NTL BASEBALL: ATHENS PULLS OUT 6-3 WIN OVER TOWANDA (6 PHOTOS) (2024-04-19)

Valley Sports Report
ATHENS — Athens scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to break a 3-3 tie, and senior Nicholas Jacob pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to help the Wildcats to a 6-3 win over Towanda here Friday afternoon in NTL Large School Division baseball action.

The Black Knights scored a run in the top of the first inning, but Athens answered in the home half of the inning with a two-out RBI single by Jacob to tie the game at 1-1.

Freshman Brenden Cooke led off the bottom of the second with a single to left field, stole second, and scored on a one-out RBI double by sophomore Cooper Robinson to give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.

Athens added an unearned run in the fourth inning to take a 3-1 lead, but Towanda answered with two runs in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 3-3.

Sophomore Nick Grazul ignited the Athens rally in the home half of the fifth inning with a one-out triple. After Jacob walked, and stole second, Cooke doubled to left field to drive in both runners, and Eli Hobday followed with an RBI single up the middle to make it 6-3.

Jacob pitched around a single and a walk in the sixth inning, and retired the side in order in the seventh to nail down the win.

Cooke doubled and singled, scored two runs, and had two RBI, and Robinson was 3-for-3 with an RBI to pace Athens’ 12-hit attack, while Grazul tripled and singled, and scored one run, and Jacob singled twice, scored one run, and knocked in one run.

Eli Hobday singled and drove in one run for the Wildcats, while freshman Kamdyn Wheeler, and junior Dylan Saxon each added a single, and junior Carson Rowe, and senior Connor Mosher each crossed the plate once.

Jacob fanned three and walked one, while allowing two hits in 2 2/3 innings to earn the win. Grazul started for the Wildcats, allowing three runs — two earned — on three hits, while striking out eight and walking five in 4 1/3 innings.

Athens, now 4-4, hosts Sayre Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

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IN PHOTO 1: Athens senior Nicholas Jacob. … PHOTOS BY MATT PATTON.