Boyertown, Twin Valley get play underway
Boyertown, Twin Valley get Berks County Independent League underway
COLEBROOKDALE » The shirts were without the distinctive blue oval patch on the left shoulder.
The home field, for some players, was one they hadn’t called “home” for a number of years.
But the game is still the same. And with youth baseball kicking off around the region Tuesday, the Boyertown Bears welcomed an abbreviated 2020 season by hosting Twin Valley in one of three openers for the Berks County Independent League.
The record will show Boyertown came from behind for an 8-7 victory at Lee Mecherly Field, its home for the summer. But for the Bear players and coaches — as well as their highly-supportive fans — the opportunity to get on the diamond and play an opponent was more significant.
“Getting the kids out to play ... that’s what it’s all about,” incoming Boyertown manager Justin Konnick said. “To see the kids smile, that was rewarding.”
Available youth baseball options were reduced when the American Legion’s baseball program cancelled the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One option kept open was for communities to organize teams
and play schedules outside the jurisdiction of the Legion organization.
“It was probably somewhere in June, we got emails telling us to be positive, that there was going to be a season,” Boyertown player Broc Babb recalled.
So it was Boyertown and five other Berks County Legion franchises — Daniel
Boone, Norchester, Oley Valley, Twin Valley, West Lawn — got together for a four-week regular season and playoffs. Games are scheduled for Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with each team playing the others twice.
“It’s nice,” Babb, who played Junior Legion ball at Mecherly Field as a member of the Boyertown BearCubs, said about his homecoming. “I thought I’d never play here again.
”I was glad a lot of people came out.”
Playing second base before switching over to catcher in the middle innings, Babb figured in on Boyertown’s early run production by scoring in each of the first two frames. He got the first of the Bears’ three runs in the first after being hit by a pitch. He then stole second and came around the rest of the way as the TV defense threw the ball around.
Babb singled in the second of Boyertown’s secondinning scores, helping the team take a 4-3 lead into the third.
“After all the quarantining, it’s nice to play baseball,” he said. “It keeps you busy. There wasn’t much to do.
“I was confident we could all stay safe and healthy.”
A similar level of enthusiasm was felt by Twin Valley coming in. Even after striking for four runs in the top of the sixth to go up 7-6, then seeing the lead erased by the Bears in the bottom half, the visitors were happy having the opportunity to play ball this summer.
“We’re super excited,” TV manager Billy Reardon said. “As coaches, for our seniors, who didn’t get a spring season. It was exciting for everyone.”
Tony Xanthopoulos, who gave Boyertown three frames of no-hit relief (two walks, five strikeouts), had seen some game action with the Montgomery County Community College team before its season was halted by the pandemic in midMarch. Tuesday’s opener was just as big for him .
“It’s finally good to be back,” he said. “I had never gone more than three months without baseball. Being forced to shut down was torture.”
The Bears had just four practices prior to the season’s startup. Xanthopoulos, however, noted he started up with pitching work three weeks earlier.
“I think I had the most preparation of anyone,” he said.
“A lot of that was knocking the rust off,” Konnick added.
The opener was marked by numerous pitching and position changes on both sides. That’s in keeping with previously-expressed desires to focus on playing opportunities for those involved.
“We want to get everyone playing, no matter what,” Konnick said. “We’ll find things to work on, and make ourselves better.”
Konnick will be taking over the Boyertown program from Rick Moatz in 2021. They are working together this year to effect that transition.
Among the fans turning out for Tuesday’s game were Justin’s parents, Blaise and Cindi. They enjoyed watching Justin take the next step in a baseball career that included playing time in high school, college and with the
Gabelsville Owls adult baseball team.
“He really missed it,” Blaise noted. “I’m glad he’s out there.”
“He’s been playing ball since he was five years old,” Cindi added. “He always dreamed of coaching Boyertown.”
NOTES » Travis McCafferty swung the big bat for Boyertown, going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI . ... Joey Sciamanna had the Raiders’ biggest hit, a three-run double in his team’s fourrun sixth . ... Tyler Sharayko, who threw one inning of two-hit shutout ball, got the pitching win for Boyertown. Trevor Laraia took the mound loss for TV, hampered by five walks.