Sugar Valley splits doubleheader with Canton, eliminated from playoff contention
By Bees O’Brien
Canton- Sugar Valley’s incredible season will end Monday at Taggart Park, regardless of the outcome of their game with Shamokin.
The Phoenix did everything they could to become the first Sugar Valley Rural Charter School team to qualify for the PIAA District IV 1A playoffs. Sugar Valley needed to win their final three games to qualify and they nearly kept things rolling on the road.
In game one, after a single first inning run Sugar Valley built their lead to 3-0 in the top of the third inning. The Warriors mounted a comeback by scoring 3 runs combined in the fourth and fifth innings.
The game remained deadlocked until the eighth inning when the Phoenix exploded for 4 runs in the top half of the frame. Sugar Valley’s defense held and the Phoenix kept their postseason dreams alive with a 7-3 win to improve their mark to 7-9.
Brody Swanger led Sugar Valley with 4 hits, including two doubles. Bryer Martin and Lincoln Breon each collected three hits, both reaching on doubles. Bentley Andrus and Toby Conoway each had two hit days. Andrus had a double. Dakota Jodun had a single in the victory as well for the Phoenix.
In game two it turned out differently for the Phoenix.
The Warriors jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the Phoenix continued to never give up and mounted a 4-run rally in the bottom of the first inning. Canton’s lead grew to 7-4 following a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. That lead grew to 8-4 following a single sixth inning run.
Once again, the Phoenix would rise.
Sugar Valley mounted a comeback in the sixth inning, fighting for a shot at playoffs. Their effort produced 3 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, but they would fall just shy of keeping the goal of a .500 record and narrowly fall 8-7.
Bentley Andrus, Lincoln Breon, Bryer Martin, Dakota Jodun, and Brody Swanger all collected two hits each. Andrus and Breon both had doubles. Laydeen Bryan and Grayson Hasrings also added hits.
Sugar Valley’s 2025 season ends on Monday at home against Shamokin.
