From teammates to rivals: Central Penn College players face off in Twilight summer league showdown
By Paul Miller
Knightly News Co-Adviser
While it is typical for college baseball players to play in local Twilight summer leagues across the region, Wednesday night’s game had a different feel to it as Enola visited Linglestown at Koons Park. A total of five current players and one alum took the field, as teammates became opponents.
To start, Linglestown is managed by Central Penn Knights coach Robert Stern. Wednesday evening, Central Penn Knights Owen Zell, Nathan Wise, Zach Boyer and Gabe Kaufman all suited up for Linglestown. For Enola, Knight Roniel Morel and former Knight Gabe Arellano battled on the field.
The teams, among the top four teams in the East Shore Twilight Baseball League, came into the game at 12-5 and in line for a playoff berth.
The game was an exciting one, seeing Enola jump out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second, followed by Linglestown tying the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the second.
From there, Linglestown added six runs, with one in the fourth, three in the fifth and two in the sixth. They won the contest 9-3, taking a slight advantage for seeding in the Twilight standings.
In the game, Zell went 1-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored and a steal. Wise was 3-for-3, with a walk, a steal, an RBI and a run scored. Boyer singled for a 1-for-3 day. It wasn’t any single player who dominated this contest, as it was a team game, with Linglestown mustering 12 hits in the contest. For Enola, Morel went 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI, while Arellano was 0-for-2.
Photo by Paul Miller
What was most interesting, though, was the dynamic of current and former Central Penn Knights playing a game as opponents. When asked what it was like to coach against current and former players, Stern noted, “It’s a blast. Getting on the baseball field, there are no friendships during the game.”
Still, with Arellano playing with Stern as coach through 2019 until graduation and Morel playing with the Knights this season, it cannot be easy to coach against people you have such a solid relationship with. Stern added how “it’s just another baseball game” and playing one another can actually improve chemistry going into the 2023 fall season.
On the other side of the ball, our entire returning infield, with Boyer, Wise and Zell playing together, strengthened their camaraderie through the off-season, which bodes well for the Knights going into next season, especially with Boyer taking home the 2023 MVP and Wise the 2023 Rookie of the Year honors.
Even with Linglestown’s one-game lead in the standings, the season is far from over. Each team has two games remaining this week to finish the regular season, with a potential clash in the playoffs on the horizon for the two teams.
Keep up with how the season plays out at the East Shore Twilight Baseball League website.
Comment or story idea? Contact KnightlyEditors@CentralPenn.Edu.
