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Braves Cap Regular Season With 6 Straight Wins

BY ARA GRIGORIAN

Pequea Valley baseball coach Carl Langley has said that his team is better than its record indicated.

He was quoted as saying that back when the Braves had a 2-10 record.

Those same Braves finished the regular season with a sixgame winning streak and an 8-10 record.

“Five of our losses were against 5A or 4A schools,” Langley pointed out. “It’s too bad we didn’t make districts, but these last few games showed the kids what a great team they were all along.”

The final stretch of the season included some demonstration of power as well as a pair of games with late-inning heroics.

With three of the six straight wins already under their belts, the Braves faced Lancaster-Lebanon League rival Columbia on Thursday, May 5.

With senior Dylan Knott slugging two home runs, the Braves went on to win 9-2 with fellow senior Jaden Estevez pitching six strong innings for the win.

In yet another display of senior leadership, Gavin Eby stroked a triple and scored a run.

Eby took to the mound on Monday, May 9, in a nonleague home game with Schuylkill Valley.

“We won it 5-4 in extra innings,” Langley explained. “Peyton Temple hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning.

“He was struggling earlier in the game,” continued the coach. “I had confidence in him and sure enough - bottom of the eighth, solid line drive to left field scored the winning run. I was happy for him.”

Eby started the game and Knott came on in relief to pitch the rest of the way, picking up the victory on Temple’s walk-off.

Pequea continued with another non-league victory, defeating Brandywine Heights on the road in an exciting one-run comeback win.

This was one of those games where Langley’s squad overcame adversity and pulled off a nearly impossible win.

“We were losing 6-5 in the last inning,” he explained. “We were down to our last out and Dylan Knott hit a home run to tie the game.”

Not only did Knott knot the score, he inspired the rally to continue. Eby singled and catcher Cristian Smucker slugged a two-run home run to make it 8-6 Pequea.

The Bullets scored a run in the home half of the seventh and threatened to stage a walk-off win of their own.

“It was wild how it ended,” Langley said. “They got three singles to start off the inning and scored a run.

“They had first and third with one out,” continued the coach, “and their next hitter hit a ball deep to center field. By the time Gavin tracked it down in center, their runner from first was nearly at third base. Gavin doubled him up to end the game.”

BOYS TENNIS

At the District Three Class 2A Tennis Championships in Hershey, the Pequea Valley team reached the semifinals before losing a close 3-2 match to Conrad Weiser. In addition, at the singles championships, Wade Stoltzfus reached the second round before losing to eventual champ Nile Abadir of Lancaster Country Day on Friday, May 6.

In the singles brackets, Stoltzfus topped Antonio Corono of Hanover 7-5, 6-2 before going up against Abadir. The top-seeded Abadir won 6-1, 6-0 and went on to defeat Conrad Weiser’s Armaan Malik 6-0, 6-0 before taking on his own teammate in the championship match - a 6-1, 6-3 defeat of Freddie Bloom on Saturday, May 7.

In the team tournament, Pequea swept the singles matches with Wade Stoltzfus (6-3 6-1) Jazae Itegi (3-6, 76, 6-2) and Hayden Winey (6-4, 6-3) earning enough points for a team victory. In doubles, Joel Peifer and Dylan Ratjavong played in probably one of the toughest matches all season, losing 76 (2) and 6-4. Sam Arena and Cole Stoltzfus came up short in first doubles.

In their battle with Conrad Weiser Itegi escaped 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 at number two singles and the pairing of Cole Stoltzfus and Arena posted a 6-4, 7-5 win.

Peifer and Ratjavong made it an even closer battle at number two doubles, losing the first set 7-6 (3) and coming back for a tough 7-6 (4) victory before falling 6-3 in the third set.

The Braves earned a spot in the consolation match against Donegal.

SOFTBALL

Coming off their 20-7 victory over Lancaster Mennonite one week earlier, the Braves defeated Octorara 15-4 on Monday, May 9.

The Braves scored four times in each of the first two innings and scored in all but the fifth frame. The scoring came with the aid of seven walks by the Octorara Braves’ pitchers.

The bats also contributed to the offense as Emily Ammon slugged a solo home run - one of two hits on the day. Sophomore Carissa Moulder had two hits and two runs, also driving in three runs. Olivia Clark smashed two doubles, scored a run, and drove in three.

“Everybody contributed, so it was a good win,” said head coach Doug High. “We also had no errors.”

The no errors also supported the effort of Maddy Hassis, who pitched a complete game and recorded five strikeouts.

Pequea improved to 6-10 on the year with that win. On Wednesday, May 11, the Braves faced Solanco at home.

The offense was stifled by the visitors as Maddy Clark’s single proved to be the Braves’ lone hit of the game in a 15-0 loss. The Mules scored 15 on 11 hits.

Photo by Joe Caulfield

Pequea Valley’s Dylan Knott checks his swing on the low-andaway pitch in the Braves’ 5-4, nonleague win over Schuylkill Valley last Monday in Kinzers.

Photo by Joe Caulfield

Jayden Stoltzfus pulls up at second base after roping a double in Pequea Valley’s 5-4, nonleague victory over visiting Schuylkill Valley on May 9. for more photos, visit www.townlively.com