Hopewell Baseball Pony Team Hoffman Holds on to Victory VS. Central Valley

Tonight marked the season opener for the Hopewell Rec League Pony Baseball team, who hosted Central Valley at Raccoon Park—one of the club’s newly revitalized venues. Under clear spring skies, dandelions speckled the outfield grass, while the infield played smoothly thanks to recent upkeep.

Hopewell Youth Baseball has made a concerted effort to breathe new life into Raccoon Park. Last season saw the installation of new netting on the Pony field, and this year’s work has included repairs to both dugouts, enhancements to the playing surfaces, and upgrades to on-site storage areas. As the program continues to expand and demand for practice and tournament space grows, these improvements position Raccoon Park as a valuable alternative for teams throughout the region.

In tonight’s matchup the Vikings jumped out to an early advantage and weathered a late Central Valley rally to secure a 7-5 victory on Monday.

Reed Budavich ignited the offense in the first inning with a two-run single, and The Vikings never looked back. In the second frame, Noah Honess’s patience at the plate set the table for another pair of runs, extending the lead to 4–1. The third inning saw Ryder Kostrick drive a sharp single down the left-field line, bringing home two more and pushing the score to 6–1.

On the mound, Luke Vukovcan delivered a commanding performance, firing four innings of one-run ball on just two hits, while amassing nine strikeouts. When Kostrick took over in relief, he stifled Central Valley across two hitless innings and struck out four, preserving the five-run cushion heading into the late innings.

Central Valley, however, chipped away in the fifth and sixth innings. Consecutive singles and a groundout produced four runs, tightening the margin to 7–5 and putting the pressure on The Vikings’ bullpen. But the early run support proved decisive.

At the plate, Budavich and Kostrick led The Vikings with two RBIs apiece, while Tyler Hoffman, Kostrick, and Vukovcan each collected two hits. For Central Valley, Brandon Woelfel went 2-for-3 with an RBI and four stolen bases, and Preston Johnson and Jaxon McPhillomy each added an RBI.

The Vikings’ combination of timely hitting and strong pitching set the tone for the win as they look ahead to their next outing. Although too early to analyze there is a deep talent base on the team with a group of kids that have played baseball together since coaches pitch. Chip Hoffman is the Head Coach and knows the these kids having been a part of their teams over the last several years, their is much optimism from both Chip and the kids as their faces were lit up as they exited the field with their first win of the season!