Baseball: Vikings Survive Late Surge from Pequea Valley, Extend Win Streak to 17

Vikings Survive Late Surge from Pequea Valley, Extend Win Streak to 17

Fresh off capturing the Section 4 Championship, Northern Lebanon was back on the road Thursday with another opportunity to keep its perfect season rolling. This one was anything but easy, as Pequea Valley pushed the Vikings into extra innings before Northern Lebanon found a way to leave with a 7-5 win.

The victory extended the Vikings’ winning streak to 17 games and kept their unbeaten season alive.

Northern Lebanon wasted no time getting started. Andrew Via opened the game with a leadoff double and stole 3rd base, putting immediate pressure on the Braves. Landon Copenhaver followed with a walk and stole 2nd before Owen Fahringer drove in Via with an RBI groundout to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead.

On the mound, Blake Burdick got settled in early, picking up his first strikeout in the bottom of the 1st and helping Northern Lebanon carry that 1-0 lead through the opening inning.

The Vikings threatened again in the 2nd after Christian Anspach reached on an error and stole 2nd, then moved to 3rd on a flyout by Tyler Stoltz. Pequea Valley was able to escape the inning without allowing another run, keeping the score at 1-0.

Northern Lebanon added to its lead in the 3rd. Copenhaver singled to start the inning before Fahringer followed with a single of his own. A wild throw during a steal attempt allowed Copenhaver to score, making it 2-0. Fahringer later came home when Adrian Gonzalez reached on a dropped third strike, pushing the lead to 3-0.

Burdick continued to work quickly, adding two more strikeouts in the bottom of the 3rd to keep Pequea Valley off the board.

In the 4th, Via drew a walk and stole 2nd before Copenhaver came through with an RBI single, scoring Via to make it 4-0. The Braves answered in the bottom half when Logan Zynn hit a solo home run, trimming the deficit to 4-1, but Burdick responded by striking out three in the inning to keep Northern Lebanon in control.

The Vikings got that run back in the 5th. Gonzalez drew his second walk of the game, moved to 2nd on a groundout by Kaden Beamesderfer, then advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch. Connor Stoltz followed by ripping an RBI single to make it 5-1.

That score held until the bottom of the 6th, when Pequea Valley delivered the biggest moment of adversity Northern Lebanon has faced this season. The Braves loaded the bases before Elijah Smucker launched a grand slam, tying the game at 5-5 and completely shifting the energy.

Burdick limited the damage from there, collecting another strikeout to end what had become a nightmare inning for the Vikings.

Northern Lebanon had a chance to retake the lead in the 7th when Connor Stoltz singled and Anspach was hit by a pitch. Both runners moved into scoring position, but Pequea Valley kept the Vikings off the board.

In the bottom of the 7th, Northern Lebanon turned to Aidan Long to keep the game alive. The Braves put pressure on with a catcher’s interference call and a single, but Long worked his way out of trouble and sent the game to extra innings.

The Vikings finally broke through in the 8th. Copenhaver started the inning with a single before Fahringer reached on an error, putting two runners on. A wild pitch moved both into scoring position, and Gonzalez was intentionally walked to load the bases. Beamesderfer then put the ball in play, scoring Copenhaver on a groundout to give Northern Lebanon a 6-5 lead.

Northern Lebanon added one more run in the inning, and Long finished the job from there to earn the win in relief.

Copenhaver led the Vikings at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two runs, an RBI, and two walks. Connor Stoltz also had a strong day, finishing 3-for-4 with two RBI.

Northern Lebanon (17-0) will host Cedar Crest on Friday.