on fire. The Mustangs used a 11-0 run to go up 42-41 on Jahmair Johnson’s layup with 5:45 remaining. Matt Koehler knocked down three of his four 3-pointers in the final period. The 6’3 senior forward finished with a game-high 20 points. Despite a valiant effort, Gov. Mifflin came up short 58-51 in overtime. With the game tied 48-48, the Mustangs held the ball for the last minute of regulation. A 3-pointer from NBA range by point guard Andrew Galantuomo was off the mark at the buzzer. Aiden Diehl made a pair of free throws to put the Eagles in front 52-49 with 1:03 left. Koehler missed on two attempts from beyond the arc that could’ve tied it up. The final 35 seconds was a parade to the free throw line by Diehl. The 6’6 sophomore went 6-for-8 down the stretch. He ended up with eleven points. Gov. Mifflin was held to three points in overtime. Ian Fleming made a couple of treys and scored eleven points. Johnson and Galantuomo added seven points apiece. The (2-1) Mustangs were 6-of-8 from the charity stripe, while Cumberland Valley went 15-of-23. Nolan Buzalka had a team-high 16 points for the (1-1) Eagles. The 6’3 senior fouled out with 2:10 to go in the fourth quarter. Senior shooting guard JJ Lebo fouled out with three minutes to play in overtime. Creston Austin, a 6’4 senior, stepped up with 15 points. Cumberland Valley returned four starters from last season’s (25-4) team that earned the school’s first District 3 title. Gov. Mifflin also has four starters back for first-year head coach Garrett Etzel. The former All-County guard for the Mustangs was the head coach at Wyomissing a season ago. Gov. Mifflin trailed the Eagles 25-18 at halftime after scoring just eight points in the second quarter. The Mustangs can certainly build off of their resilience in the fourth quarter. Gov. Mifflin has another tough test on Tuesday. The Mustangs will take on Muhlenberg in Shillington.

B.C. beats Cumberland Valley in Opener

Paul Roberts — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 05:47:42 +0000

Berks Catholic kicked off its 2024-25 season with a bang. The Saints defeated Cumberland Valley 60-57 in the CoBL Winter Classic at Exeter. The Eagles are the defending District 3 champion in Class 6A. They returned four starters from that (25-4) squad. “We have a lot of things to improve on, but to beat a seasoned team like them, I’m very happy for our ball club,” said longtime head coach Snip Esterly. All-State guard Kingston McKoy struggled in the first half. The 6’2 junior managed just two points as the Saints trailed 26-19. McKoy, however, erupted in the second half. He jammed 15 points into the third quarter and finished with a game-high 25. “That was the Kingston that we see every day,” replied Esterly. Cumberland Valley didn’t have an answer for McKoy who scored at all three levels. Berks Catholic opened the second half on a 14-0 run and a dozen of those points came from McKoy. The Saints outscored the Eagles 24-10 in the third period. Zach Suski, the quarterback of Berks Catholic’s football team, drilled a 3-pointer from in front of his bench midway through the fourth quarter. That shot made it 52-44, but Cumberland Valley didn’t go away quietly. McKoy missed a pair of free throws with 27 seconds left. A layup by physical 6’3 senior Nolan Buzalka trimmed the Eagles’ deficit to 58-56 with 18 seconds remaining. After a Saints’ turnover in the backcourt, Sam Parsons was fouled on a putback attempt. The 6’3 junior went 1-for-2 from the foul line. Bryce Gumby, who didn’t play basketball a season ago, converted two clutch free throws with eight seconds to go. Gumby provided twelve points off the bench. The 5’11 senior gave Berks Catholic a 60-57 cushion. JJ Lebo, a 6’3 senior guard, didn’t hit the rim on a 3-pointer from the right wing at the buzzer. Creston Austin led Cumberland Valley with 15 points. Sophomore Jared Dolimpio chipped in with 13 points and Buzalka added ten. The Eagles were 9-of-14 from the foul line, while the Saints went 8-of-14. McKoy hit two of Berks Catholic’s four treys. Cumberland Valley only connected twice from long range. Freshman guard Carmelo Harper gave the Saints a boost with ten points. Esterly earned his 816th victory over 36 years as a head coach. “It was a nice win over a very nice team,” he said.

