Sun Valley High School Baseball - Aston, PA - (Aston, PA)

Indians Top Vanguards In Season Finale
May 16, 2012 Unionville jumped out to an early lead, was caught by Sun Valley, then jumped ahead for good in a 10-5 victory over Sun Valley on Senior Day Wednesday. Unionville raced to a quick 5-0 lead in the top of the first as two doubles, a walk and some shaky Sun Valley defense aided in the cause. In the bottom of the second, the Vanguards would show the resilience they've diplayed in the latter stages of the season as they touched Unionville for three. Jake Burrell led off with a walk, Joe Murray walked with one out, and Drew Giampietro's single to left scored both to make it 5-2. A tough two-out at-bat by Ryan Taylor led to a single and third run of the inning to make it 5-3 Unionville. In the third, Nick Lewis led off with a walk, Burrell was hit by a pitch with one out, and Murray's two-out single scored Lewis. Murray would then be plated by Giampietro's double to right center to tie the score at 5-5 after three innings. The score remained that way into the fifth, but things quickly unraveled for the Vanguards. Five hits and a sac fly led to four runs and the Indians led 9-5. A single run was added in the sixth to make it 10-5. That's where things would end for Sun Valley as they were unable to create any type of rally in the late innings. Sean Nelson and Andrew German were both strong in relief. The loss concludes the 19-game Ches-Mont season for Sun Valley at 9-10. The Vanguards will await their playoff fate Thursday night, as the District One Playoff Committee meets and the 2012 brackets are announced. Sun Valley is hopeful for a AAA berth, with playoffs slated to begin at the AAA level on Tuesday, May 22nd. Stay tuned for details. After the meeting, information will be posted here.

Vanguards Top Patriots
May 11, 2012 Sun Valley looked to make it back-to-back wins and five out of six Friday, and they did just that with an exciting 5-4 win over Great Valley. Early offense by the Vanguards, along with a combined pitching effort and clutch defense led the way. In the first, Jay Evans led off the game with a single to left, as a huge hop over the third baseman helped matters. Nick Lewis followed with a walk and Anthony Okoorian's sac bunt moved runners to second and third with one out. Jake Burrell made Okoorian's bunt pay off as his triple to right center cleared the bases and made it 2-0 Sun Valley. Nick Lewis started on the hill and cruised through the first. He was able to escape trouble in the second, leaving the bases juiced. A heads-up play by CJ Pruitt aided his cause as a hump backer behind first base with a runner on and no one out was turned into a not-so-routine force out at second base. Lewis again battled through trouble in the third as runners were stranded at second and third. With the score still at 2-0, Sean Nelson entered in the fourth. A leadoff walk eventually led to the fist Patriots run as a wild pitch with two outs scored the runner from third and cut the lead in half, 2-1 Sun Valley. In the fifth, the Vanguards got a little bit of cushion, plating three with some clutch two out hitting. Drew Giampietro led off with a double and would come into score on a Jay Evans single with one out. With two outs, Anthony Okoorian's single to right center made it 4-1 as Evans came into score. After the Patriots' starter exited, Jake Burrell greeted the next Patriot pitcher with a double down the left field line that scored Okoorian and made it 5-1. Nelson stayed strong on the mound as he stranded two in the fifth and induced a 1-6-3 double play in the sixth after a leadoff single. In the seventh, the Patriots rallied, as is the norm for Ches-Mont teams. A great diving stop in the hole at short and subsequent throw by Ryan Taylor to lead off the inning was neutralized by a controversial safe call at first. A double would naturally follow and the lead was now 5-2. A subsequent error made it 5-3 as Great Valley now had the tying run at the plate with a man on first and no one out. Kevin McGarvey entered and, after falling behind the first batter he faced, got a fly out for the first out. A ground out to short was the second out as the runner moved up to second base. A single to left center made it 5-4 with two outs before McGarvey induced a ground out back at him to end the contest. Next up is potentially the final game of the season (playoffs?) for Sun Valley as Unionville visits Buggy Field on Monday. Game time is 4:00.

