TWINSBURG SLIPS AWAY FROM THE KNIGHTS

MENTOR OH- It was a gut-wrencher in the district semifinals for Archbishop Hoban, as they let a late lead slip through their fingers, falling 7-5 to Twinsburg on Tuesday. The score was locked at five apiece in the nail-biting top of the seventh until Kris Kimmel came through with a two-run single that put Twinsburg ahead for good.

Twinsburg was quick off the mark, scoring in the opening frame when Josh Stalnaker grounded out to bring a run home. They widened the gap in the third with Stalnaker smashing a two-run double and Kimmel adding an RBI single to the mix.

Hoban wasn’t down for long though. Michael Ciavolella sparked a comeback with a three-run homer to center in the bottom of the third, electrifying the Knights’ dugout. The game saw-sawed on, with Andrew Karhoff evening things up at four-all in the fifth with a timely single.

Blake Bantum then pushed Hoban ahead 5-4 in the sixth with another RBI single, but their lead was short-lived. The seventh inning saw Twinsburg claw back and then some, with Stalnaker drawing a walk to tie it before Kimmel delivered the decisive blow.

Ryan Hojdar was the winning pitcher for Twinsburg, tossing a solid inning with two strikeouts and keeping Hoban at bay when it mattered most. Noah LaFine took the loss for Hoban, despite a gritty three and a third innings in relief where he surrendered two earned runs.

At the plate, Ciavolella and Karhoff were hot for Hoban, each bagging a couple of hits and Ciavolella driving in three runs. For Twinsburg, the duo of Jaden Dye and Kimmel each notched two hits, with Kimmel and Stalnaker proving particularly lethal, combining for six RBIs.

Twinsburg also shined defensively, playing error-free ball, with Lane Conway getting plenty of action with 14 chances in the field.

With this tough exit, Hoban wraps their season with a respectable 18-6 record, leaving them to ponder what might have been and to regroup for next year.