Luke Spotts-Schuylkill Valley

Paul Roberts — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 13:08:35 +0000

Three years ago, Schuylkill Valley was (2-9). Times have changed quickly in Leesport. The Panthers won nine games a season ago to set a school record. They’re currently riding a seven-game winning streak and making their third straight appearance in the District 3 playoffs. “It’s great changing the culture here at SV to a winning culture and a winning program. I’m blessed that I get to be a part of it,” said Luke Spotts. The 6’2, 215-pound senior leads the team with 50 catches for 849 yards and 8 TD. Spotts had eight receptions for 143 yards and a score in a 40-29 victory over Lancaster Catholic last week. He added ten tackles and a sack from his linebacker position. That win put the (8-2, 7-0) Panthers alone atop the Section 5 standings in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. “It’s everything to me and my teammates. It’s our first outright championship in Schuylkill Valley history so it feels great,” noted Spotts. The Panthers shared the Section 5 title with Lancaster Catholic and Annville-Cleona last fall. Spotts, who averaged nine points for the basketball team as a junior, finished with nine catches for 131 yards and 2 TD against Hamburg three weeks ago. Schuylkill Valley prevailed 30-21 in the 50th edition of the Frost Bowl. The Panthers have a lot of weapons at the skill positions including Kowen Gerner, Dillon Lackner, Cooper Hohenadel, and Logan Cammauf. Quarterback Logan Nawrocki runs the show. The 6’1, 170-pound senior is the school’s all-time passing leader with 4,705 yards. Nawrocki was 21-of-36 for 265 yards and 3 TD last Friday. He has 2,154 yards and 32 TD this season. “I can’t say enough good things about him. Having him throw me the ball, it’s really like a dream come true,” stated Spotts. Schuylkill Valley hosts sixth-seeded Littlestown in the District 3-3A quarterfinals on Friday. The third-seeded Panthers beat the Thunderbolts 45-21 in the 2023 playoffs. Schuylkill Valley head coach Bruce Harbach knows a lot about winning in the postseason. He guided Lancaster Catholic to state championships in 2009 and 2011. The Crusaders claimed four District titles and eight Section crowns over Harbach’s 16 years at the helm. This is his fourth season with the Panthers. They’ve come a long way and Spotts is a big reason why. “He’s a great athlete. We can put him outside. We can put him at tight end. He’s a hard worker, hard-nosed kid. He’s meant so much to this program,” said Harbach.

Matt Bauer-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Sat, 19 Oct 2024 11:35:19 +0000

One yard. That’s what separated Exeter and Conestoga Valley on Friday night at Don Thomas Stadium. The battle for first place in Section 2 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League lived up to the hype. Jake Hafer’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Ware capped an 83-yard drive by the Eagles with eight seconds remaining. After a penalty against Conestoga Valley, Exeter head coach Matt Bauer opted to go for the two-point conversion from the 1-yard line. All-State running back Jayden Zandier was ruled short of the goal line and the (9-0, 5-0) Buckskins held on for a dramatic 28-27 victory.

Bauer didn’t agree with the ruling. “I think it was clear. He was in,” he said. The officials took their time before signaling that Zandier didn’t score. “The explanation to me was no one had it either way,” stated Bauer. That possession began at the 17-yard line with 1:23 left. Hafer, a 6’2 junior who joined the team in early September, hit Carter Redding on a completion near midfield. A targeting penalty moved the football to Conestoga Valley’s 38-yard line. Genuine Stutzman reeled in a 19-yard pass to get the (8-1, 4-1) Eagles in the red zone. Ware’s second touchdown grab of the night pulled Exeter within one point after trailing 14-0 and 21-7. “I couldn’t be prouder. We wanted to see how we’d respond to adversity. I think we faced basically a season’s worth tonight. We never lost faith,” emphasized Bauer. He’s in his 16th year at the helm in Reiffton with a record of (121-57).