Sun Valley Shuts Out Oxford
May 10, 2012 Sun Valley got itself back on the winning track Thursday with a 5-0 victory over Oxford. Billy Vandergrift was masterful on the mound again, facing just two more than the minimum as he allowed just a single in the first inning with one out and a two-out error allowed a second runner to reach in the sixth inning. Vandergrift finished the day with twelve strikeouts and did not walk a batter. Sun Valley jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first as Nick Lewis walked with one out. A two-out single by Jake Burrell brought him in. In the second, the score was extended to 2-0 as Scott Bailey, who had reached base via walk, scored from third in a first and third rundown play. In the third, the Vanguards padded their lead as Burrell led off the frame with a walk and was quickly brought in as Mario Farnell singled hard to right and a throwing error by Oxford led to Burrell scoring. CJ Pruitt's double that followed brought in Farnell to make it 4-0. A Farnell solo home run in the fifth made it 5-0 and ended the scoring for Sun Valley as Vandergrift cruised through the seventh, striking out the side to end it. Sitting at 8-9 and in playoff contention, the Vanguards quickly get back at it Friday at Great Valley.

Downingtown East Downs Sun Valley
May 7, 2012 Downingtown East put an end to Sun Valley's three game win streak on Monday with an 8-5 victory over the Vanguards. On a dreary day, the weather matched the start of the contest as the the Cougars quickly jumped out to a 4-0 victory after the first inning. Hits by Jay Evans and Anthony Okoorian, sandwiched around walks to Nick Lewis and Jake Burrell in the top of the first came up empty as the inning ended on a tag attempt by Lewis at third after a Mario Farnell fly to right. In the home first, three singles, a double, and two walks were quickly turned into four runs. Resiliency was shown by Sun Valley in the second as Joe Murray and Drew Giampietro walked to lead off the second. CJ Pruitt followed with a double that brought in Murray. Ryan Taylor's ground ball to second brought in another run. And, after Jay Evans walked, Nick Lewis' fielder's choice brought in two more after an errant throw. With the score tied 4-4, a leadoff walk in the home half eventually came around to score on a two-out RBI single off the arm of Vanguard reliever Jeff Damon that caused him to leave the game early. Kevin McGarvey came in to shut the door in the second and pitched a solid third as well. A leadoff Sun Valley error in the home fourth opened the door for the Cougars to pad their lead as two doubles and a single eventually brought in three more to make it 8-4. Sun Valley threatened in the fifth as Lewis reached base via error to start the inning and eventually scored on a Burrell infield single to make it 8-5. However, that's where the offense would end. While Pruitt was busy closing the door on the Cougars on the mound in the fifth and sixth, unfortunately, the Vanguard bats went silent as the game would end as it did after the fifth inning - 8-5 Cougars. Next up for Sun Valley is a home contest against Oxford Wednesday.

Sun Valley Downs Blue Demons
May 3, 2012 Sun Valley picked up its third straight Ches-Mont League win of the week with a 10-6 victory over Kennett Thursday, improving to 7-8 in league play. Sean Nelson picked up the win on the mound in his first start of the season and strongest outing thus far. Things started slowly for the Vanguards as, after leaving the bases loaded in the first inning, they were held scoreless in the first three innings. Kennett would get on the board first in the second inning where, after getting the first two outs, the Blue Demons strung together a single, walk, and single to make it 1-0. They would add a second run in the second as a leadoff walk and one out error evventually led to a second two-out run. Sun Valley loaded the bases up in the fourth with no outs before a double play lineout nearly shut down the rally. Jay Evans picked the squad up with a two-out single, plating Joe Murray with two outs and making the score 2-1. After Nelson cruised through the fourth, Sun Valley went back on the attack and scored four in the fifth to turn the tide and make it 5-2 Vanguards. After getting the first out, Kennett pitchers would walk Jake Burrell, Mario Farnell, Joe Murray, and Drew Giampietro. Giampietro's walk tied the score. CJ Pruitt's hard hit ground ball to third turned into a third run as an attempt to get a force at home was mishandled. Ryan Taylor followed with a sacrifice fly to right and then a Steve Collicchio steal of home with two outs made it 5-2. Nelson ran into a bit of trouble in the bottom of the fifth with two outs before Kevin McGarvey came on to shut the door with a strikeout. Sun Valley carried the momentum into the sixth as Evans, Nick Lewis, and Anthony Okoorian walked in succession to lead off the frame. Burrell would then single to right, plating two and making it 7-2 before Farnell deposited the next pitch over the right field fence for a three-run home run that made it 10-2 Vanguards. McGarvey threw a scoreless sixth inning and the score remained 10-2 heading to the bottom of the seventh. A sacrifice fly made it 10-3 with one out and what turned out to be a meaningless three run home run after a controversial non strike-out in the seventh made it 10-6, but that's where the rally would end for the Blue Demons. Next up for Sun Valley is an away contest at Downingtown East Monday.

