5/26/2009

Legion team capsules
Twin Valley Raiders

Coach: Joe Valenti, first season.

Last season: 11-10 Division 2, 19-13; Berks playoff qualifier.

Key returnees: INF-P Brad Smith, INF Jesse May, OF-P Kevin Kroener, P-INF Cody Albright, OF-C Ben Nelson, P-OF Justin Pacana, OF-P Connor Corson, OF Dan Myers.

Others to watch: OF-P Scott Cahill, INF-P Eric Geedey, C-INF Jeremy Gerringer, OF-P Bill Jennings, INF-P Dylan Willis, C-INF Greg Reardon, P-INF Lewie Fegner, INF-P Brandin Snyder, OF-P Joe Valenti.

The pitch: A well-rounded bunch returns for the Raiders. How it adjusts to a late high school season and a late coaching change will determine its fate.

6/10/2009

•Muhlenberg 7, Twin Valley 3: At Laureldale, Eric Nester had two hits and two RBIs to help the A's (3-1, 8-2) outgun the Raiders (1-1, 1-1).

Nester and Chad Wisniewski each had RBI singles as Muhlenberg took control with a three-run third. Nester later drove in the final A's run with a ninth-inning triple.

Muhlenberg had stretched its lead to 6-3 with a two-run eighth highlighted by RBI singles from Gabe Fellin and Pete McGinley.

Brad Nelson had two hits, including a solo home run, for Twin Valley.

6/14/2009

Raiders roll over Orioles
Reading Eagle

Twin Valley scored eight runs in the third inning to beat Daniel Boone 14-1 in a Berks Legion League game that was called after seven innings Saturday night at Optimist Field.

Raiders No. 2 hitter Brad Smith went 4-for-4 with two doubles and a triple, helping set the table for Conner Corson, who finished 2-for-4 with five RBIs.

Ben Nelson also drove in four runs with a home run for Twin Valley.

Smith and Kevin Kroner combined to allow just three hits, one unearned run and 10 strikeouts in seven innings for the Raiders (2-1, 2-1).

Six errors by the Orioles (2-1, 5-4) led to just three of Twin Valley's 14 runs being charged as earned.

The Raiders have scored a combined 41 runs in their two wins after scoring 27 against Schuylkill Valley June 7.

6/17/2009

•Twin Valley 10, Hamburg 5: At Hamburg Community Park, Ben Nelson went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs to lead the Raiders (3-1, 3-1) past the Reds (0-6, 0-8).

For Hamburg, Mike Specht went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and Cody Kauffman was 3-for-4 and scored twice.

6/20/2009

•Twin Valley 13, Kutztown 2 (7): At Breidegam Field, Connor Corson homered twice and drove in four runs to lead the Raiders (4-1, 4-1) past the Cougars (5-3, 6-3) in a game that was shortened due to the mercy rule.

Corson hit two-run homers in a five-run fourth inning and also in the fifth.

Winning pitcher Brad Smith allowed three hits and one earned run. He struck out six and walked two.

Also for Twin Valley, Justin Pacana went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs and Jesse May was 3-for-5 with a double.

Steve Motika homered for Kutztown and finished with two hits.


6/23/2009

Raiders strike quickly, hand Shillington 2nd straight loss
Reading Eagle

Cody Albright went the distance on a six-hitter and Danny Myers and Brad Smith each drove in a pair of runs as Twin Valley handed Shillington its second straight defeat with a 5-2 win over the Red Sox Monday at Rulon L. Griffith Field.

Myers doubled in a run and Albright walked with the bases loaded in the top of the first to give the Raiders (4-2, 4-2) a lead they would never surrender.

Myers went 3-for-3 and also scored two runs; Smith was 2-for-2 for Twin Valley.

Albright walked four and struck out six.

Dan Ruffner went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run for Shillington (5-2, 10-3).






