Hopewell Junior High Baseball
Junior High Baseball Team’s Winning Streak Reaches Five, With 12-3 Win Over South Side
The Hopewell Junior High Baseball team continues to make progress and get better.
Want evidence of that?
With today’s 12-3 win at South Side, the Vikings have now won 5 straight games. One other thing, the last time these two teams played, South Side won 16-6. With today’s 9-run victory, that’s a 19 run turnaround.
Without a doubt, the biggest reason for the turnaround is Hopewell’s pitching. When you get good starting pitching, you have a chance to win and that’s what Coach Nick Hoth is getting.
This afternoon, Collin Davis was on the mound and was lights out. The right-hander went 5 innings, allowing only 4 hits, 1 ER, 0 Walks and 6 Strikeouts.
Hopewell got on the board in the top of the first with 3 runs. Leadoff hitter Josh Gill reached on an error and eventually scored on a wild pitch. With with runners at 2nd and 3rd and 1 out, Jackson Yurcina did it job and put the ball in play, grounding out to the shortstop, which scored Davis. Next up, Jayvion Lindsey reached on an infield single, which brought home James Armstrong.
Davis had an easy first two innings, especially the second inning as he retired South Side 1-2-3. In the inning, Davis got a pop fly to Yurcina at 2nd, pop up to Camden Hoth at 3rd and ended the inning with a strikeout.
Hopewell added a run in the 3rd inning, when Ryan Gaguzis singled in Lindsey. For the day, Gaguzis got on base three times (2 singles and a walk).
Trailing by 4 runs in the bottom of the 3rd, South Side had their best chance to get back in the game but Davis buckled down and was outstanding.
South Side had the bases loaded with 0 outs but Davis struck out the next two hitters. After giving up a bloop single which gave South Side their first run, Davis ended their hopes with another punch out.
Hopewell essentially ended the game in the 4th inning as they scored 3 more runs to extend the lead to 7-1.
After a leadoff walk to Davis, Armstrong hit a towering bomb to straight away center field. The ball traveled approximately 340 feet but unfortunately it bounced under the fence for a ground rule double.
Then with runners at 2nd and 3rd and 0 out, Hoth hit a deep fly ball to center, which scored Davis. Armstrong would score on a wild pitch and then with the bases loaded, Gaguzis walked which brought in Yurcina.
South Side has runners at 1st and 3rd with 1 out but once again, Davis stayed strong getting a pop up to shortstop and ending the inking with a strikeout.
Yurcina had a nice at-bat in the 5th as he laced a single to left, scoring Armstrong. The Vikings would score an unearned run and the lead extended to 9-1.
Davis was back out for the 5th inking and it was his most efficient inning as he needed only 6 pitches. Gill helped him out with a great sliding catch in left field and the last out inning was a line drive back to the mound, which Davis snared.
Hopewell loaded the bases in the 6th inning and Armstrong cleared them with a line drive double to left. Hopewell now led 12-1. That was Boo’s 4th hit of the game.
Coach Hoth brought in left-handed Andrew Arzberger to close the game. Arzberger pitched 2 innings, allowing 3 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks and 1 strikeout.
With the win, Hopewell improved their record to 7-3. Their season finale will be at home against Beaver. First pitch is at 4 PM and the game will be played at Hopewell High School.
