TOWER CITY - As the Schuylkill League Division II baseball race starts to encroach upon the finish line, not only is the playoff chase tightening up, but so are the games themselves.
Jarred Matter escaped a bases-loaded jam after coming on in relief with two outs in the seventh inning and working himself into a full count to help Williams Valley preserve a 4-3 victory over rival Tri-Valley on Monday afternoon.
Stephen Sedesse scattered five hits through 6.2 innings of work before getting the first two outs of the seventh. Three straight walks loaded the bases, before Matter worked a full count, getting a strikeout looking to end the game.
The Vikings posted a four-spot in the fourth inning, getting an RBI single from Matter, an RBI double from Ben Rautzahn and a two-run double by Trevor Whelski to take a 4-3 lead.
Chase Schaeffer and Billy Wagner each had an RBI in the first inning, and Conrad Opozda connected for an RBI double in the third to give the Dawgs a 3-0 advantage.
Tamaqua 10 Jim Thorpe 3
JIM THORPE - Matt Roberts totaled three RBIs and scored a pair of runs as the Blue Raiders beat the Olympians in a Division I contest.
Bo Rottet and Nate MacDonald added two RBIs apiece, with Rottet stealing two bases and scoring two runs for Tamaqua, which capitalized on 10 walks over the first 2.1 innings to build a 6-0 lead.
Bryce Miccicche and Ian Sterling hit back-to-back RBI singles, and Alex Steigerwalt added an RBI fielder's choice to help Jim Thorpe slice its deficit to 7-3 in the fourth inning.
North Schuylkill 12 Panther Valley 0
LANSFORD - Tevin Murray clubbed a solo home run in the second inning and added RBI singles in the third and sixth as the Spartans earned a Division I win over the Panthers.
Alek Hummel slugged a two-run homer in the fourth, while Mark Antalosky contributed an RBI single in the sixth and a two-run single in the seventh for North Schuylkill.
Schuylkill Haven 14 Shenandoah Valley 2
SHENANDOAH - Mike Feryo and Vinnie Fanelli registered three RBIs apiece as the Hurricanes rolled to a Division II win over the Blue Devils.
Alex Bailey, Mike Ulsh and Fanelli contributed two RBIs apiece in an errror-filled first inning that led to seven runs by Schuylkill Haven.
Ian McCole finished with two RBI singles, with Angelo Maskornick scoring both runs for Shenandoah Valley.
Nativity 7 Mahanoy Area 1
MAHANOY CITY - Jeff Yordy hit a home run and drove in a pair of runs as the Hilltoppers defeated the Golden Bears in a Division II contest.
Dylan Palamar singled twice and Collin McGovern added a single and a pair of RBIs for Nativity, which won its third straight game.
Shenandoah Valley 16 Mahanoy Area 8
MAHANOY CITY - Angelo Maskornick connected on his third home run of the season, helping the Blue Devils earn a Division II victory over the Golden Bears.
Maskornick's home run was a solo shot as the junior finished the day 3-for-5 with four runs scored. Derek Dombrowski tallied four RBIs, while Ian McCole drove in three runs for Shenandoah Valley.
Nolan Fegley went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, and Tyler Davies drove in two runs for Mahanoy Area.
Minersville 14 Weatherly 0
WEATHERLY - Chris Leshko and Aaron Fritz drove in two runs apiece as the Battlin' Miners whipped the Wreckers in a Division II contest.
Collin Hashin, Lukas Heffron, Cody Bettinger, Zack Brown, Jon McBreen, Leshko and Fritz collected two hits each in Minersville's 16-hit onslaught.
Upper Dauphin 12 Halifax 2
ELIZABETHVILLE - Kyle Glouner had three hits and drove in two runs as the Trojans rolled past the Wildcats in a Tri-Valley League contest in six innings.
Trey Campbell and Peyton Barge added two hits apiece for Upper Dauphin, which scored in every inning but the fifth. Both of Campbell's hits were doubles.
Hamburg 9 Berks Catholic 6
WEST READING - Joey Cominsky's single drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning as the Hawks earned a Berks II win over the Saints.
Cominsky finished 3-for-4 with a triple and a double as Hamburg clinched a Berks League playoff berth.