6/24/2009

• Twin Valley 13, Fleetwood 3 (8): At Twin Valley, the Raiders (6-1, 6-1) broke out with five runs in the seventh to pull away from the Tigers (4-7, 5-10) in a game that was called early due to the mercy rule.

Cody Albright hit a two-run double to highlight Twin Valley's seventh, which also included Brad Smith's run-scoring double and Justin Pacana's RBI single.

Smith finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs, two doubles and a triple; Pacana went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a pair of RBIs.

Aaron Dietrich went 2-for-3 to lead Fleetwood.

6/25/2009

Owls beat Twin Valley, clinch playoff spot
Reading Eagle

Winning pitcher Chris Gehris doubled twice as visiting West Lawn beat Twin Valley 14-7 Wednesday night to clinch a Berks Legion League playoff berth.

Jonah Pulford went 3-for-6 with a triple and a double for the Owls (8-4, 14-8), who rallied from a 5-4 deficit by scoring eight runs in the top of the sixth. West Lawn had three doubles, two singles, four walks and a hit batsman in the inning.

Chad Swavely doubled, singled and scored three runs for the Owls.

Cody Albright and Dan Myers homered for the Raiders (6-2, 6-2), who saw their five-game winning streak end. Kevin Kroener went 2-for-5.


6/26/2009

•Twin Valley 17, Topton 9 (7): At Brandywine Heights Middle School, Connor Corson and Justin Pacana combined to drive in 10 runs as the Raiders (7-2, 7-2) beat the struggling Rams (1-5, 1-5).

Kevin Kroener's two-run triple and Corson's two-run double overcame a 3-0 Topton lead in a seven-run third.

In the fifth, Jeremy Gerringer hit a two-run homer and Pacana followed with a three-run blast.

Pacana finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs and also picked up the win; Corson went 3-for-5 with six RBIs.

6/27/2009

Lights-out win gives Raiders playoff spot
Reading Eagle

Twin Valley slugged the lights out Friday night. Literally.

The Raiders racked up 14 hits in pounding out a 12-5 Berks Legion League win against visiting Wyomissing in a game delayed once by lightning, and later when the lights at the field temporarily malfunctioned.

In the end, Twin Valley (8-2, 8-2) emerged with its eighth win, which clinches a league playoff berth. The Raiders have qualified for the postseason in both of their seasons since joining the Berks League last summer.

For the Angels (3-8, 3-8), the loss officially knocks them out of playoff contention.

Ben Nelson (3-for-4, four RBIs) keyed a big five-run first inning for Twin Valley with a three-run homer. Also for the Raiders, Justin Pacana went 3-for-5 and drove in four runs, Cory Albright was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Brad Smith went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.

Scott Cahill went 52/3 innings for the win, giving up four runs on three hits and six walks.

Twin Valley was playing for the fifth straight night.

Josiel Ulloa was 2-for-4 with a double for Wyomissing.


6/27/2009

Winning is Raiders' only constant
By Don Stewart
Reading Eagle

Twin Valley quietly made another Legion coaching change June 13, when Toby Ranck and Danny Myers were named co-head coaches after Joe Valenti stepped down.

It was the team's third coaching change this year, but the Raiders have thrived amidst the chaos.

Twin Valley entered Friday at 7-2, good for a tie for second place in the Berks League. Led by ace pitcher Brad Smith, the Raiders have posted impressive wins over Kutztown, Shillington and Daniel Boone.

"They've been doing fine with it," said Ranck, a '98 Twin Valley grad who played at Albright. "This is a good group of guys. They play as a team, which is why I think they're playing so well. They're real easy to coach. They take what we have to say, and they apply it to their everyday play, and they're very willing.

"They've played together all through Little League up until now. So they know how each other play, and they continue to do well."

Ranck admitted the players manage themselves much of the time. It's understandable, given the lack of coaching stability they've endured.

The Raiders hired Ed May to replace Jason McCord in January, but May stepped down in late April. Valenti was hired May 15 and went 2-1 before stepping aside in favor of Ranck and Myers.

