STOLEN BASE … Pettisville’s Sam Hastings swipes second before eventually scoring in the second inning of an 8-3 win over Hilltop.
(PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
SUMMER BASEBALL … Cadet outfielder Zane Burdine settles under a fly ball during last week’s ACME game at Pettisville.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
PETTISVILLE (June 12, 2025) – Didn’t someone say, “baseball is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” Well maybe Forrest Gump didn’t say exactly that… but he should’ve.
Hilltop out hit Pettisville nine to three, but thanks to seven Cadet errors and the Blackbirds shooting down seven Hilltop runners on the bases, Pettisville scored an 8-3 ACME win.
The night of unforeseen events for Hilltop began immediately as in spite of getting three first inning hits, the Cadets didn’t score.
Brady Wagner led off with a single but was promptly erased as pitcher Luke Horning picked him off. Micah Rossman sliced a one-out double to left, however when Cameron Shimp singled to left with two down, Creighton Aeschliman burned him trying to score to end the inning.
That would be the first of three Cadets to be thrown out trying to score. Things didn’t get better in the bottom of the inning.
Quinn Ripke reached on an error, moved to third on two passed balls, and scored on Aeschliman’s base hit.
That would be the only Blackbird hit until the fifth, but Pettisville rang up six more runs anyway. Aeschliman eventually scored on a ground out and Josh Morris, who walked, came around on a throwing error to make it 3-0.
That bulge grew the next inning when Wagner, who started on the mound for Hilltop, walked two, and four Cadet errors later, Pettisville was up 7-0.
The most impacting of those mistakes was Aeschliman’s two-out, bases loaded fly ball that was dropped for a two-base error.
Horning was clean in his three innings of work, getting more help when Sam Hastings threw out a runner trying to steal in the second.
Horning gave up four hits and walked three but remained unscathed in the scoring column. Hilltop got back in the game with a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth.
Shimp doubled to lead off the fourth and scored on Bryson Kesler’s bunt, but Pettisville escaped further damage when reliever Ryan Bishop picked a runner off.
A walk, an error and Rossman’s single to left made it 7-3 but again Hilltop lost a chance when on Toby Hartman’s single, Rossman was thrown out at the plate.
Hastings’ RBI single in the sixth extended the Blackbird lead. Horning got the win on the night. Wagner got the loss as all seven runs he allowed were unearned.
HILLTOP 000 120 0 – 3 9 7
P’VILLE 340 001 x – 8 3 3
Records: Hilltop 0-3, P’ville 2-1
WINNING PITCHER: Horning (3 innings, 4 hits, 0 runs, 0 earned, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts) Other: R. Bishop, Hastings, Bevard, Vajen
LOSING PITCHER: Wagner (1.2 innings, 1 hit, 7 runs, 0 earned, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts) Other: Dempsey, Shimp
LEADING HITTERS: (Hilltop) Rossman – double, single, RBI; Shimp – double, 2 singles; T. Hartman – 2 singles; (Pettisville) Aeschliman – single, RBI; Hastings – single, RBI