HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS: Hurricanes beat Minersville, take Division II lead.

Chuck Curley, Republican & Herald, Pottsville, Pa.
·5 min read

May 9—MINERSVILLE — Schuylkill Haven's baseball team beat not only Minersville on Saturday, but also soggy field conditions.

With Jake Houtz playing key roles as both a pitcher and a hitter, the Hurricanes took the top spot in the Schuylkill League's Division II with an 11-3, six-inning triumph over the Battlin' Miners on Del Hauck Field.

On the mound, Houtz allowed four hits. At the plate, Houtz's three-run home run was the biggest hit in a seven-run, four-hit third inning. The Hurricanes then scored in the next three innings to assure the victory.

With the win, Schuylkill Haven improved to 9-2 in Division II, matched by Williams Valley. However, the Hurricanes have defeated the Vikings twice this season. Both teams have a half-game lead on Tri-Valley, 8-2 in the division.

Aidan Clauser and Mason Ulsh each had three hits for Schuylkill Haven. Conlan Buletza added two hits.

John Adams doubled twice for Minersville, which committed six errors and allowed six unearned runs.

SH (14-3,9-2);007;211;—;11;12;4

Min (9-9, 4-7);000;201;—;3;4;6

Houtz and Pothering; Adams, Chikotas (4) and Schultz. W — Houtz (5-3). L — Adams (2-6).

Hits: Schuylkill Haven — McGoey, Ulsh 3, Houtz, Clauser 3, Pothering, Buletza 2, Davis. Minersville — Adams 2, Cullen, Motley.

2B — Adams 2. HR — Houtz.

Tamaqua 5

Mount Carmel 4

KULPMONT — Down 2-0 after two innings, the Blue Raiders took advantage of a Joel Schellhammer double, a Lucas Milot single, a pair of walks and an error to push three across and work into the lead.

The Red Tornadoes scored a single run to tie the score 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth, but a pair of runs in the top of the six gave Tamaqua the lead for good.

Schellhammer paced the Raiders on offense with a double and single. Milot added two singles and Lucas Schickram contributed a triple.

Tam (5-10);003;002;0;—;5;7;3

MC;200;011;0;—;4;8;3

Miller, Coccio (5), Wickersham (7) and Mushock; Dowkus, Bently (7) and Lasko. W — Coccio (1-1). L — Dowkus.

Hits: Tamaqua — Moyer, Schickram, Coccio, Schellhammer 2, Milot 2. Mount Carmel — Sandri, Dowkus, Lokitis 2, McDonald 3, Witkoski.

2B — Schellhammer. 3B — Schickram.

Shenandoah Valley 14

Lehighton 9

LEHIGHTON — Brady Najda drove home four runs and was the winning pitcher as Shenandoah Valley defeated Lehighton in a non-league game.

Nick Mikita had three hits and Jake Matta doubled and singled for the Blue Devils, who scored seven times in the fourth inning to pull away from a 6-4 lead.

Ian Rarick, who tripled and doubled, joined Aiden Rarick, who doubled, and Randy Bongiorno with three hits each for the Indians. Both Raricks had three RBIs each and Bongiorno had two.

SV (9-9);330;700;1;—;14;9;3

Leh (2-14);040;130;1;—;9;11;5

Najda, Boris (5), Kosar (5) and Vevasis; Bowman, Bongiorno (4) and Yeakel, Poole (4). W — Najda (1-0). L — Bowman (0-4).

Hits: Shenandoah Valley — Mikita 3, J. Matta 2, Maksimik, Najda, L. Matta, Vevasis. Lehighton — I. Rarick 3, A. Rarick 3, Bongiorno 3, Yeakel, Poole.

2B — J. Matta, I. Rarick, A. Rarick, Poole. 3B — Maksimik, I. Rarick.

Kennard-Dale 1

Hamburg 0

FAWN GROVE — Despite 11 strikeouts and a three-hitter over six innings by Hunter Shuey, Hamburg lost to Kennard-Dale in a non-league game.

