SOUTH LEBANON – Dalton Reinhart improved to 1-0. Matt Knox improved to 1-0. Most importantly, the Cedar Crest baseball team improved to 1-0.
It was a good start in a couple of ways, and on a few different levels.
Now, it wouldn’t be prudent to read too much into it. But the importance of a good start can’t be overstated.
On a bright Tuesday evening at Cedar Crest High School, the Falcons opened their much-anticipated spring season in style, with a 2-0 non-league victory over Governor Mifflin. Reinhart, a hard-working southpaw, starred on the bump, and Cedar Crest generated just enough offense to turn the start into a victory.
The win also came in rookie head coach Matt Knox’s first game at the Cedar Crest helm.
“I’ll take a 2-0 win seven days a week,” said Knox. “I’m not upset about anything. They (his players) played hard. We put pressure on their defense. When you get a pitching performance like that, you’re going to be in a lot of games.
“We had a couple of scrimmages, but this was our first real game,” Knox added. “We faced a higher-caliber of pitching today. The Governor Mifflin pitcher threw the ball really well. Two-to-nothing is a pretty good outcome. I’ve got some ideas about things we can get better at.”
On 94 pitches, Reinhart finished what he started. He allowed two hits, struck out six and didn’t walk a batter.
Reinhart carried a no-hitter into the top of the sixth inning, before Governor Mifflin five-hole batter Zander Valez spoiled it with a long double to left field. But Reinhart bore down and retired the next three Mustang hitters in order.
Three fielding errors helped elevate Reinhart’s pitch count.
“Generally speaking, Reinhart threw a fantastic game,” said Knox. “He kept his pitch count down early. He was in control. He looked really, really good.
“For the first time being extended and throwing competitive pitches, you couldn’t have asked for anything more,” said Knox. “He threw competitive pitches when he had to. That (Governor Mifflin’s fourth hitter in the top of the seventh) was his last batter. If he doesn’t get him out, we go to (Luke) Hostetter to finish.”
Cedar Crest employed a little two-out magic to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
After the first two Falcon batters were retired, Reinhart doubled to right-center field. Clean-up hitter Dylan Beard followed with an RBI single.
“We’ve got to be ready to go from Pitch One,” said Knox. “We were taking first-pitch fastball and then swinging out of the zone. One of the things we need to work on is situational hitting. But we had competitive at-bats.”
The contest remained 1-0 until Cedar Crest struck for an unearned insurance tally in the bottom of the fifth. Falcon Conrad Wasson drew a one-out walk, advanced to third on a couple of wild pitches and scored on a Governor Mifflin error.
“Oh yea, I absolutely had butterflies,” said Knox. “I beat everybody here. I was getting set up and getting ready. This was my first real game as a head coach. It’s not exciting if you don’t have butterflies.
“I want to be competitive and for the kids to give 100 percent,” concluded Knox. “The goal is always to be in position to make the playoffs. But it’s baby steps. We want to give ourselves opportunities to win games. That’s (the postseason) the long-term goal of the season.”
| Date | Opponents | Outcomes | |
| 3/30 4:15 pm | Governor Mifflin at Cedar Crest | Nonleague | |
| 3/31 4:15 pm | Cedar Crest at Warwick | League | |
| 4/05 4:15 pm | McCaskey at Cedar Crest | League | |
| 4/07 4:15 pm | Cedar Crest at Hempfield | League | |
| 4/09 4:15 pm | Cedar Crest at Manheim Township | League | |
| 4/12 4:15 pm | Penn Manor at Cedar Crest | League | |
| 4/14 4:15 pm | Ephrata at Cedar Crest | League | |
| 4/16 4:15 pm | Cedar Crest at Lampeter-Strasburg | League | |
| 4/19 4:15 pm | Cedar Crest at Solanco | League | |
| 4/21 4:15 pm | Elizabethtown at Cedar Crest | League | |
| 4/22 6:00 pm | Cedar Crest at Palmyra | Nonleague | |
| 4/23 4:15 pm | Conestoga Valley at Cedar Crest | League | |
| 4/26 4:15 pm | Cedar Crest at Lebanon | League | |
| 4/28 4:15 pm | Warwick at Cedar Crest | League | |
| 4/30 6:30 pm | Cedar Crest at McCaskey | League | |
| 5/03 4:15 pm | Hempfield at Cedar Crest | League | |
| 5/05 4:15 pm | Manheim Township at Cedar Crest | League | |
| 5/07 4:15 pm | Cedar Crest at Penn Manor | League |
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