| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | R | H | E | |
| Southern Lehigh | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| Hellertown/Lower Saucon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
WP: Spiegelmyer LP: Magargal
Game Broadcast: LISTEN
Behind a complete game effort by Beckett Spigelmyer and an offense that struck early and often, Southern Lehigh survived a late rally from Hellertown/Lower Saucon, winning 4-3. On a night where both teams combined to hit the ball hard, the Southern Lehigh defense got Hellertown to hit into some loud outs and a couple timely strikeouts.
For the second straight game on their home field, Southern Lehigh lost the coin toss and was the road team. The team had grown comfortable in this spot, scoring first by way of a two out rally.
After two quick strikeouts, Austin Showalter got his team started, signling back up the middle. Logan Davis then took one through short, and a wild pitch moved both into scoring position. Mike Magazzu came through in a big way for the second straight game, putting one into left field that was overrun by the fielder, allowing both runs to come home, delivering an early 2-0 Spartans lead.
Hellertown, despite not scoring for the first four innings, had their share of threats. Those began in the first. Owen Brown put a ball in play that skipped under the glove of Davis and into center field. Boone Magargal then smashed a ball right at Magazzu at third, who got his glove up to make the catch. The same happened to Ayden Brown, when he lined out to Davis on another hot shot. With two in scoring position, Jase Reifinger flew out to center, ending the first rally attempt.
The wheels nearly came off for Hellertown in the second inning, as two walks and a Logan Traub single loaded the bases with no outs. Following a pitching change and Owen Brown taking the mound, a nifty play really saved the day. Matthew Allen smacked a ball down to first base, which was snagged by Ayden Brown. Brown alertly threw to Jase Szlachtianshyn at third, who tagged out Traub trying to dive back in on the play. A run came home in the inning when Graham Sullivan scored on a wild pitch, but what could have been disaster had been averted.
Austin Showalter came up big in the third by way of an RBI double into center field. The throw came in to catcher Dom Barone who tried to make a play on Spigelmyer scoring. Barone then threw to third where Showalter was tagged out trying to stretch his double into a three-bagger after stutter-stepping around second base.
On the mound, Spigelmyer continued to deliver, needing just 47 pitches to get through the first four innings. Hellertown had stranded four on base on just four hits and two walks.
Things began to change in the fifth.
Southern Lehigh had a chance to tack on in the fifth, but great defense from HLS kept the Spartans at bay. Bennett Will socked a one-hopper to Bentley Wolf at short, who snagged it and and fired to second just in time for a fielders choice out. After two more infield outs, Hellertown finally came through with their bats.
The bottom of the fifth opened with an infield single by Jayden Reifinger on a slow roller to second. Dom Barone then hit one through a diving Magazzu that trikcled into left field to get two on with no outs. Wolf got one through Logan Davis at short that brought home Reifinger. Two batters later, Hellertown pulled off a run-scoring play on the basepaths. Wolf broke for second and the throw came down, allowing Barone to go home from third. Wolf was thrown out but a run had come across, cutting the Southern Lehigh lead to 4-2. Jack Books kept the inning going with a ball off the glove of Spigelmyer that trickled to Davis, who then threw wide of the mark at first. Spigelmyer recovered to strikeout Nathan Scorce on a 2-2 changeup, but HLS was buzzing.
“I felt really comfortable until they got those two runs in the fifth inning, then I started to lock in. I had one clutch changeup in the fifth inning–it was on the outside corner and I threw it perfect,” said Spigelmyer of his fifth inning.
The top of the sixth saw Owen Brown retire Southern Lehigh in just seven pitches, getting his team right back on offense.
A leadoff walk to Micah Gill got Hellertown started in their final turn at bat. Spigelmyer remained on the mound, determined to finish off the game he started in possibly his final game ever at Living Memorial Park.
“I told him this morning before I went to work, ‘dude, if we don’t get to the if necessary game, this might be your last ever game at this field’; he’s been on this field for three years. We were debating taking him out in the fifth inning and I called him over and asked him ‘do you want to finish this?’ and he said ‘yes’ and I knew right there I wasn’t taking him out,” offered manager BJ Spigelmyer.
Asked about potentially taking Beckett out after 50 pitches, BJ stated, “We debated hard about taking him out at 50, but if we’re going to win this tournament, it’s going to be as a team. We can’t take him out. The guys are rallying behind him. If we take him out, we’re going to screw up the mojo of this game. We just have to win this game and then figure it out from there, and that’s what we did.”
From the bottom of the lineup, Micah Miller hit into a fielders choice to Logan Davis, who tried to throw to first for a double play, but was wide. Turning the lineup over, Owen Brown put one in left field, which then got by Bennett Will. Gill came into score, inching HLS within 4-3 and allowing the tying run to go down to second base.
Boone Magargal was up next, having hit the ball hard twice in two previous outs. This time, Spigelmyer got him swinging on another huge changeup. Due up was Jase Szlachtianshyn, who was already 2-for-2 on the night. Manager BJ Spigelmyer was asked about intentionally walking him to get to Ayden Brown.
“I thought about it, but he got Magargal striking out. I know my son. I could see the look in his eyes. I didn’t need to go out and talk to him. He hit his spots. He’s 12 and was painting spots all the way.”
On his second pitch, Spigelmyer perfectly placed one outside that got Szlachtianshyn to pop out to Magazzu at third to end the game and eliminate Hellertown/Lower Saucon.
“That pitch was supposed to be outside, I threw it outside, he hit it off the cap of his bat and it went right to Michael.”
“There were some tough plays that we made, some tough plays that we didn’t make, I just tried to go out there and deliver on the mound.”
“Tonight, he was really good. I threw eight changeups and 72 fastballs and he hit every spot I wanted to. He didn’t just throw fastballs, he was hitting spots.”
Southern Lehigh now advances to another elimination game Thursday at Lehigh. Lehigh bested the Spartans 6-3 last Friday night. The winner of that game will need to beat Pennridge twice to claim a district title. BJ Spigelmyer knows it’s all about winning as a team at this point.
“We’ve got house money right now. We’re just staying alive, one game at a time. If I was worried about Pennridge, I would’ve taken Beckett out at 50 pitches. We’re going to try to win this game, then the next game, and whoever’s left is going to pitch against Pennridge. If we win this tournament, it’s going to be as a team–it’s not going to be because I managed the pitching staff and saved my top two or three guys. Up next is my next guy and if he does what Beckett did tonight, we’ll see what happens.”
LSV Sports 
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