Hopewell Youth Baseball
11-Year Olds Reach Championship Game Following 11-3 Win Over North Hills/Red
The impressive thing about this Hopewell 11-year-old All-Star team is that it seems every game they a different people leading them to victory.
It’s not a team that relies on one or two players. Because of that and the pitching they receive, the Vikings are a difficult team to beat.
They opened up bracket play this afternoon by taking on host North Hills and like yesterday, Hopewell was victorious, this time by the score of 11-3.
This win puts Hopewell in the championship game for the second straight weekend. They’ll be taking on the winner of North Hills/Black or Shaler.
This afternoon against North Hills, Hopewell played strong defense, received solid pitching and the bats were producing. When that happens, it usually means a win, which as the case this afternoon.
Wade Enders got the starting assignment and got three ground ball outs in the first innings- two to second baseman Wes Gigliotti and one to third baseman Rhett Rankin.
Nearly the same result in the second inning as Enders struck out a batter and then forced two ground outs- one to Gigliotti and the other to Rilynn Davis.
The Vikings produced all the runs they would need in the bottom of the second inning.
Enders reached on an error, Kruz Krotec singled to left field and Davis was hit by a pitch, which loaded the bases. Next up, on a 2-2 pitch, Henry Dunn singled to left field, scoring Enders and Krotec. Hopewell led 2-0. Elliott Mancos, who’s had a really solid tournament, then doubled to right field, scoring Davis and Dunn. Hopewell led 4-0 after two innings.
North Hills added an unearned run in the 3rd inning, but Hopewell once again made two more plays in the field as Davis threw out two runners from shortstop.
Hopewell increased their lead to 7-1 in the 3rd inning courtesy of an RBI double by Krotec, which scored Enders and a 2-out RBI single by Mancos.
Moving ahead to the top of the 5th inning and Hopewell leading 7-3. Krotec was on the mound and all three North Hills batter hit it to Davis and shortstop and she threw out all three batters.
In the bottom of the inning, Dunn picked up an RBI with a single to right field and Connor Eiler would later single to drive in Dunn. Next batter, Brandon Cecchini got in on the act as he followed with an RBI single to center field. Hopewell now led 11-3.
The Vikings lineup has 10 players in it and the 7 thru 10 hitters were a combined 6 for 12 (.500) with 9 RBI today. That’s called getting production from all parts of your lineup.
Krotec stayed on to pitch the final inning and gave his fielders a break as he struck out the side.
FINAL SCORE: HOPEWELL 11 NORTH HILLS/RED 3.
