Hamburg keeps piece of Berks Section 2 lead with win over Conrad Weiser

ROBESONIA >> The Hamburg Hawks would like to remind everyone that they are right in the mix in the Berks League Section 2 baseball race.

 

With defending section champ Berks Catholic and contender Twin Valley –fronted by big-time pitching ace AJ Alexy – garnering much of the attention this spring, the Hawks have quietly gone about their business, carving out a spot atop the divisional race to call their own.

 

The status quo didn’t change Wednesday afternoon at Conrad Weiser, where Ryan Smith threw a three-hitter at the Scouts to help lead Hamburg to a 7-1 victory under chilly, misty steel-gray skies in Robesonia.

 

Hamburg’s win keeps the Hawks (9-3, 6-1) locked in at the top of Section 2 with Berks Catholic. The Saints (12-4, 6-1) defeated Schuylkill Valley 4-0 Wednesday to keep pace. Twin Valley sits a game out at 5-2 (11-2 overall), following its win against Fleetwood.

 

As a reminder, Hamburg won the section just two years ago, in 2014, so it’s not as if the Hawks are strangers in this annual tussle. But two years can be a lifetime in the minds of young ballplayers. Against the Scouts, head coach Nick Evangelista’s crew took care of a squad in Weiser (2-12, 2-5) that has been scuffling a bit this season.

 

“I know we can play much better,” Evangelista said. “There are seven or eight teams in this league that can win this thing and I absolutely think we’re one of them.

 

“We had AJ beat 1-0 going into the bottom of the sixth and they scored a couple of runs and lost 3-1. We beat BC first time through. There’s no doubt in my mind we have the kind of club that win this thing. But we need to step it up and play better than we are right now. Ability and mentality-wise, we’re right there.”

 

The Scouts hung around for three innings in scoreless duel between Smith and Weiser’s Fred Madden, before Hawk bats awoke the second time through the lineup in the top of the fourth. Hamburg scored two runs on three hits, with one Weiser error, to grab a 2-0 lead.

 

The hosts shaved that in half with a run in the bottom of half on the inning, coming unearned on an infield error with two outs.

 

But Hamburg clinched the verdict with two runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to push the contest to its final margin. The sixth frame featured seven batters – four singles, two stolen bases, a sacrifice bunt and fly, all coming off Madden, who did not return for the seventh inning.

 

Logan Adams featured prominently out of the cleanup spot for Hamburg. The senior second baseman was 3-for-4, with his fourth-inning double setting up the icebreaker. Austin Schlenker added a double and a single. Smith helped himself out with two base hits and an RBI.

 

On the mound, Smith was able to suppress the Scouts without, according to Evangelists, his “best stuff.” He struck out five and walked two in the complete-game effort, settling in after some early command issues were ironed out.

 

“Ryan’s always been strong for us on the hill,” Evangelista said. “He struggled with his command early in the count to a lot of their hitters. We want to see more first-pitch strikes out him, and he knows that. He didn’t have his best stuff today and was still able to toss a (three)-hitter.”

 

Hamburg 7, Conrad Weiser 1

Hamburg –  0  0  0   2  2  3   0 — 7  9  1

Conrad Weiser – 0  0  0   1  0  0   0 — 1  3  4

WP: Ryan Smith   LP: Fred Madden

2B: H, 3 (Smith, Adams, Schlenker): CW, 1 (Orischak)