Vanguards Escape With Win Over Octorara
May 2, 2012 It wasn't pretty, but Sun Valley got the job done with an 11-9 victory over Octorara Wednesday. Spurred on by some early offense, a strong start on the hill by Nick Lewis, some quality innings by the relief core, and resiliency by all, the Vanguards willed their way to the important win. In the first, Sun Valley got off to a quick start sending nine men to the plate. Lewis walked with one out, Anthony Okoorian followed him with a single, and Jake Burrell's ground ball was misplayed into the game's first run. Joe Murray walked with two outs to load the bases, Drew Giampietro's walk brought in Okoorian, Scott Bailey's walk scored Burrell, and Ryan Taylor's single down the 3rd base line brought in two more, making it 5-0 after a half an inning. Lewis faced one over the minimum through three innings and Sun Valley tacked on another run in the fourth as Giampietro was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, moved to third with some gutsy baserunning as Scott Bailey's sac bunt turned into a bunt base hit. Ryan Taylor's sac fly brought in Giampietro to make it 6-0 Sun Valley. Octorara awoke in the fourth as they strung together a single, three doubles, and a catcher's interference play to quickly make it 6-4. Andrew German came in with two outs in the inning to induce a one-pitch groundout, ending the threat. In the Vanguard fifth, Okoorian singled with one out and was followed by walks to Burrell and Farnell. Joe Murray's sac fly scored Okoorian, Burrell scored on a wild pitch, and Farnell would score on Giampietro's squibber that was thrown wildly down the first base line. With the score 9-4 heading to the home fifth, the Braves battled back again with three singles that plated two and made it a 9-6 contest. After Sun Valley went down quietly in the sixth, Burrell replaced German on the mound and threw a scoreless sixth. In the seventh, Sun Valley added some, as it turned out, much needed insurance as Burrell, Skwirut, and Murray walked to load the bases with one out. Giampietro then lined a single to right, scoring two and making it 11-6 heading to the bottom of the seventh. Sean Nelson replaced Burrell on the hill and quickly got the first two outs. Unfortunately, the Braves would rally as a two out walk was followed by two infield errors and a double to clear the bases. Quickly, it was an 11-9 contest before Nelson induced a game-ending flyout to center to end the contest. Next up for Sun Valley is a third and final Ches-Mont contest of the week at Kennett Thursday.

Sun Valley Bounces Back With Walkoff Win
April 30, 2012 Sun Valley rebounded from a rough week last week with a more exciting than necessary 6-5 walkoff win over Avon Grove Monday. Once again it was Vanguard ace, Billy Vandergrift, in control on the mound as he picked up his 3rd win of the season. After a scoreless two and a half innings, Sun Valley received a gift with two outs in the third as Nick Lewis' fly ball to left was mishandled, scoring Steve Collicchio who had walked with one out. With Vandergrift cruising, Sun Valley added two more in the third as Anthony Okoorian singled, Jake Burrell walked, both runners moved up on a wild pitch, and Mario Farnell's single to left made it a 3-0 contest. With the score 3-0 in the fifth, Avon Grove would finally break through as a two-out error in the infield was followed by a double to the wall as Avon Grove made it 3-1 with the unearned run. In the sixth, Sun Valley provided some breathing room as Drew Giampietro led off with a double, Scott Bailey moved him to third with a ground out, and Dave Kropp's groundout brought in Giampietro. A two out single by Okoorian added a fifth run and made it 5-1 entering the seventh inning. Vandergrift quickly got the first two outs before things started to unravel. A bloop single to center was followed up in succession by an infield error, a hit batter, another infield error, a bad hop single, and a walk, ultimately bringing Avon Grove back to 5-5 before Vandergrift ended the inning on his own with a punchout. With momentum clearly on Avon Grove's side in the seventh, the Vanguards were resilient as they bounced right back. Joe Murray walked with one out, Giampietro followed him with a walk, and then Jeff Damon stepped in and singled with two strikes to score Murray and end the contest in walkoff fashion. Vandergrift was dominant again on the mound as he scattered five hits and struck out eight while not allowing an earned run. Next up for Sun Valley is a league contest at Octorara Wednesday.

