Zach Southall knows his role on the Annville-Cleona baseball team. And he plays it to a tee.

Southall is a table-setter, an agitator, a catalyst. His job is to get on base, disrupt the opposing pitcher’s concentration and generally set the tone for the Little Dutchmen offense.

But when called upon, the senior two-hole hitter can certainly be flexible.

On on a frigid Monday afternoon against Pine Grove, Southall turned run producer. With his side on the wrong end of an early 3-1 deficit, Southall ripped a two-run double into right-center field to knot the score at three.

Though the Cardinals would go on to score an 11-5 non-league decision over Annville-Cleona, that fact didn’t make Southall  any less clutch. Southall also contributed a fine defensive effort in centerfield to the Little Dutchmen, who slipped to 1-1 in the early going, and their cause.

During the fall football season, Southall also manned the demanding quarterback position for the Little Dutchmen.

 – Jeff Falk