The Buckskins started quickly with consecutive 52 and 66-yard touchdown drives. On fourth-and-12 from the 23-yard line, Sawyer Esbenshade connected with JoJo Garcia over the middle for a 7-0 lead. Following a 25-yard pass to Garcia, Esbenshade’s 2-yard run made it 14-0 with three minutes remaining in the first quarter. The 6’1, 175-pound junior finished 19-of-31 for 277 yards and 3 TD. Zandier scored from 1-yard out early in the second period to get the Eagles on the board. They entered the night averaging 45 points per game. Zandier broke free for a 51-yard sprint down the left sideline to set up his 6-yard TD run with 4:21 to go in the half. That came after Esbenshade found 6’2 junior Cordell Bair for a 28-yard touchdown. Ware’s 22-yard TD catch from Hafer tied it at 21-21 with 1:33 to play before halftime. Conestoga Valley went in front 28-21 on a 30-yard pass to speedster Jayden Johnson with just 34 seconds before the break. Johnson, who returned from an injury last week, has offers from Temple, Maine, and Monmouth.

The offensive fireworks came to a halt in the second half. Neither team scored until eight seconds remained on the clock. Seth Frankford came up with an interception of a pass by Zandier on fourth-and-7 with 5:28 to go. Exeter’s defense forced back-to-back punts after that turnover. Bauer noted that the Eagles played more man coverage in the second half. Navy commit Logan Wegman (6’5, 275) injured his shoulder in the third quarter and didn’t return. Exeter was already without junior quarterback Riley Martinez due to a leg injury that occurred earlier this month against Muhlenberg. Zandier and Hafer split time at quarterback on Friday. Zandier piled up 172 yards on 27 carries. “He has amazing body control and he’s so explosive with everything he does,” Bauer said of the 6’2, 180-pound senior.

The Eagles sit one game behind the Buckskins in the Section 2 standings. Exeter visits (2-7) Elizabethtown next week, while Conestoga Valley hosts (3-5) Muhlenberg. Bauer was proud of his team’s effort after an emotional and frustrating game. “They have nothing to be ashamed of. They did everything they needed to do. This is gonna galvanize us,” he said.

Ben Grundy-Twin Valley

Paul Roberts — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 04:02:09 +0000

Twin Valley has rolled over all of its opponents. The Raiders have climbed the statewide polls in Class 4A with one blowout victory after another. That streak of dominance continued on Thursday night with a 49-0 rout of Donegal. The (1-6) Indians opted not to play the second half due to concerns about player safety. They were short-handed coming into Elverson and saw a few more players go down with injuries in the first half. Twin Valley head coach Brett Myers didn’t want to comment on how the game ended. His son, Evan Myers, threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for two more scores. The 5’10, 185-pound senior was 7-of-12 for 91 yards with an interception. The Raiders’ all-time passing leader used his legs for 112 yards on eight carries. Myers’ scramble down the right sideline set up Evan Johnson’s 1-yard touchdown run midway through the opening quarter. Johnson finished with 73 yards on nine carries. The 165-pound speedster surpassed 3,000 career rushing yards and was named Homecoming King. “It’s a really big moment for him because it’s his senior year. I’m really happy for him,” said Ben Grundy. The 6’1, 180-pound junior also had a big night. Grundy had six catches for 86 yards and 2 TD. “We’re having a lot of fun out here. We’re all enjoying this right now,” replied Grundy. He went in motion and took a quick shovel pass from Myers around the right end for a 7-yard touchdown early in the second quarter. That came after Donegal’s punter fumbled under heavy pressure deep in his own territory. A 1-yard score by sophomore Chase Reilly made it 35-0 with 7:24 remaining in the second quarter. That score followed a nifty 39-yard run by Myers. His 10-yard run up the middle put Twin Valley on top 42-0 with 6:30 to go in the half. Myers, a four-year starter, then hit Grundy down the right seam for a 21-yard touchdown with four minutes to play before the break. Grundy is on the Raiders’ track and field team. “It helps me tremendously, more than you think. It helps a lot,” he emphasized. The 400 meters is his best event. Twin Valley forced four turnovers including three fumbles. Titus Akinrefon came up with an interception when Leelan Baughman attempted a halfback pass. The Indians were held to one first down. Joey Buckley, a 230-pound sophomore defensive end, and junior linebacker Ryan Rementer sacked Brady Reck late in the first quarter. Greyson Miller scooped up the football and rumbled five yards for a touchdown. The 255-pound junior defensive end gave the Raiders a 14-0 advantage. Donegal fumbled on an option play on the ensuing drive which set up Twin Valley at the 12-yard line. Myers cashed in with a 6-yard TD run. The (7-0) Raiders have outscored their opponents 342-40. “My expectations are always high for this team. We have a lot of great guys here, a lot of good guys coming up. I knew this year was gonna be a special one,” stated Grundy. Twin Valley will host 12-time District 3 champion Wyomissing next Friday. The Spartans are (5-1) this season.