Vanguards Fall To Lions
April 27, 2012 Sun Valley traveled to Penncrest Friday in their only nonleague contest of the season and came out on the losing end of an ugly 16-5 contest. Sun Valley would start off quickly in the top of the first as Ryan Taylor walked to lead off, was followed by an infield single by Steve Collicchio with one out, and Anthony Okoorian's single plated the first run. Then, with two outs, Kenny Bomhoff's single scored Okoorian and Collicchio to make it 3-0 Sun Valley. However, Penncrest would come right back in their half of the first with three of their own courtesy of two triples, a single, and a sac fly. With the score 3-3 in the second, the Lions would send twelve men to the plate as three errors, four hits, and two walks allowed Penncrest to score six unearned runs, making it 8-3. Two singles by Okoorian and Dave Kropp to lead off the third, followed by a two out double by Antonio Pagano would make it 9-4. Unfortunately, the Lions roared right back to tack on four more in their half of the third courtesy of two more errors, two doubles, a walk, and a sac fly making it 13-4 Penncrest after three innings. In the fourth, Taylor led off with a walk and scored on a two-out single by Okoorian, his third hit in three trips to the plate making it 13-5. Four hits in the fourth along with another Vanguard error allowed Penncrest to score three more and make it 16-5, which is where the contest ended after five innings. Sun Valley will look to get back on track Monday as they begin a stretch of seven pivotal league games in fifteen days to end the season. Next up is a home contest at Avon Grove Monday.

Rustin Routs Vanguards
April 25, 2012 Sun Valley was routed by Bayard Rustin Wednesday by a score of 11-1. Sitting atop the American Conference, the Knights emphatically showed why as they dominated from start to finish. They jumped out of the gates early in the first, plating three runs via 2 singles, 2 walks, and an error. The score remained 3-0 until the bottom of the third as a solo home run, two doubles, and two errors helped Rustin build the lead to 6-0. Four more runs in the fourth via a single, two more home runs, three walks, and an error made it a 10-0 contest after four innings. In the fifth, Sun Valley would finally get on the board as Scott Bailey led off with a single and was brought in with a Steve Collicchio double. Unfortunately though, that's where the Sun Valley offense would end as the two hits in the inning were two of just three on the day (Ryan Taylor had the other). A quick run in the fifth by Rustin ended the contest, 11-1. Next up for Sun Valley is their only non-league contest of the season, an away game at Penncrest Friday.

Shanahan Shuts Down Vanguards
April 24, 2012 Bishop Shanahan made the most of its opportunities in a 4-1 win over Sun Valley Tuesday. After two scoreless innings, the Vanguards would get on the board first in the third inning as Nick Lewis walked with one out, stole second, then scampered home after a steal of third ended with a throw into left field with two outs. Shanahan bounced right back, taking advantage of the second and third infield errors of the contest in the third inning. The leadoff hitter reached via error and then came home to score as the next batter also reached via error. A groundout with one out made it a 2-1 contest after three innings. In the fourth, Anthony Okoorian led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by Drew Giampietro. A throwing error by the pitcher put runners at second and third with no outs. However, both would be stranded there as a strikeout and two popouts ended the inning. A two-run home run in the fourth inning, again after a Sun Valley error, one of six infield errors in the contest by Sun Valley, made it 4-1. That's where the contest would end as Sun Valley could only manage three singles (two by Okoorian) in the loss. Billy Vandergrift was again a tough-luck loser, allowing just three hits, including two meaningless singles in the last inning, striking out three, and walking none. Next up for Sun Valley is a road contest at Bayard Rustin on Wednesday.

