02-05-2025
High school baseball: Beaver River comes through in clutch against South Jefferson
May 1—ADAMS — Credit Karter Kloster and the Beaver River baseball team for once again staying even-keeled while under pressure.
The Beavers generated timely pitching, clutch hitting as well as standout defense in its latest victory.
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Kloster pitched two-plus innings of relief to record the win and also delivered a key hit down the stretch as Beaver River outlasted South Jefferson, 7-5, on Wednesday to win a Frontier League "A-B" Division game.
"A couple mistakes on both sides kind of gave us some runs and gave them some runs in that fifth inning and it was a battle," Beaver River coach Brandon DeLong said. "But I think we grinded, we were a little resilient and it paid off."
Kloster and starting pitcher Kade Schneider combined on a four-hitter for the Beavers, who remain unbeaten on the season at 6-0, including 3-0 in the league.
"He did awesome for those first four innings and then he got in a little trouble in the fifth," DeLong said of Schneider. "He pounded the zone, which was huge, and that's something we preach to him and preach to a lot of guys. And then Karter came in and pitched great."
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"We're starting off pretty hot and we know we can get better," Schneider said, "So we're hoping we can keep on getting better and keep the hot streak going."
Defense set the tone for Beaver River on the day as center fielder Brit Dicob made a diving catch to deny Ryker Pennock of a hit in the second inning. Earlier, catcher Kayne Lyndaker threw out Billy Winchester at third base on a double-steal attempt in the bottom of the first inning.
"Beaver River is a good team, they're well coached," South Jefferson coach Kyle Peters said. "They're a fundamentally strong team, they play great defense. Brit Dicob had that nice stab there in center field and I think that really got them going."
Beaver River struck for two runs in the third inning as Lyndaker reached on a bunt single, placing the ball right in front of home plate, to load the bases.
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Schneider then walked to drive in the first run and Kloster followed with an RBI groundout.
After South Jefferson drew within 2-1 in the bottom of the inning when Winchester reached on a fielder's choice and later scored on a broken rundown play between first and second base, the Beavers responded with three more runs in the fourth.
Ethan Moshier singled to right-center field to drive in a pair of runs and Lyndaker singled in a run.
"We know they're good, they have some good hitters," Schneider said of South Jefferson. "But our middle lineup stepped up the last two times we played them and it feels good beating them."
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The Spartans came back to tie the game with four runs in the fifth inning on a pair of sacrifice flyouts by Winchester and Drew Peters and RBI singles from Pennock and Russell Hazard.
Beaver River answered quickly with two decisive runs in the sixth inning on two-out RBI singles from Kloster and Dicob to reclaim the lead.
"Karter's only a sophomore, but he has a lot of composure out there and stays steady," DeLong said.
"Huge, they kind of got the momentum there for a little bit scoring four runs and then we knew we had to get the bats going," Schneider said. "So it feels good that we can stay resilient and just fight."
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Kloster pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing one hit while striking out two and walking none to close the door on South Jefferson.
"I felt pretty good, pretty confident," Kloster said. "I like pitching in those situations, it's fun."
"He's been our closer for the majority of the year so far and he's been doing a really good job of just bearing down, throwing strikes and letting the defense work," Schneider said of Kloster.
Schneider allowed five runs, with only one of them earned in 5 2/3 innings of work, striking out six and walking six.
"I felt good through the first couple innings and kind of slowed down at the end," Schneider said. "We have guys, we have a lot of arms, so I know if I slow down, then somebody can come in and finish it off."
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"It was sure a battle against their lineup, everybody can hit," Schneider said. "I would say mixing up speeds, they're really good at hitting the fastball, so mixing in curve balls and changeups, just trying to hit spots."
Although they rallied to tie the score late in the game, it proved to be a rough day for the Spartans (2-5, 2-3), who committed five errors on the day.
"This time it was a comedy of errors that has become our season," Peters said. "These errors, not taking things seriously ... It's a different group of kids. The kids are working, but not as hard as we could be. A lot of undisciplined at bats and undisciplined defense. We battled pretty well, but we know we have to be better."
This is the second straight season that Beaver River, a Class C school, opted to play up in the league's "A-B" Division to ultimately prepare for the postseason.
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Beaver River also swept South Jefferson in division play after defeating the Spartans, 6-4, on April 17 in Beaver Falls, in the Beavers' previous game.
"When we played them before break, that was the first time we've beaten them in three years, since the last time we won sectionals, so we had little bit of a lull with them," DeLong said. "They beat up on us pretty good last year, so getting that first one was great, but coming into this one we knew it was going to be a little more of a battle and it was."
South Jefferson had also hoped to be playing on its new turf field this season, but it hasn't been officially cleared to be utilized so far this year. Beaver River will continue league play within the division when it plays at Watertown at 5 p.m. today at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds.
"This is one of the best teams all around through the lineup, so it feels good that everyone's hitting and hopefully it can stay that way," Schneider said.
