Mike Vukovcan BEAVER FALLS-Â The 2025 Colt League Baseball season began for the Hopewell Vikings as they traveled to Beaver Falls.
This team is coached by Hopewell HS Head Coach Morgan Singletary and made up of players on Hopewell’s varsity team as well as a few 8th graders.
In tonight’s season opener, Coach Singletary went with junior Payton Korker, who was outstanding as Hopewell shutout Beaver Falls, 11-0 in 5 innings.
Hopewell’s Payton Korker
The right-hander went 3 innings, allowing only 3 hits, 0 walks and 4 strikeouts. Freshman Owen Ackerman pitched the final two innings, giving up only 1 hits, 1 walk and struck out two batters.
Hopewell struck for 3 runs in the top of the 1st inning. Collin Davis and Jayvion Lindsey led off the game with back-to-back walks. Then with 2 on, Jake Knobloch singled to bring in Davis, Hopewell led 1-0.
Then with 1 out, Josh Gill dumped a single down the right field line to bring in Lindsey and Knobloch, Hopewell led 3-0.
Korker had an easy bottom of the first inning with a nice play coming from shortstop Jake Knobloch, who charged in to field a ball and Vukovcan made a nice stretch at first to get the runner. Korker then struck out the next two batters.
Hopewell added 3 more runs in the 2nd inning. Two runs scored on a ground ball fielders choice by David Villanueva and an error by the Beaver Falls infield.
In the bottom of the 2nd, Korker recorded two more strikeouts along with a groundout to Vukovcan at first.
Three more Hopewell runs in the 3rd inning. Lindsey led off with a walk, followed by a Knobloch single and a walk to Vukovcan. Then with the bases loaded, Gill drew a walk to score Lindsey, Hopewell led 7-0.
Then with 1 out and the bases loaded, Parker Hoth was hit by a pitch to make it 8-0. The final run of the inning crossed the plate when Vukovcan scored on a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the 3rd, Beaver Falls has their only threat as two runners reached with 2 outs. However, Korker stranded both runners with a pop up to Vukovcan at first.
Ackerman entered in the bottom of the 4th inning and made quick work of BF as he got two groundouts to Knobloch and a pop up to Davis at 2nd base.
Hopewell added two unearned runs in the top of the 5th to stretch the lead to 11-0. By having a 10-+ lead in the 5th inning, Hopewell just needed to not allow two runs in the bottom of the 5th and the game would be over.
Ackerman allowed the first two runners to reach but Owen came back to strike out the next two batters. Then with two outs, the game ended on a nice catch by Davis in short right field.
Final Score: Hopewell 11 Beaver Falls 0.
Next Game: Hopewell travels to Central Valley on Thursday.