Sun Valley Wins Wild One Friday
April 20, 2012 Sun Valley triumphed in a wild one, 14-10, Friday at Unionville. In a game that saw Unionville jump out to an early 4-0 lead, Sun Valley take a 10-4 lead, and Unionville tie the contest 10-10 in the fifth, the Vanguards stayed the course and scored three in the sixth and one in the seventh to come out on top. The Unionville bats came out hot in their half of the first after a quick 1-2-3 inning by the Vanguards. A single, three doubles, and a hit batter plated four runs and chased the Sun Valley starter. However, the Vanguards would bounce right back in the top of the second, sending fourteen men to the plate and scoring eight runs on just three hits. Mario Farnell led off with a single and advanced to second on a misplayed ball by the left fielder. Anthony Okoorian followed with another single. Wildness set in for the Unionville starter then as walks to Joe Murray, Drew Giampietro, Steve Collicchio, Ryan Taylor, a sac by Jay Evans, single by Nick Lewis, a fielder's choice error by Farnell, fielder's choice by Okoorian, and a second walk to both Murray and Giampietro led to the eight runs. Heading into the bottom of the second, it was 8-4 Sun Valley. Sean Nelson came in to relieve in the second and settled things down as he threw three scoreless innings as Sun Valley took the lead and added to it. In the fourth, a one-out double by Okoorian and walk to Murray eventually led to Okoorian scoring as Murray was hung up between first and second, making it a 9-4 contest. In the fifth, Taylor and Evans led off with walks and were sacrificed to second and third by Lewis. A one out sacrifice fly by Jake Burrell provided what looked at the time to be another insurance run. In the home half of the fifth however, Nelson, in his longest outing of the season finally ran into trouble. Two walks, three doubles, a single, and two costly errors allowed Unionville to quickly even the score at 10-10. Andrew German came in to relieve Nelson in the fifth with a runner on and two outs and fought through a third error in the inning to eventually get the last out on a silding catch by Okoorian in left. In the top of the sixth, one-out walks to Murray and Giampietro eventually led to a clutch, two-out pinch single by Dave Kropp that plated Scott Bailey. Kevin McGarvey followed with a wind-blown pop up that dropped and plated two more runs, making it 13-10 Sun Valley. In the bottom of the sixth, the defense picked up the Vanguards again as a one out walk was eventually stranded at third with two outs as a ground ball between Burrell at first and Farnell at second was fielded in short right by Farnell and thrown to German covering first ending the sixth. In the seventh, Burrell made sure a grand slam would only tie the contest as he hit a long home run to center to make it 14-10 Sun Valley. German entered in the seventh and got three fly outs to end the contest and pick up his first varsity win in his longest outing of the season. Next up for Sun Valley is a road contest at Bishop Shanahan Monday.

Vanguards On Winning End Wednesday
April 18, 2012 Sun Valley reversed their fortunes from Monday with a 3-1 victory over Great Valley. Vanguard ace Billy Vandergrift was solid on the mound once again, scattering just five singles over seven innings, striking out four and allowing one unearned run. With the game scoreless through two innings, Great Valley would grab a 1-0 lead with a first and third situation with two outs in the third. With the runner at first picked off, the throw to nail the runner racing home from third was too late. The score remained 1-0 through three innings. In the fourth, the Vanguards struck for two as Jake Burrell led off with a double. After a flyout to left, Anthony Okoorian tied the game with a triple to right field plating Burrell. Okoorian would later score as a wild pitch and indecision eventually led to a Patriot overthrow as Okoorian was able to score. An insurance run would come in the fifth as Ryan Taylor led off with a single. One out later, Burrell's second double of the contest plated Taylor and gave Sun Valley a 3-1 lead. That was all Vandergrift would need as a sixth inning error to start the inning was quickly turned into a 6-4-3 double play. A hit batter in the seventh coupled with a single brought the go-ahead run to the plate, but a ground out ended the contest. Next up for Sun Valley is a road contest at Unionville.

Coatesville Edges Sun Valley
April 16, 2012 Coatesville edged Sun Valley, 4-1, Monday in another contest in which the Vanguards held an early lead, squandered scoring chances, and made errors in the late innings to end up on the wrong side. Jake Burrell got his second start of the season on the mound, going three strong innings, and holding Coatesville scoreless in facing the minimum 9 batters. Meanwhile, after a first inning in which Sun Valley left the bases loaded, the Vanguards got on the board first in the second inning. Steve Collicchio walked with two outs and was singled to third by Ryan Taylor. Collicchio would then score as Taylor was hung up in between first and second two pitches later. CJ Pruitt followed Burrell on the mound with a scoreless fourth inning. After a leadoff runner reached via error for Coatesville in the fifth, he was promptly picked off by Pruitt. However, a one out walk would eventually result in two runs for Coatesville with two consecutive two-out singles, making it 2-1 Coatesville. A leadoff triple by Nick Lewis sparked the Vanguards in the bottom of the fifth. However, three consecutive batters went down on strikes to shut the Vanguards rally down. In the sixth, Coatesville added two more insurance runs via a single, walk, sac bunt and subsequent error and sacrifice fly. With the score 4-1, the Vanguards rallied in the seventh to get two runners on with two outs (Lewis reached via error and Burrell singled), but the rally would end in similar fashion as a called third strike ended the contest. Next up for Sun Valley is a home contest against Great Valley.

