Mike Vukovcan HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP– Many emotions come with playing sports. When you’re winning it’s really fun but losing isn’t, especially with the manner in which Hopewell lost today.
In their section opener against Beaver, Hopewell certainly played well enough to win and looked as though they were on their way to doing so. However, late-game heroics from Beaver allowed them to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat as Hopewell dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker.
Hopewell softball and youth baseball is sponsored by Lisa McCoy, your neighborhood State Farm agent.
Hopewell’s record falls to 0-3, 0-1 in section and the challenge now for the leaders on this team will be to keep the morale high and keep everything in perspective. While this isn’t the start they had hoped and worked for, it’s where they are and their are plenty of games left to turn it around.
This game turned out being a pitchers duel between Hopewell’s David Medich and Beaver’s Ty Butler. Medich certainly did his job as the senior went 6 innings, allowing just 3 hits, 0 runs, walked 4 and struck out 8 batters. The senior right-hander threw 97 pitches, 61 of which were strikes.
Butler matched Medich’s performance as he pitched a complete game, allowing just 4 hits, 1 earned run, walked 2 and struck out 9 batters.
Although this game was scoreless until the 6th inning both teams had plenty of chances to score but pitching and good defense prevented that from happening.
In the top of the 1st, Beaver loaded the bases with 2 outs but Medich was able to escape that jam by recording a strikeout on a high fastball.
Hopewell had an even better opportunity in the bottom of the 1st, but couldn’t come through which really hurt. Leadoff hitter Kingston Krotec was hit by a pitch and advanced to third base on a hard single by Charlie Smetana up the third base line. Hopewell had runners at 1st and 3rd with 0 out but they were stranded.
In the top of the 3rd, Beaver had a runner at 1st with 2 outs but the inning ended when Smetana threw out the runner as he attempted to steal second. This is the 3rd base runner of the young season that Smetana has thrown out.
In the bottom of the 3rd, Krotec doubled to left-center field with 1 out but was stranded. The game remained scoreless going to the 4th inning.
In the top of the 4th, Beaver got a runner to second base with 2 outs but once again, Medich slammed the door shut with another strikeout.
Hopewell had another golden chance to get on the scoreboard in the 4th inning but were robbed by a great defensive play.
Logan Triscila led off the inning with a walk and went on to steal 2nd and 3rd base. With 1 out, Brody McCullough also reached on a walk. So, the Vikings had runners at 1st and 3rd with 1 out. On the second pitch of the at-bat, James Gill absolutely ripped a line-drive that appeared to be going to the right-field corner. However, as the Beaver first baseman was coming off of first covering McCullough, his momentum which was carrying him to the right, allowed him to be in perfect position to make the catch. Gill couldn’t have hit the ball any harder or better but unfortunately, the Beaver first baseman was there to make the catch.
After another quick inning from Medich in the 5th, Hopewell finally took the lead in the bottom of the frame.
With 1 out, James Armstrong ripped a double to center field, his first career varsity extra-base hit. Then with 2 outs, Smetana came through with a hard line drive up the left-field line to bring in Armstrong, Hopewell led 1-0.
Beaver looked as though they were going to either tie the game or take the lead in the top of the 6th but Medich performed a magic act to get out of the jam.
Beaver loaded the bases with 0 outs but Medich did his best pitching of the game as he retired the next 3 batters on a pop up to Smetana, a grounder back to the mound, which Medich threw home for a force out and ended the inning on a fly ball to Triscila in right field.
After Hopewell went down 1-2-3 in the 6th inning, they needed just 3 outs to pick up the win.
Lefty Ben McDonald came on to relieve Medich and got the first out on a flyout to Krotec in center. The next two Beaver batters reached but McDonald recorded the second out on a flyout to Triscila in right field.
However with 2 on and 2 outs, Beaver’s Derek Hughes hit a low line-drive to left field that got down and rolled to the wall for a double and two Beaver runners scored.
Butler stayed on to pitch the final frame and set down Hopewell 1-2-3.
Final Score: Beaver 2 Hopewell 1.
These two teams will go at it again tomorrow with the game being played at Beaver.