Ranck also has been an assistant with the high school team the past three seasons. In the spring, Twin Valley named Matt Royer head coach a week before the season, but the Raiders still won their first District 3-AAA title and reached the quarterfinals of the state tournament.

"Matt Royer coached the high school team, which was an opportunity for myself and for the team to learn things that we wouldn't have had in our knowledge," Ranck said. "That helped out. With that, we're capable of carrying it over to Legion.

"What's good about it is, they know what they're capable of. We don't take any team lightly, but we plan on winning them all."

The high school success resulted in a late season, however, which pushed back the start of Legion ball. Toss in a rash of rainouts, and the Raiders are also dealing with a packed schedule.

"We're playing a major league schedule in Legion ball," Ranck said of his team, which is in the midst of playing 10 games in 11 days. "I'm just hoping for the best."

•Brock solid: It's the scorched-earth strategy, as applied to Legion baseball.

Teams with limited pitching often concede games to top contenders by throwing out their fourth or fifth starter as a sacrificial lamb, thus saving their top arms for more beatable opponents.

Wednesday night, however, Kutztown went right after league leader Boyertown by starting ace Brock Krumanocker. It paid off as the Cougars won 7-2 to snap the Bears' 49-game win streak in regular season league games.

"Our kids, they expected Brock to be on the hill tonight," said coach Taylor Grim.

Krumanocker went the full nine innings against Boyertown. In his previous start, he threw a complete game in a 5-0 win against West Lawn.

"I don't know the last time somebody's gone 18 innings and beat Boyertown and West Lawn in two straight games," Grim said. "He's been big for us."

•Short hops: One portent of Boyertown's recent struggles: its offensive strikeouts-to-walks ratio. Entering Friday, Bears hitters had more strikeouts (154) than walks (148). Exeter and Shillington will hold a Junior Legion/Senior Legion doubleheader Monday at FirstEnergy Stadium to promote youth baseball in Berks County. The Junior Legion game begins at 5:30 p.m., with the seven-inning, non-league Senior Legion game to follow. . . . There have been plenty of upsets this season, but the biggest to date came Wednesday, when Schuylkill Valley beat Topton 7-5. The Marlins entered at 0-11, having been outscored by a combined 178-31, while Topton was considered a league contender.

6/29/2009

Raiders hand Bears third straight loss
Reading Eagle

Cody Albright struck out nine and allowed three hits in eight innings to lead Twin Valley to a 5-3 win over Boyertown in a Berks Legion League game Sunday at Bear Stadium.

Albright retired the first 17 batters he faced, and the Bears (10-3, 2-14) failed to score until the eighth inning in what was their third consecutive loss. By then, the Raiders (9-2, 9-2) already had built a five-run lead behind a three-run double in the fifth by Connor Corson.

The Bears scored a run in the ninth but stranded two runners as Brad Smith earned the save.

The victory moves Twin Valley percentage points ahead of Boyertown and Kutztown in a virtual three-way tie for first.


6/30/2009

Raiders take over first place
Reading Eagle

Justin Pacana went 4-for-5 with five RBIs and a clutch two-run homer in the ninth as Twin Valley topped Conrad Weiser 8-5 Monday night in a Berks Legion League game at Robesonia.

The win was the fourth in a row for the Raiders (10-2, 10-2), who moved into sole possession of first place over idle Boyertown and Kutztown. Meanwhile, the Scouts (6-6, 8-7) must win two of their last three league games to get into the playoffs.

Down 2-0, Twin Valley took the lead with a five-run third. Greg Reardon hit a two-run double in the inning.

Weiser cut it to 6-5 in the seventh as Nate Peiffer doubled and eventually scored on an Aaron Carman sacrifice fly. Pacana came through in the ninth, however, with a two-run shot that padded Twin Valley's lead.

Kevin Kroener went 62/3 innings for the win, and Eric Geedey threw two scoreless innings for the save. Aaron Price went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a pair of RBIs for Weiser.


