PINE GROVE - Saturday was a turbulent day atop the Schuylkill-Berks Legion League North Division standings.
With three teams entering the day tied for first place, there was hope that by the end of the day, there would be only one.
But a series of doubleheaders still left a tie at the top of the division.
Schuylkill Valley defeated Pine Grove 12-5 in the finale Saturday night at Stump Stadium to remain tied for first place with Southern Area, which beat Pine Grove 5-4 earlier in the day.
After taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning, Schuylkill Valley put up seven runs in the third off Pine Grove starter Nick Cataldo. Five walks issued to Falcons batters and singles by Kyle Kaledas and Alek Hummel preceded an RBI double by Bobby Grigas to put Schuylkill Valley ahead 8-0.
Pine Grove answered with four runs of its own in the bottom of the third, fueled by three straight RBI singles by Cataldo, Jared McCabe and Tanner Levan.
The Grovers added another run in the fourth inning when Jed Blankenhorn led off the inning with a single, reached third base after a stolen base and throwing error, and eventually scored on an RBI groundout by Logan Levan.
Derrick Reese led off the fifth with a single for Schuylkill Valley and scored on a walk issued to Tom Gallagher to put the Falcons ahead 9-5.
An RBI double by Jake Damiter in the top of the seventh set the final.
Bobby Gregas earned the win for the Falcons after coming on in relief of starter Hummel, who went three innings.
The win put Schuylkill Valley two points ahead of Pine Grove (7-7) in the divisional standings.
Tamaqua 12 Schuylkill Valley 6
MIDDLEPORT - Nate MacDonald, Derek Rottet and Adam Bates all went 2-for-3 to lead the Blue Sox past the Falcons in a Schuylkill-Berks Legion League North Division game.
MacDonald scored two runs and drove in two more for Tamaqua. Rottet doubled, scored a run and added an RBI, while Bates doubled and scored two runs.
The Blue Sox drew six walks from three Schuylkill Valley pitchers and stole six bases.
Tom Gallagher finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs for the Falcons.
Valley View 8 Pottsville 7
VALLEY VIEW - Devin Masser drove in the go-ahead run on a fourth-inning single, while Dennis Jansen got the win in relief in the Westender's North Division victory over the Lions.
Masser had three hits, while Ty Painter had three for Pottsville.
Valley View got out to a 7-0 after two innings on a two-run double by Masser and RBI single Ben Rautzahn, Jared Matater and Dennis Jansen.
The Lions tied the game in the top of the fourth, thanks to six walks and an RBI single by Painter and two-run double by Brandon Daubert.
Kutztown 5 Tamaqua 2
TAMAQUA - Kyle Hartman and David Erb had two hits apiece to lead Kutztown over the Blue Sox in a crossover game.
Spencer Miller went the distance to get the win, allowing five hits.
Nate MacDonald had two hits for Tamaqua, while Owen Bates and Adam Bates drove in runs.
Friday's game Southern Area 6 Pottsville 1
ORWIGSBURG - Dean Stramara, Shane Grapsy and Troy Moyer all had multi-hit games to lead a balanced Southern Area win over Pottsville in a Schuylkill-Berks Legion League North Division game Friday night.
Grapsy finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Stramara and Moyer added a double, a run scored and an RBI apiece.