NTL BASEBALL: ATHENS HOLDS OFF MILTON, 5-3 (2025-05-05)

Valley Sports Report
ATHENS — Athens jumped out to a 5-0 lead, and held on for a 5-3 win over Milton here Monday afternoon in non-league baseball action.

Junior Eli Hobday and senior Troy Rosenbloom stroked back-to-back singles to lead off the bottom of the first inning, sophomore Connor Davidson worked a walk to load the bases.

After a passed ball allowed Hobday to score, sophomore Brady Flynn plated Rosenbloom with a groundout to make it 2-0, but the Wildcats left runners stranded at second and third.

After Flynn pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the top of the third, the Wildcats scored three runs in the home half of the frame.

With one out, Davidson walked and Flynn singled, but a fielder's choice off the bat of sophomore Kam Wheeler left runners at first and second with two outs.

After an error loaded the bases, senior Dylan Saxon lined a two-run double to left field to make it 4-0, and a passed ball allowed another run to score to extend the lead to 5-0.

The Panthers, who had three hits through the first four innings, took advantage of an Athens error in the fifth to score a pair of unearned runs to close the gap to 5-2.

Wheeler finished off the inning, and recorded a strikeout to end the inning with the bases full of Milton runners.

Wheeler hit a batter with one out in the top of the sixth, but moments later snared a hard hit ball up the middle, and started a 1-6-3 (Wheeler to Hobday to senior Kade Rowe) double play to end the inning.

Milton's lead-off hitter in the seventh inning reached on catcher's interference, took second on a balk, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on an RBI single to trim the deficit to 5-3, but moments later Wheeler induced another 1-6-3 double play to end the game.

Flynn earned the win, allowing two runs — both unearned — on five hits, with five strikeouts and one walk in 4 1/3 innings.

Wheeler earned the save, allowing an unearned run on one hit, with one strikeout in 2 1/3 innings.

Saxon doubled and singled, and drove in two runs to pace Athens' seven-hit attack, while Flynn singled, scored one run, and drove in one run, and Hobday, sophomore Duncan Thetga, and Rosenbloom each singled and scored one run.

Junior Karson Sipley added a single, and Wheeler scored a run in the win.

Athens, now 12-2, hosts North Penn-Mansfield Tuesday.

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IN PHOTO: Athens sophomore Brady Flynn. ... VSR STOCK PHOTO.

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