Evan Myers-Twin Valley

Paul Roberts — Sat, 24 Aug 2024 12:18:20 +0000

On the first play from scrimmage, Evan Myers rolled to his right and found Matthew Knight over the middle for a 49-yard gain. All of Twin Valley’s offensive weapons were on display in a 42-16 victory at Berks Catholic. The Raiders, who are coming off a 10-win season, piled up 512 total yards. Twin Valley came out with an uptempo attack. “It’s great to see some teams panting and gasping for air,” said Myers. The four-year starter was 9-of-14 for 236 yards and two touchdowns. He added 112 yards and another score on the ground on just five carries. “We’re only as good as our linemen will be and they had a good day. They’ve proven that their hard work has been paying off,” replied Myers. The front five for the Raiders average 278 pounds. Left tackle Aris Drake (6’5, 295) is committed to Navy. Carter Faubel, a 270-pound transfer from Delaware Valley, is a physical presence at left guard and defensive tackle. Center Noah DiGiacomo (5’11, 235) and right guard Greyson Miller (6’1, 255) both started as sophomores a season ago. Junior Zach Troutman (6’2, 335) has stepped in at right tackle. Myers raced untouched down the right sideline for a 45-yard TD midway through the opening quarter. He then rolled left and went deep to Knight for a 44-yard TD pass with 33 seconds remaining in the first period. Berks Catholic punter Devyn Sutton fumbled a snap early in the second quarter which was returned seven yards for a score by Ryan Rementer. After a 29-yard field goal by Tyler Osorio got the Saints on the board, sophomore Lucas Myers capped a 72-yard drive with a 2-yard run that came 28 seconds before halftime. Drew Engle bounced a handoff down the right sideline for a 42-yard TD three minutes into the second half. Engle, who had 77 yards on seven carries, made it 35-3. After Lucas Myers recovered a Berks Catholic fumble, Evan Myers lofted a 47-yard TD pass to Ben Grundy with 7:32 to go in the third quarter. That score put the mercy rule into effect. Grundy, a 6’1 junior, had four receptions for 91 yards. Evan Johnson chipped in with ten carries for 82 yards. The Saints scored twice in the final six minutes. Zach Suski tossed a 3-yard TD pass to junior fullback Nate Rose. Three minutes later, Faith Zudie blocked a Twin Valley punt and recovered it in the end zone. Berks Catholic ended up with 195 total yards in Dave Stahler’s debut as head coach. Rose finished with 55 yards on a dozen carries. Suski went 12-of-16 for 138 yards. The Saints lost Bryce Gumby and Gavin Welker to injuries in the first half. Meanwhile, Evan Myers got his senior campaign off to a terrific start. “High school football is a great atmosphere…While I’m enjoying my senior year already, it’s sad that we only have nine guaranteed games left,” he said.