Vanguards Make It Two Straight With Win At Oxford
April 12, 2012 Sun Valley made it two straight with a wild 13-10 victory over Oxford Thursday. The Vanguards started off quickly in the top half of the first as Nick Lewis singled with one out. After a Jake Burrell double, Mario Farnell ripped a single that knocked in two. Later in the inning, a balk would bring Farnell home from third to make it 3-0. After a scoreless bottom half of the first, Sun Valley added to its lead with sixth in the second. Ryan Taylor singled to lead off the inning, was sacrificed to second by Jay Evans and an errant throw put runners on second and third. Lewis' second single brought in both Taylor and Evans to make it 5-0. Burrell was hit by a pitch to put two runners on and after two outs were recorded, an Anthony Okoorian single brought home two more to make it 7-0. Drew Giampietro followed with a double to bring home Okoorian and a botched Kevin McGarvey ground out brought home the ninth run, making it 9-0. Oxford failed to score in the second as did Sun Valley in the third. However, Oxford started to peck away at the Vanguard lead with a two-run, two-out double in the home third. After three, the score was 9-2 Sun Valley. In the fourth, the Hornets caused major damage, plating six runs on a walk, four hits, and two costly Vanguard errors. Starter Jeff Damon was replaced by Sean Nelson, who got the last two Hornets of the inning, ending their rally. After four, the score was 9-8 Sun Valley. Sun Valley battled back in the fifth to add some insurance. Taylor again singled to lead off the inning and was sacrificed to second by Evans. Lewis singled in Taylor and then Lewis was brought in by a second Burrell double. Joe Murray helped to add a third in the inning, plating Burrell with a two-out single. The 12-8 lead stayed that way until the sixth inning. Another error by the Vanguards to start the inning was followed by two hits and a walk. With a run in, Nelson was replaced by Lewis with no outs and the bases loaded. Lewis got the first out with a strikeout. The next Hornet hitter singled to bring in another, making it 12-10. However, Lewis would shut the door, getting a strikeout and groundout to end the threat. Another insurance run was added in the seventh as Evans doubled to lead off the inning. He would later score on a wild pitch from third. In the seventh, although Oxford would bring the tying run to the plate with two outs, Lewis induced a pop out to end the contest. Next up for Sun Valley is a home contest Monday against Coatesville.

Sun Valley Picks Up First Win Over Kennett
April 11, 2012 Sun Valley road the pitching of senior Billy Vandergrift to their first win of the season, 3-0, over Kennett Wednesday. Vandergrift worked out of a man on second, no out situation in the first, getting a pop out and two strikeouts to end the inning. In the home half of the first, Jake Burrell reached base with two outs via a hit-by-pitch and was brought home by a sharp single by Mario Farnell that got by the left fielder for an unearned run. Another leadoff by single by Kennett in the second was taken care of by backstop Drew Giampietro as he gunned down a would-be basestealer on a delayed steal. Sun Valley would have its chances in the second, leaving the bases loaded. The score would remain 1-0 through four and a half innings before the Vanguards managed to provide a bit of a cushion with two in their half of the fifth inning. Farnell would get hit with a pitch with one out and would be followed by a Joe Murray walk. The runners moved up on a wild pitch and Anthony Okoorian plated Farnell with an infield single. Giampietro followed with an RBI single to left to make it 3-0. After that it was all Vandergrift as he finished off a complete game effort, allowing just three hits, whiffing twelve, and not walking a Kennett batter. Next up is a matchup at Oxford Thursday.

