Blue Sox fall to Valley View

The first time that Valley View and Tamaqua met on the baseball diamond, the game turned out to be quite a battle as VV took a one-run thriller.

This time around, however, the winners erased any doubt that they were the better team, downing the Blue Sox 8-1 in a Schuylkill-Berks Legion contest.

In fact, in the first meeting the game came down to the final out. Tamaqua had the bases loaded before that last out was made. In Thursday's game, though, things were decided early.

A two-run home run in the second by Tanner Troutman started the offensive attack and a three-run sixth frame all but wrapped things up.

"We hit the ball tonight," Valley View head coach Bob Felty commented. "We put it in play and made things happen on the offensive end. We knew we had to do that when we came here (to Tamaqua), because they're always a tough team to defeat."

Meanwhile, the defense of the victors and some timely pitching by Devin Masser stymied the locals' potential output, providing the victorious efforts.

"We just seemed to lack offense tonight," Tamaqua head coach Todd Heisler stated. "I think their pitcher had something to do with it, because we do have a decent hitting team."

Six of View's nine hits in the game were doubles, as Buddy Wehry's two and one each from Dalton Miller, Hunter Bordner, Masser and Sam Spickler provided the necessary firepower.

"I would like to compliment Masser tonight," Felty reiterated. "This is the third game he has pitched for us and even though he had some good defense to back him up, he pitched well for us tonight."

The second inning saw Troutman put the winners on the board first, as his two-run shot went yard for the early lead.

Back-to-back RBI singles in the top of the fifth cushioned the swell, before Masser's three-RBI double in the sixth sealed things up.

In the bottom of the seventh, three singles from the hosts provided their sole run to keep them off the "schnide."

"We lost a couple of games by one run and we won a couple of games by a single run this year," Felty mentioned. "But tonight, I thought our guys kept that initial meeting in the front of their minds and came out and got the job done."

"They are a well-coached team," Heisler commended his team's opponents. "He brought his kids ready to play tonight and I think tonight, we just weren't there."

Tamaqua (2-10) will next take on Pine Grove Saturday night at home.

For the winners, Wehry led the way with a 3-for-3 effort with two doubles and three RBIs. Masser added a 2-for-4 effort with the three-run double.

For the locals, Pete Baddick, Troy Reinhardt, Josh Zehner, Jackson George and Brandon Hosler all had singles in the losing effort.

Valley View 020 123 0 - 8 9 0

Tamaqua 000 000 1 - 1 5 1

Masser and Miller; Reinhardt, George (6) and Matsago. W - Masser. L - Reinhardt. HR: VV - Troutman (2nd, one on).