Kowen Gerner-Schuylkill Valley

Paul Roberts — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 21:44:07 +0000

Schuylkill Valley set a school record with nine wins in 2023, but the Panthers weren’t happy about sharing the Section 5 championship in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. They ended up in a three-way tie with Lancaster Catholic and Annville-Cleona. Schuylkill Valley is looking for an outright title this fall. “I think we got a really good chance to be better than last year,” stated Kowen Gerner. The 6’2, 180-pound rising senior caught eleven touchdown passes last year, the most in school history. Gerner had 48 catches for 976 yards. He also made 75 tackles at linebacker. During the winter, Gerner averaged nine points per game for the basketball team. The Panthers aren’t lacking for talent at the skill positions. Logan Nawrocki, Luke Spotts, Cooper Hohenadel, and Dillon Lackner are all returning for their senior seasons. Logan Cammauf, a rising junior, is also back at running back. Nawrocki threw for 2,048 yards and 21 scores last year. “The chemistry keeps growing because the more years we play together, the more connected we are. It just keeps getting better,” said Gerner. Nawrocki was named the second team quarterback in Section 5. Spotts was an All-Section pick at linebacker and tight end. He accumulated 100 combined tackles and two interceptions to go along with 23 receptions. Spotts gives Nawrocki another big target at 6’2 and 200 pounds. Hohenadel is a versatile playmaker on offense who also starts at safety. Schuylkill Valley will miss Theo Wysocki up front. The 6’5, 300-pound lineman is at Shippensburg University. Nate Kier and Noah Sonon both started on the offensive line as sophomores a season ago. “I don’t think we have the same size, but I think they’re a lot more athletic,” noted Gerner. The Panthers picked up their second victory all-time in the District 3 playoffs last year. They eventually fell at Wyomissing 48-0 in the District 3-3A semifinals. Bruce Harbach is entering his fourth season as head coach in Leesport. Harbach guided Lancaster Catholic to state championships in 2009 and 2011. He won 139 games and four District 3 titles with the Crusaders over 16 years. Harbach is (15-8) over the past two seasons at Schuylkill Valley. The Panthers’ opener is set for August 23 against a Berks County foe. They will travel to Muhlenberg in Week 1.

Evan Johnson-Twin Valley

Paul Roberts — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 19:43:02 +0000

Evan Johnson doesn’t just perform under the bright lights on Friday night. He also performs on stage. The Twin Valley RB/FS enjoys participating in high school musicals. As a sophomore, Johnson had a lead role in “Grease.” He’ll be a key figure once again this fall on the gridiron. The 5’11, 160-pound rising senior averaged 9.6 yards per carry a season ago. Johnson ran for 936 yards and a dozen touchdowns. The Raiders went (10-2, 5-1) and earned a share of the Section 3 championship with Ephrata and Garden Spot. Their season ended with a 65-28 loss at home to Manheim Central in the District 3-4A semifinals. “Ever since that Manheim [Central] game, we’ve been working very hard and we’re not looking back,” said Johnson. Twin Valley returns eight starters on offense and five on defense. Evan Myers, son of head coach Brett Myers, is back for his fourth year as the starting quarterback. He completed 59 percent of his passes and threw for 1,472 yards in 2023. Myers’ top target, junior Ben Grundy, had 27 receptions for 505 yards last year. Myers is the Raiders’ all-time passing leader. They can run the ball too. Johnson will be joined in the backfield by junior Drew Engle. As a sophomore, Engle piled up 1,411 yards on the ground with 13 scores. He averaged a remarkable 10.5 yards per carry. Navy commit Aris Drake (6’5, 295) will help pave the way for the two speedsters. Delaware Valley transfer Carter Faubel (6’1, 280) will step in at guard. Greyson Miller and Noah DiGiacomo both started on the offensive line as sophomores last fall. Lucas Myers, Evan’s younger brother, is a rising sophomore with a bright future at linebacker. Johnson stays busy after football season. He’s a sprinter on the track and field team, as well as a basketball player. “They help me a lot…hand-eye coordination, speed, being a leader,” said Johnson. He ran 11.51 seconds in the 100 meters. Twin Valley is moving down to Section 4 this year. The Raiders open the season at Berks Catholic on August 23. “I’m looking forward to it a lot, never played them. It will be a fight,” replied Johnson.