Vikings Trounce Vanguards
April 9, 2012 The Vikings of West Chester East easily rolled over the Vanguards on Monday with an 11-1, six inning victory. East would escape a bases loaded jam in the first with a groundout and would counter with a single run in the first courtesy of a leadoff single and three wild pitches. The score remained 1-0 through two innings. East would again escape a bases loaded jam in the third and then used that momentum to break things open in the bottom of the third. Five hits including two doubles would plate four runs making it 5-0 through three innings. Sun Valley would finally get on the board in the fourth courtesy of a Joe Murray leadoff single. CJ Pruitt followed with a walk and Ryan Taylor's RBI groundout would bring Murray in from third. East would add four runs in the fourth making it 8-1 after four and would add a single run in the fifth and two more in the sixth to end the contest. Murray, Jake Burrell, and Mario Farnell would account for the only three Vanguard hits in the contest. Up next is a home contest on Wednesday against Kennett.

Sun Valley Edged In Seesaw Battle
April 4, 2012 In the second contest over spring break for Sun Valley, the Vanguards were edged 11-9 by Octorara on Wednesday. After digging themselves a 3-0 hole after an inning and a half of play, Mario Farnell deposited a two-run home run to left center scoring Jake Burrell who had led off the second inning with a walk. With the score 3-2 in favor of Octorara, the Braves added a run in the third to make it 4-2. Ryan Taylor and Jay Evans would walk to lead off the home half of the third and were moved along by a fielder's choice by Anthony Okoorian and a second one by Nick Lewis, plating Taylor to make it 4-3. In the top of the fourth, three hits, an error, and a squeeze bunt would help the Braves break things open with a 3-spot in the fourth, making it 7-3. However, as would be the case all afternoon, the Vanguards battled back in their half of the fourth. A one-out, pinch hit solo home run by Joe Murray made it 7-4 and Nick Lewis' two-out, two-run triple made it a 7-6 contest. Octorara would again break things open with a four run sixth inning courtesy of three hits, a walk, and another costly error by Sun Valley. With the score 11-6, the home half of the sixth produced more fireworks by the Vanguards as Jay Evans singled with one out. Lewis' second triple of the contest brought Evans in. A botched ground ball to third off the bat of Okoorian brought Lewis in. Following a Burrell single, Okoorian and Burrell would move up to 2nd and 3rd on a wild pitch and Drew Giampietro's sac fly brought Okoorian in to make it 11-9. Unfortunately, that's where the scoring would end for both teams as the Vanguards were set down in order in the 7th following a scoreless relief inning by Andrew German in the visitor's seventh. Sun Valley continues to look for its first win of the season on spring break's last day in a Monday contest at West Chester East. Game time is 3:45.

Another Heartbreaker For The Vanguards
April 2, 2012 It was another heartbreaking loss for Sun Valley on Monday as they fell, 2-1 to West Chester Henderson in a well-played ball game. With the winds blowing in, it was a good day to be on the mound as the teams combined for just 7 hits. Henderson would strike first as the first batter of the game was hit, a sacrifice moved him to second, a wild pitch moved him to third, and a ground out brought him in. In the second, Sun Valley threatened as Jake Burrell led off with a single, Drew Giampietro followed him with a walk, and Jeff Damon sacrificed them to second and third. However, a potential sacrifice fly to center resulted in a double play as the Vanguard runner was doubled up at the plate. The score would remain 1-0 through four innings as neither team mounted much of a rally. Henderson would finally break through again in the fifth as a leadoff single, sacrifice bunt, and infield single put runners on 1st and 3rd with one out. A potential double play ball was botched by the Vanguards and resulted in a 2-0 lead through four and a half. Sun Valley would eventually rally in the sixth as Ryan Taylor led off with a single. Nick Lewis would walk with one out to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Then, following a fielders choice, Burrell's second single of the game brought the first run in. Unfortunately for Sun Valley, the third out was made at third base as runners tried to advance a base on the throw home. The game would end 2-1 as Sun Valley could not mount a rally in the seventh. Lost in the game was another stellar performance by Billy Vandergrift on the mound. The senior scattered just four hits (2 infield hits) and walked just one in 7 innings of work. Next up for Sun Valley is a home contest against Octorara on Wednesday.

NCAA Bracket Standings - Final Results
April 3, 2012 NCAA Final Standings
1. Andrea Luistro - 155 Points -WINNER!!!
2. Jack Bomhoff - 150 Points-RUNNER-UP
3. Joe Dodds - 137 Points
4. Anthony Collichio 2 - 135 Points
5. Dave Gervasi - 134 Points
6. Joe Stringer Sr. - 131 Points
7. Coach Kaufhold - 127 Points
8. Ryan Cornomiz - 125 Points
9. Jennifer Josephsen - 123 Points (tiebreaker)
10. Marie Florio - 123 Points

Phillies Season Ticket Winner Drawn!
March 28, 2012 Congratulations go out to Ms. York, 8th grade social studies teacher, as her ticket was drawn today as the winner of the Phillies Sunday Season Ticket plan. On behalf of Sun Valley Baseball, thanks to all who supported the team by purchasing raffle tickets!

