MILTON — Monday’s Susquehanna Valley League matchup pitting Milton against a postseason-hungry Hughesville team could be summed up in one word — confidence. Hughesville has got it. Milton is struggling with it.
The Spartans jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings and made it stand up en route to a 9-4 victory at Milton High.
Hughesville improved to 9-7 overall and in SVL play and needs just one win over its last four games to qualify for the District 4 playoffs for only the second time in eight years. Milton fell to 2-14 overall and in league play.
“When a confident team — like Hughesville seems to be right now — gets in situations, they make the plays whereas a team like us — that’s struggling right now with confidence — we just hurt ourselves,” said Milton coach Walt Patynski.
Hughesville plated five before Milton even picked up a bat, doing little to aid the Panthers’ confidence early.
Jon Hoot singled home Ryan Pauling, who drew a lead-off walk before moving to second on a wild pitch. Hoot came home on a Levi Oden sac-fly to right.
With two down, though, Hughesville drew two walks, smacked three hits, including an RBI-double off the bat of Sean McKibben and took advantage of wild pitches and passed balls to plate three more.
In the second, Hoot doubled to lead off and came home on an Oden bloop single to right for a 6-0 Spartan lead.
Milton cut the lead in half in the third. Brad Balliet singled with one down, Tony Fannick followed with a walk and Gerry Runyan plated both runners with a double to deep center. Runyan took advantage of a pair of wild pitches to trot home.
After the third inning, things quieted dramatically as Fannick, Milton’s starter, gave up just one hit over the next 4 2/3 innings. Hughesville lefty Mike Hanner settled in as well, giving up just two hits over the next three innings.
Hughesville tapped Milton for three unearned in the seventh as a potential inning-ending double-play ball was mishandled in the infield. Falk followed with an RBI-single and Matt Balliet plated two more with a sharp single to left.
Milton got one more in the bottom half as Fannick doubled to deep center, took third on a Runyan single and came home on a fielder’s choice.
“Fannick’s a really good pitcher and that’s the kind of pitching we’ll see in the playoffs,” said Hughesville coach Nick Grove. “He settled into a groove there, but I was real happy we got to him early. That’s what we told the guys, that we have to get to him early.”
“There’s two out and no one (in the first inning) and they proceed to get three more,” said Patynski. “That really put us in a deep hole and zapped our confidence.”
Milton had a chance to get to Hughesville in the second, but stranded two runners, Raymonde Adames and Travis Reich, both of whom singled to lead things off.
“We had six-seven at-bats and we didn’t get anyone in,” said Patynski. “We get two there and we have a ballgame.”
Hanner pitched a complete game for the win, fanning four and walking two. Fannick was good in defeat, going 6 1/3 with six Ks and three walks.
Runyan finished his afternoon 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Hoot, Falk and McKibben each had two hits for the Spartans.
Milton is back at it Wednesday, looking to play spoiler at Mifflinburg, which is sitting at nine wins after upsetting Jersey Shore on Monday.

chris brady: 570-742-9671
sports@standard-journal.com