Luke Wagner-Twin Valley

Paul Roberts — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 12:46:00 +0000

Luke Wagner’s first extra-base hit of the season came at the right moment. Twin Valley’s junior catcher crushed a three-run double off the wall in left-center to put the Raiders up 12-7 in the 8th at Exeter. That was the final margin as Twin Valley extended its winning streak to six. “I was looking to do something big. We needed more runs. He gave me a pitch I could hit and I took advantage of it,” said Wagner. The (8-3, 5-0) Raiders rallied from a 6-2 deficit after five innings. “We never give up. We always have something to say, something to answer,” replied Wagner. Twin Valley got a pair of runs in the 1st off sophomore Kamren Martin. The righty was just called up to the varsity team on Thursday. Martin settled down and allowed two runs on four hits over four innings. He struck out four and walked two. The (6-5, 2-4) Eagles responded immediately with four runs in the first frame. Brandon Weller singled to center field to score Alex Kelsey. Weller, a freshman catcher, had four of Exeter’s twelve hits on Friday afternoon. He knocked in three runs. Jake Franek’s RBI double to right-center tied it up. The Eagles took the lead on a wild pitch and a ground out. They added two more runs in the 2nd inning thanks to four consecutive hits with two outs. Jake Hafer and Weller provided RBI singles. Hafer, Kelsey, and Carter Redding each went 2-for-4. Kelsey, an All-County center fielder who’s committed to St. Joseph’s, scored three runs. The southpaw took over on the mound for sophomore Liam Porter in the 6th with two men on and nobody out. Wagner drew a bases loaded walk to get the Raiders within 6-3. Wagner, who’s batting .323, was walked three times. Logan Crunkleton grounded out to shortstop, but the throw to first base got away. Twin Valley scored two runs on the play. After a single by leadoff hitter Roman Cieless, Ben Vaughan hammered a two-run double to left-center to give the Raiders a 7-6 advantage. They managed five runs on only two hits in the 6th inning. A two-out line drive single to left field by Weller tied the game in the bottom half of the frame. Exeter put runners on first and second in the 7th, but Owen Rhoads got Kelsey to fly out to center to force extra innings in Reiffton. Rhoads earned the win in relief. He limited the Eagles to one run on two hits and three walks over 3.1 innings. “That was big. He’s one of our best pitchers. I was really comfortable with him coming in,” noted Wagner. Jon Oxendine gave up six runs, four earned, on ten hits in 4.2 innings. He struck out eleven and walked one. Oxendine and Rhoads are both committed to Elizabethtown College. Kelsey walked Nate Lord with the bases loaded to force in the go-ahead run in the 8th. Kevin Eden’s infield single with two outs made it 9-7. Wagner cleared the bases with a double. Wagner, Eden, Cieless, and Vaughan finished with two hits apiece. Designated hitter Paul Colombo was 1-for-3 with a couple of walks. He’s headed to Division II Anderson University in South Carolina. Colombo is batting .483 and Cieless is up to .486 this year. The young Eagles have dropped four of their last five games. They only had two seniors in the starting lineup. Kelsey was charged with eight runs on six hits over 2.2 innings. Exeter committed four errors. Meanwhile, Twin Valley is trying to bounce back from a (10-10) campaign a season ago. The Raiders didn’t qualify for the BCIAA or District 3 playoffs. “We know we’re more than mediocre. We’re pushing ourselves. We’re striving for those playoffs,” stated Wagner.