Quaker Valley players react to strong offensive display in first round
Quaker Valley junior Todd Kagle and senior Nolan Wagoner react to strong offensive display in its PIAA baseball first round playoff game against Bedford.
- Todd Kagle led Quaker Valley with nine RBIs, hitting two home runs and going 3-for-4.
- Kagle’s performance was a personal best, surpassing his previous two-home run game earlier in the season.
Quaker Valley had two things on its mind after dropping the WPIAL Class 3A baseball championship to Riverside 1-0 on May 28. To control what it could control and go into the state playoffs and have the urgency to compete.
It executed in both facets, defeating District V champion Bedford 22-6 on June 2 in the first round of the PIAA playoffs.
“The energy was high just like it has been throughout the playoffs,” Quaker Valley senior Nolan Wagoner said. “After the tough loss against Riverside, our energy was back up and it was what we needed to get us going.”
Of the 22 runs scored, Quaker Valley (16-7) was led by Todd Kagle, who drove in almost half of the team’s runs in the contest, going 3-for-4 with nine RBIs hitting a pair of home runs.
For Kagle, he wanted to get off to a strong start in the state playoffs after a disappointing end to the WPIAL championship game.
“I wanted to start the state playoffs hot,” Kagle said. “Things did not end the way that we wanted to in the WPIAL playoffs because we wanted to win the championship. I just went out there to try and do the best that I can and happened to have a solid game.”
Kagle opened things up for Quaker Valley right away in the top of the first inning, hitting a line-drive three-run home run with no outs in the inning.
The junior would strike again in the first frame reaching on an error, bringing home Oscar Roig.
Following a bases-loaded walk to score a run, Kagle homered a second time hitting a two-run shot in the sixth inning.
Throughout his career, Kagle has put together strong performances at the plate, including hitting a pair of home runs in a non-section game against Ambridge back on March 17.
But the first-round game of the state playoffs is one game that he will not soon forget.
“I have never had that big of a game before,” Kagle said. “Earlier in the year against Ambridge, I hit two home runs in a game but nothing came close to having nine RBIs in one game.”
Outside of his big game against Bedford, the junior has put together a dominant season at the plate becoming one of the most consistent hitters at driving in runs in the Beaver Valley.
In 25 games Kagle has posted a .462 average, leading the team in hits (30) doubles (11), RBIs (42), and home runs (6), all while battling through nagging injuries throughout the season.
The key to the junior’s consistency at the plate was the work that he put in during the offseason which translated over to the field.
“Coming into the year you could tell he was a different player because of the work that he put in the offseason,” Quaker Valley head coach Richard Garbee said. “He was bigger, stronger and skill-wise, he was more sound as well. I give him all the credit.”
Now, Quaker Valley will set its sights on the PIAA quarterfinals as it will face a fellow WPIAL opponent South Park (16-7) who is coming into the game following a 5-3 victory over Forest Hills.
With the amount of tough WPIAL competition that Quaker Valley has gotten throughout the year in its section with fellow PIAA qualifiers Riverside and Mohawk, the team is ready for the challenge ahead.
“Playing South Park speaks to how strong the WPIAL has been this season,” Wagoner said. “It is going to be fun to go up against them. We played them during our fall season and it was a great matchup.”
First pitch is scheduled for June 5 at 1 p.m. at Plum High School.