Hopewell Youth Baseball
Ryder Kostrick’s Huge Day Leads Hopewell to Semifinals
In their last tournament of the season, the 12-year-old team is playing their best baseball of the month.
The Vikings have advanced to the semifinals of the Hopewell Tournament with an 8-2 win over the Creek Bronco (West Virginia) All-Stars.
The story of the day was the monster game for Ryder Kostrick, who banged out two home runs!
Hopewell received outstanding pitching from the trio of Noah Honess, Ryder Kostrick and Connor Reed, who allowed just 3 hits, 1 walk, while striking out 8 batters.
Hopewell went to the bottom of the first trailing 1-0 but that changed quick as Kostrick hit a 2-run bomb to left field. This was Ryder’s third home run of the 2024 All-Star season.
More 2-out lightning for Hopewell in the bottom of the second as Ethan Adams 2-run single scored David Johnson and Nico Yannessa.
Hopewell now led 4-2.
It was a quick top of the 3rd inning as Honess struck out two hitters.
It was time for Kostrick to build upon his career game.
In the bottom of the 4th, Vin Smetana led off with a double and one batter later, Kostrick hit his second home run of the day.
Kostrick will no doubt be a huge addition to both the Hopewell junior high and Pony league teams next season.
Kostrick pitched the 4th and 5th innings and struck out four of the six batters that he faced.
Head coach BJ Rankin called upon Reed to finish the final frame and Connor struck out two of the 3 hitters.
Up next for the 12-year-old team is a semifinal matchup against West Allegheny.
Go Vikings!