Tristan Baer had two hits for the Hawks (12-7), who lost their third straight game and were held to four hits.

Mahanoy Area 6

Notre Dame -E.S. 5

EAST STROUDSBURG — The Golden Bears hit the road and earned a non-league victory. No details were provided.

Softball

Miners finish 2nd

at Blue Mountain Tournament

ORWIGSBURG — Olivia Wolk and Madison Forsythe hit a home run each, leading Hazleton Area to a 10-2 victory over Minersville in the title game of the Blue Mountain Tournament.

Minersville managed only four hits in the contest, with Hailee Levonas, Aramie Arroyo, Shea Hossler and Averee Horoschak contributing a single each.

In the consolation game, Blue Mountain scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning and held off Brandywine Heights 8-4.

Ava Peel held the hot bat for the Eagles, going 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and three RBIs. Mattea Dayson and Paige Bergan added two hits apiece for Blue Mountain. Anna Laughlin knocked in a pair of runs, while Bryn Russian and Dayson both scored twice. The Eagles stole 10 bases in the game.

In the semifinals, Arroyo pitched a three-hitter and struck out 13 to lead the Miners over Blue Mountain 9-3. Arroyo helped herself with two RBIs.

Minersville's No. 8 batter Levonas went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI, and No. 9 batter Hossler singled, tripled, scored a run and drove in one. MaKaila Frie-Karkanica added two RBIs for Minersville.

Laughlin hit a solo home run for Blue Mountain.

Blue Mountain Tournament

At Patton Field

Semifinal

Min (11-5);001;404;0;—;9;8;3

BM (9-6);200;001;0;—;3;3;5

Arroyo and Horoschak; Grogan, Russian (5) and Bergan. W — Arroyo (11-5). L — Grogan (1-2).

Hits: Minersville — Frie-Karkanica, Arroyo, Hart, Adams, Levonas 2, Hossler 2. Blue Mountain — Russian, Laughlin, Freiwald.

3B — Hossler, Russian. HR — Laughlin.

Consolation

BM (10-6);001;300;4;—;8;9;0

BH (10-7);200;110;0;—;4;7;3

Freiwald and Bergan; Schuster and Lukinich. W — Freiwald (6-2). L — Schuster.

Hits: Blue Mountain — Walasavage, Laughlin, Dayson 2, Freiwald, Bergan 2, Peel 2. Brandywine Heights — Fay, Schuster, Reinert, Arnold, Jones 2, Lukinich.

2B — Peel, Jones. 3B — Peel.

Championship

Haz (10-5);002;313;1;—;10;7;2

Min (11-6);000;011;0;—;2;4;3

Kennedy and Peters; Arroyo and Horoschak. W — Kennedy. L — Arroyo (11-6).

Hits: Hazleton Area — Wolk, Daniels 2, Peters, Mrochko 2, Forsythe. Minersville — Levonas, Arroyo, Hossler, Horoschak.

2B — Daniels, Mrochko. HR — Wolk, Forsythe.

Hamburg 16

Annville-Cleona 0

HAMBURG — Hailey Strunk pitched a one-hit shutout over four innings and Haley Gravish homered as Hamburg downed Annville-Cleona in a non-league game.

Kylah Reading had three hits, including a triple. for the Hawks, while Katie Behler and Sarah Kramer each doubled and singled. Kramer had four RBIs, Gravish had three and Reading, Avrie Schiffert and Behler each had two.

In the circle, Strunk struck out seven.

AC (8-7);000;0;—;0;1;4

Ham (16-2);212;(11);—;16;13;0

Andrews, Pulaski (4) and Clay; Strunk and Gassert. W — Strunk (3-0). L — Andrews.

Hits: Annville-Cleona — Pulaski. Hamburg — Reading 3, Schiffert, Gravish, Gassert, Kleckner, Behler 2, Strunk, Kramer 2, Edwards.

2B — Behler, Kramer. 3B — Reading. HR — Gravish.