Knights Defeat Vanguards
March 28, 2012 Sun Valley suffered defeat at the hands of defending American Conference champion Bayard Rustin 7-1 Wednesday. Just like game one, the second game of the season for Sun Valley was a pitching duel in the early innings. After starer Jeff Damon induced 3 groundouts to start the game, Sun Valley would quickly counter in the home half of the first as Nick Lewis led off with a walk. Two batters later, Jake Burrell's base hit on a hit-and-run play would move Lewis to third. An missed cut-off man on the play would allow Lewis to score and Burrell to move up as well. Unfortunately, the Sun Valley bats never seemed to get moving as they would collect just two more hits in the contest (Giampietro double in the third inning and Taylor single in the seventh). A big fifth inning for Rustin broke the game open as they sent 9 hitters to the plate in the inning. Four singles, a double, a walk, an error, a sac bunt, and sac fly spelled trouble for Sun Valley. Two more insurance runs were added in the seventh inning to make the final 7-1. Next up for Sun Valley is a spring break game on Monday at home against West Chester Henderson.

Downingtown West Edges Sun Valley In Opener
March 26, 2012 The Whippets of Downingtown West edged Sun Valley in the opener for both teams Monday by a 2-1 score. On a cold and blustery day with the wind blowing out, a high-scoring affair might have been predicted. However, it was pitching and defense that overshadowed the offenses in this one. While the Vanguards edged D-West in hits by a 7-5 margin, Sun Valley stranded 10 runners on the day and couldn't seem to come up with the big hit when needed. After threatening in its half of the first three innings, it would be the Whippets who would plate a run in their half of the third on an infield error with one out. Sun Valley countered in the top of the fourth as CJ Pruitt brought home Ryan Piselli with a sacrifice fly to make it a 1-1 contest. The score remained that way until the bottom of the 6th when D-West led off the inning with a solo home run to left center. Sun Valley would again threaten in the seventh as Anthony Okoorian led off the inning with a single. However, the Vanguards were sent down in order after that. Wasted in the contest was a solid pitching performance by Billy Vandergrift (4 IP, 3 hits, 0 earned runs). Offensively, Pruitt was 1 for 2 with a double and sac fly. Okoorian was 2 for 3 with a walk. Next up for Sun Valley is their home opener against Bayard Rustin on Wednesday.

New PIAA Classifications For 2012-13 and 2013-14 Seasons
New PIAA classifications are out for the 2012-2013 (next season) and 2013-2014 school years. As always, numbers are adjusted statewide every two years to balance out class sizes in all sports. Sun Valley baseball will remain at the AAA level as one of 18 District 1 teams. Nine out of those eighteen teams will be invited to the District One tournament at the conclusion of the regular season.

Click on the link below to see the AAA classified teams for baseball:
District One 'AAA'

Maloney Drafted By Texas Rangers In Round 10
June 7, 2011 Congratulations go out to Joe Maloney, Sun Valley class of 2008, as he was selected Tuesday by the Texas Rangers in round 10 of the 2011 MLB draft. Maloney, who just finished his junior year at Limestone College in South Carolina, was an all-state catcher at Sun Valley as he helped the Vanguards to a 21-2 record and District One AAA championship in his senior year. He was also a part of the 2006 squad that reached the PIAA final. At Limestone, Maloney's accomplishments seem endless. Among the many, he was the Conference Carolinas Player of the Year in 2011 and was a 1st Team NCBWA All-American.

Maloney is the second Sun Valley grad to be drafted in three years as TJ Chism (class of 2006) was a 32nd round choice by the New York Mets in 2009.

Click on this link to read the article on Limestone's web site regarding Joe's being drafted...Maloney Drafted By Rangers

Click on this link to read Wednesday's Daily Times Article...Daily Times Article

Again, congratulations to Joe and his family on this great day - best of luck for continued success!

OUR SERVICES

FUNDRAISERS

COMMUNITY

TOURNAMENTS

POPULAR SEARCHES