Hopewell Youth Baseball
12-Year-Old’s Open Hopewell Tournament with 13-5 Win Over West Allegheny
The Hopewell 12-year-olds will play the final games of their careers at the Kane Road Complex as the Hopewell Youth Baseball organization is hosting their final tournament of the 2024 Summer Season.
The Vikings no doubt want to make a lasting memory by winning the championship.
Tonight, Coach Rankin’s team got off to a solid start with a 13-5 win over the West Allegheny Indians. The Hopewell bats were going tonight as they scored multiple runs in every inning but the fifth.
Congrats to Nico Yannessa who hit a home run to centerfield to leadoff off the second inning for Hopewell. That was Nico’s second homerun of this All-Star season. Ryder Kostrick went 2-3 with 2 doubles and 4 RBIs, while Tyler Hoffman was 2-4 with 1 RBI.
TONIGHT’S GAME SUMMARY:
Ethan Adams and Connor Reed started off the game with back-to-back walks and they’d come around to score on a 1-out double to right-field by Kostrick. The third run of the 1st inning would occur as Vin Smetana’s sac fly to right field brought in Kostrick.
West Allegheny answered with 2 runs in the bottom of the first, but Hopewell responded with two of their own in the top of the 2nd inning.
On a 2-2 pitch, Yannessa slammed a ball over the center-field fence and Hopewell increased their lead to 4-2.
Jumping ahead to the 3rd inning, Hopewell plated 3 runs with 2 outs.
Yannessa drew a walk, followed by a single by Hoffman which put runners at 1st and 3rd. Hopewell then pulled off a double-steal with Hoffman moving to second and Yannessa scoring. Hopewell led 6-3. Next up, David Johnson hit a line drive single to center field which scored Hoffman. Hopewell led 7-3. The final run of the inning scored as Johnson used his speed to steal home. Hopewell led 8-3.
Two more runs for Hopewell in the 4th as Kostrick scored two runs on his second double of the game. Hopewell now up 10-3. For the third time tonight, a Hopewell run scored via a steal of home, this time by Kostrick.
Kostrick came on to pitch the 4th inning and set down West Allegheny 1-2-3, courtesy a ground out to Adams at second, a strike out and a fly out to Reed in center field.
Moving ahead to the bottom of the 5th inning and Hopewell leading 11-3, nice defense by the Vikings got them out of the inning.
Liam Rankin was on the mound and West Allegheny had the bases loaded with 0 outs.
That potential threat was erased as the West Allegheny batter lined out to Hoffman at 3rd base, who then stepped on third base to double off the runner. Rankin then ended the inning with a strikeout.
Speaking of Hoffman, he produced the final run of the game for Hopewell with an RBI single to left field, scoring Smetana.
In the bottom of the sixth, West A had the bases loaded with 2 outs, but Rankin ended the game with a strikeout.
FINAL SCORE: HOPEWELL 13 WEST ALLEGHENY 5
The 12-year-olds return to action Saturday night as they will play under the lights as they will host Quaker Valley. First-pitch is set for 7 PM.
