Dragons Fall in Curve Classic

In a grueling, four-game week, the Dragons came out 2-2, being handed their first loss in years in the Curve Classic. The week started out against the Somerset Eagles, where the Dragons squeaked out a 4-2 victory. Afterwards, the Dragons crushed the Westmont Hilltop Hilltoppers in an 18-9 victory. To finish out the week, the Dragons played two games as part of the 2023 Curve Classic.

In the first game of the week, the Dragons narrowly edged out a victory over the Somerset Eagles. The Dragons took a one-run lead in the first inning before the Eagles tied the game in the third. The Dragons took another one-run lead in the fourth before the Eagles once again tied the game, this time in the fifth. Baron Dionis’ two-run double in the seventh brought the Dragons into the lead, before Griffin Snowberger recorded all three outs in the bottom of the inning to close out the game. Jeff Hoenstine was two for two hitting at bat, and got on base on all four at bats. Pitcher Kaleb Mountain gave up only two runs and had four strikeouts throughout the game.

Against the Hilltoppers, pitcher Luke Bettwy led the Dragons to an overwhelming victory. After scoring four runs in the first and second innings and two in the third, the Dragons scored an astounding nine in the fourth while only giving up eight throughout the game for a run-rule victory. Hoenstine was three for three with a double, three runs scored and two RBIs, while Dalton Metzger had three hits and four RBIs. Dionis had two hits, including a triple and scored three runs. Britton Marko was two for two at bat with three RBIs and three runs scored across the Dragons’ 14 hits overall.

In the first round of the Curve Classic, the Dragons faced the Forest Hills Rangers, ending in a 5-0 shutout for the Dragons’ first loss. In the consolation round, things got worse for the Dragons, facing the Bishop Guilfoyle Marauders for a 7-0 loss. “

We didn’t play great. We hit some balls hard, but they were right at guys. Our pitchers threw well overall, but we just couldn’t piece anything together,” said Coach A-J Hoenstine. “I told them you have days like this. You turn the page tomorrow. It’s not about how we played today, it’s about how we respond tomorrow.”

This drops the Dragons’ record to 7-2, as they prepare for another three-game week against the Chestnut Ridge Lions, the Bishop Carroll Huskies and the Westmont Hilltop Hilltoppers.