Ethan Nagy, Kaden Rodarmel help propel Loyalsock baseball past Hughesville (2024)

And that’s because, whenever the situation appeared tough, Loyalsock consistently delivered all afternoon. That included in the field, on the mound and at the plate. Loyalsock put it all together and may have produced a season-changing win, defeating defending District 4 Class AAA/HAC-III champion Hughesville, 11-4.

Ethan Nagy went 4 for 5 with three RBIs, Kaden Rodarmel added three hits and Loyalsock (5-4, 3-2) scored nine of the game’s final 10 runs while handing Hughesville (5-1, 3-1) its first loss. It was just the kind of breakthrough win Loyalsock had been searching for.

“We started off slow, and you can see that with our record but we know what we can do here. This was a perfect example of what our caliber is as a team,” Nagy said after throwing five gutsy innings for the win. “It might not show right not because of our record, but we have talent. We’re going to work hard and try and go as far as we can possibly go.”

If Loyalsock plays the way it did against Hughesville, it could become quite dangerous. Every starter reached base and four players produced at least two hits, including Kulp (2 for 3) and Dylan Bower (2 for 5, 2 RBIs). Bastian hit an RBI triple, Preston Sortman a double and they combined with Dante Cruz to help the bottom of the order reach base 11 times in 12 plate appearances.

Logan Kiess of Hughesville pitches against Loyalsock in the first inning in Hughesville Monday afternoon. Loyalsock won 11-4. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

The Lancers won their second straight game, dealt Hughesville just its fifth loss these past two seasons and have scored 23 runs in their last two games. Loyalsock some lost some heartbreakers early this season but is coming together and hitting its stride.

“We’ve been trusting in the process. We haven’t wavered with anything this year,” Loyalsock coach Jimmy Webb said. “We’ve had our ups and downs, but our work ethic has stayed deep.”

Loyalsock has busted out offensively these last two games and collected 12 hits against Hughesville. More important, the Lancers excelled in big moments. Loyalsock hit 8 for 16 with runners in scoring position, while Hughesville was 2 for 14 and that was the game’s big difference.

Hughesville scored twice in the bottom of the third and took a 3-2 lead into the fourth before Loyalsock scored five times that inning and started taking control. The Lancers added three more runs in the fifth inning, going up 10- and producing eight hits in those two innings.

After Rodarmel hit an RBI single to tie the game in the fourth, Tyler Gee put Loyalsock ahead to stay with a sacrifice fly. Nagy and Bower followed with RBI singles as the Lancers sent 10 batters to the plate. It was lather, rinse, repeat an inning later with Sortman and Rodarmel hitting doubles before Nagy and Bower laced RBI singles.

Kaden Rodarmel (23) of Loyalsock celebrates scoring against Hughesville in the 4th inning in Hughesville Monday afternoon. Loyalsock won 11-4. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“We all know that everyone on this team can do their job,” Nagy said. “It’s nice to finally see it.”

“We had a good approach at the plate today. The thing I’m most proud of is we didn’t back down at all,” Webb said. “We kept coming back, they kept coming back and we would answer.”

Hughesville did its best to answer, too, but the timely hits Loyalsock constantly generated remained elusive. Nagy and Kulp stranded nine runners and Kulp left two on with no outs and the bases loaded with one out to close the game with two scoreless innings.

Nagy was overpowering in his first three starts, but was not at his best against Hughesville. Still, he was as tough as ever and struck out five in five innings, preventing Hughesville from doing more damage.

“It’s great that Ethan didn’t have his best today and he still looked like the best pitcher in the district,” Webb said. “He knew he didn’t have his best and he came over and said ‘I’m just going to battle,’ and he battled all day.”

Ethan Nagy of Loyalsock throws in the 6th inning against Hughesville in Hughesville Monday afternoon. Loyalsock won 11-4. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Hughesville battled back from one-run deficits in the first and third innings, tying the game 1-1 on Aiden Barlett’s single and wild pitch before Angelo Ferrigno hit a two-out RBI single in the third which put the Spartans up, 3-2.