7/2/2009

Twin Valley beats Oley, regains first
Reading Eagle

Ben Nelson went 3-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and two runs as host Twin Valley beat Oley 9-3 Wednesday night in a Berks Legion League game.

With the win, Twin Valley (11-2, 11-2) regained a half-game hold on first place in the league. If the Raiders win their final two regular season games, tonight vs. Gregg Post and Saturday at Exeter, they'll clinch the regular season title and a Region 2 Tournament berth.

Twin Valley and the Lynx (4-9, 7-11) traded runs in the first few innings and were tied 3-3 after three, but Oley was held scoreless the rest of the way.

The Raiders added a run in the fifth and sixth innings before pulling away with a four-run eighth, led by a Kevin Kroener solo home run.

7/3/2009

Twin Valley routs Keys, closes in on league title
By Matt Brown
Reading Eagle

Inching closer and closer to a Berks Legion League title, Twin Valley used Thursday night as a chance to make a statement.

With a showdown against Exeter looming, Cody Albright turned in a dominant performance on the mound against Gregg Post.

And replaced by a designated hitter, Albright sat and watched his offense back him up with a scoring onslaught as the Raiders beat the Keys 19-2 in seven innings at Twin Valley.

"These guys can hit, that helps out a lot," Albright said. "We're probably the best hitting team in the league, in my opinion."

With the win, Twin Valley (12-2) needs a victory over Exeter Saturday or an Exeter loss in its finale to lock up the league's regular season title.

For a moment, it looked like the Raiders were in for a test against the Keys. Albright got off to a shaky start on the mound, allowing two runs and four hits in the first.

But with the rest of the team providing a comfortable cushion, Albright cruised the rest of the way. He allowed just one hit and three other base runners through the final six innings, striking out 11 for his third win of the season.

"They're definitely a fastball hitting team, and that's the mistake I made in the beginning," Albright said. "So I threw a lot of off-speed stuff after that."

Before he took the mound in the second inning, the Raiders had already answered the Keys with five runs, including a three-home run by Ben Nelson over the high right-center field fence.

And as Albright's curveballs and knuckleballs shut down the Keys, the Raiders pulled away for good with a nine-run fourth.

"The (Gregg Post) pitchers weren't dominating, so they sat back, and as long as they sat back and looked for line drives the opposite way, it benefited them," Twin Valley coach Toby Ranck said.

"They kept their hands strong and ended up with a big performance."

Patience at the plate allowed Twin Valley's first three batters in the fourth to draw walks, and the first five batters scored in the inning.

And after walking earlier in the marathon inning, right fielder Connor Corson put an exclamation point on it with a three-run homer to center.

The home runs by Corson and Nelson provided the biggest highlights, but third baseman Brad Smith paced the offense by finishing 4-for-4 with a walk, three runs and four RBIs.

After the game, Ranck admitted he had little reason to believe such a big offensive statement would be made.

"No, not tonight, especially after our performance against Oley (Wednesday) night, where we just didn't hit the ball," Ranck said. "So we went into this one knowing that they were a quality team and we hoped for the best.

"They obviously came out ready."

7/5/2009

Raiders win big, win title
Reading Eagle

The Fourth of July fireworks started early Saturday morning in Pineland Park.

Visiting Twin Valley blasted six home runs to defeat Exeter 17-4 and wrap up the Berks Legion League regular season title.

The win gives the Raiders (13-2, 13-2) an automatic berth to the Region 2 Tournament July 18-22 at Nor-Gwyn.

Exeter (11-4, 19-6) needed a victory to tie Twin Valley for first place and force a one-game playoff. Instead, the Blue Jays finished in a four-way tie for second and will enter the Berks playoffs as the No. 4 seed and host No. 5 West Lawn Thursday.

Twin Valley hit three home runs and took advantage of two Exeter errors to score five runs in the second inning. Ben Nelson hit a home run to start the inning. With two outs, Brad Smith and Connor Corson hit back-to-back home runs.

Winning pitcher Justin Pacana, Dan Myers and Jeremy Gerringer also homered for Twin Valley, which scored 36 runs in its last two games. Joe Blanchard and Max Dundore hit home runs for Exeter.

Smith went 4-for-6 with two doubles, a homer and three runs for Twin Valley, which collected 15 hits. Leadoff hitter Jesse May went 3-for-4 with three runs.

Dylan Mazzo went 2-for-2 with a double for Exeter.

Twin Valley will open the Berks playoffs at home Thursday against the winner of Monday's preliminary game between No. 9 Daniel Boone at No. 8 Conrad Weiser.

In other first-round games Thursday it will be No. 7 Muhlenberg at No. 2 Kutztown and No. 6 Shillington at No. 3 Boyertown.

The higher-seeded teams will be home for second-round games Friday before the double-elimination tournament moves to Kutztown's Breidegam Field Saturday.

The playoff champion also will earn a Region 2 berth. If Twin Valley also wins the playoff title, the runner-up will earn the Region 2 berth.

7/6/09

Berks Legion League playoffs

When, where: Today through Tuesday. First two rounds to be played at the site of the higher seed; remainder of tournament to be played at Kutztown.

Format: Double elimination.

Who's competing: Twin Valley, Kutztown, Boyertown, Exeter, West Lawn, Shillington, Muhlenberg and Conrad Weiser.

At stake: The winner earns one of the league's two berths in the Region 2 tournament at Nor Gwyn. If regular season champion Twin Valley, which has already earned a berth, wins, the tourney runner-up will get the berth.

Today's first-round games: No. 8 Conrad Weiser at Twin Valley, 7 p.m.; No. 7 Muhlenberg at No. 2 Kutztown, 7 p.m.; No. 6 Shillington at No. 3 Boyertown, 7 p.m.; No. 5 West Lawn at No. 4 Exeter, 5 p.m.

Last year: Boyertown beat host Shillington 13-4 for its 29th league title, its first since 2005.

Twin Valley Raiders (13-2)

Top players: OF-P Kevin Kroener (2-0 league), P-INF Cody Albright (3-1 league), P-OF Justin Pacana (3-0 league), INF-P Brad Smith (2-1 league), INF Jesse May, OF Dan Myers, OF Connor Corson.

Notable: Won regular season title in just second year in the league. . . . Made last year's tournament by beating Fleetwood in a play-in game. . . . Beat Conrad Weiser 8-5 during regular season.

7/10/2009


Surging Scouts upset Raiders
Reading Eagle

Mike Weinhold and Mark Minisce combined on a three-hit shutout Thursday night at Twin Valley to help Conrad Weiser upset the regular season champion Raiders 6-0 in the first round of the Berks Legion League playoffs.

The eighth-seeded Scouts (12-8) had 11 hits, five for extra bases, to send the Raiders (13-3) into the losers bracket of the double-elimination tournament.

Top-seeded Twin Valley will host No. 5 seed West Lawn at 7 tonight in an elimination game. Conrad Weiser will visit No. 4 seed Exeter today at 5 p.m.

Leadoff hitter Tanner Lutz went 3-for-5 with a double, triple, two runs scored and two RBIs to spark the Scouts. Seth Shultz, who hit a solo home run in the third inning, went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.

Aaron Price and Zach Burke also had two hits for Conrad Weiser, which defeated Daniel Boone Monday in a play-in game to qualify for the eight-team tournament.

Weinhold struck out eight, walked four and allowed three hits in seven scoreless innings. Minisce struck out one in two perfect innings of relief.

Brad Smith took the loss.


7/17/09

•Rising Raiders: The most intriguing team this summer proved to be Twin Valley, which won the regular season league title and earned a Region 2 berth in just its second season as an official program.

The Raiders started late due to a run to the state quarterfinals by the high school team. They also had to endure three coaching changes since January, including one three games into the season.

Leading the way was Brad Smith. The senior-to-be hit .559 and led the league in hits, doubles and runs.