Hughesville kept putting pressure on Loyalsock from there, but Nagy and Kulp continued putting out the fires.

“We didn’t play well today. That starts with me. We’ll get back to work,” Hughesville coach Chris Kish said. “We just have to get back on it and get ready to play Warrior Run Thursday.”

Barlett and Logan Kiess (2 for 3) both collected two hits and reached base three times each for Hughesville. The Spartans had eight hits but Nagy and Kulp stranded eight runners over the final eight innings and held them without a hit with runners in scoring position in their final 10 at-bats.

With the district being so deep, few expected Hughesville, or anyone for that matter, to run the table. Still, Spartan team leaders gathered the team following the game and said that Monday’s effort was unacceptable.

Tyler Wetzel of Hughesville tags out Deryk Kulp of Loyalsock in the 6th inning in Hughesville Monday afternoon. Loyalsock won 11-4. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“There are some things we’ve talked about and things we would like to see from our guys in terms of leadership and I’m proud that they’re staying here and talking about it,” Kish said. “It’s not going to change the outcome, but hopefully, going forward, it propels us into a situation that we would like to be in.”

Nagy loved the position he was in, producing hits in each of his first four at-bats. Nagy plated the game’s first run, hitting an RBI single after Rodarmel opened the day with a single and Gee bunted him to second. In those innings when Nagy delivered his hits, Loyalsock scored 10 runs.

“I felt good. I’m a senior this year, so it’s my responsibility to do what I’m supposed to do and probably better,” Nagy said. “That’s what I tried to do today.”

Bastian is another senior embracing his leadership role. He showed that at the plate, hitting a two-out RBI triple in the sixth inning and also reaching base in all four plate appearances.

But Bastian saved his best effort for last. Hughesville did not go down easy and loaded the bases in the seventh inning. It looked like the Spartans might pull closer when Brenden Fisher smoked a liner toward the left-field line. It looked like a sure two-run hit, but Bastian, dove, caught the ball and held on as he rolled on the ground.

Logan Bastian of Loyalsock dives safely into third bass as Brenden Fisher of Hughesville waits for the ball during the 6th inning in Hughesville Monday afternoon. Loyalsock won 11-4. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“It was great because I was out at shortstop and I got to see it. I knew he was going to catch it,” Nagy said. “I had confidence in every single one of my players out there.”

Loyalsock 110 531 0–11 12 2

Hughesville 102 100 0–4 8 2

Ethan Nagy, Deryk Kulp (6) and Jaydn Wagner. Logan Kiess, Trent Wetzel (4), Aiden Barlett (6) and Tyler Wetzel. W–Nagy, (2-0). L–Wetzel, (1-1).

Top Loyalsock hitters: Nagy 4-5, 3 RBIs; Kaden Rodarmel 3-5, 2B, RBI, 3 runs; Dylan Bower 2-5, 2 RBIs; Kulp 2-3; Preston Sortman 1-1, 2B, 3 runs; Logan Bastian 1-2, 3B, 2 RBIs, run. Top Hughesville hitters: Kiess 2-3, RBI, 2 runs; Aiden Barlett 2-3, run; Trent Wetzel 1-3, BB; Angelo Ferrigno 1-4, RBI; Tanner Clayton 1-3, run; Jed Abernatha 1-4.

Records: Loyalsock (5-4, 3-2 HAC-III), Hughesville (5-1, 3-1).

Ethan Nagy of Loyalsock shakes hands with team mates after the end of the 5th inning against Hughesville in Hughesville Monday afternoon. Loyalsock won 11-4. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Catcher Jaydn Wagner of Loyalsock tries to make the tag as Aiden Barlett of Hughesville during the 3rd inning in Hughesville Monday afternoon. Loyalsock won 11-4. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Deryk Kulp (10) of Loyalsock is safe at first base in the 4th inning as Evan Snyder (8) of Hughesville tries to make the force out in Hughesville Monday afternoon. Loyalsock won 11-4. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Kaden Rodarmel (23) of Loyalsock celebrates scoring against Hughesville in the 4th inning in Hughesville Monday afternoon. Loyalsock won 11-4. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette