PINE GROVE - Two of the best pitchers in the Schuylkill League faced off against each other Tuesday night when Panther Valley played at Pine Grove.

PV sophomore Stephen Hood and Cardinals senior Ethan Hannevig waged an unyielding, determined battle in trying to lead their respective teams to victory.

In the end, a fourth-inning triple by one of Hannevig’s teammates, followed by a safety squeeze bunt, allowed Pine Grove to escape with a 1-0 win.

The game, played at Pine Grove’s Stump Stadium, was one of two Schuylkill League semifinals contests.

Here’s how evenly matched the two hurlers were:

• Hood struck out nine and walked just three. Hannevig struck out seven and walked three.

• The triple that set up the winning run was the only extra base hit allowed by Hood. All the hits given up by Hannevig were singles.

• Hood went the distance. Hannevig was pulled in the seventh due to his pitch count.

• Hood allowed five hits. Hannevig gave up just four.

Both teams left a lot of players stranded on base. PV had runners on base at the end of six of the seven innings. There were a total of 10 Panthers left on base. Pine Grove left batters stranded in four of six innings.

The two opposing coaches agreed that one segment of the game made the difference between victory and defeat.

“Sometimes one hit makes a difference,” said Panther Valley head coach Rich Evanko.

Pine Grove mentor Keith Lehman said, “The difference in the game was just one play.”

Both referred to what happened in the bottom of the fourth.

With one out, senior Logan Zimmerman blasted a hit to the right-center field wall. Garrett Brandt was then hit by a pitch to put runners on first and third.

Sophomore Owen Hannevig, the younger brother of the Cardinals’ pitcher, laid down a bunt. The Panthers were able to force out Brandt at second, but courtesy runner Quinn Brommer raced home with the game’s first - and only - run.

“I was happy with the way we played,” said Evanko, despite the loss. “We had a good approach at the plate. We had runners on base every inning but the first. We just could not get that one hit to bring a run in.”

Just one Panther made it to third base.

In the sixth inning, Cody Orsulak hit a single. Evanko brought in pinch-runner Brady Jones, who got to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a fielder’s choice play.

“He’s one of the best pitchers in the Schuylkill League,” said Evanko of Hannevig. “They had that bunt (in the fourth), and that was all that was needed.”

Hannevig’s record for the season is now 5-0 in seven starts. He also has one save.

Evanko was proud of Hood’s performance.

“Steve threw an excellent game,” said Evanko. “We just needed one hit. One more hit in any of those innings ... He pitched a wonderful game.”

Evanko has a lot to look forward to, considering there are no senior starters on this year’s team. Five of the starting players are sophomores, while the other five - including the designated hitter - are juniors.

NEXT UP ... Pine Grove returns to Stump Stadium Thursday to play in the Schuylkill League championship against Blue Mountain. In the opening game, Blue Mountain stunned Tri-Valley 11-1.

HEADED TO DISTRICTS ... Panther Valley has a week off, then will play in the District 11 Class 3A playoffs. The team’s first opponent will most likely be MaST Community Charter School in Philadelphia.

ORSULAK IS PERFECT AT BAT ... Junior Cody Orsulak was 3-for-3. One of his hits resulted in a broken aluminum bat. PV’s other hits were from Trey McAndrew and Chase Weaver.

A GREAT SIGHT ... While most people were watching the flag at the south side of Stump Stadium during the playing of the National Anthem, a bald eagle - obvious by its white head - flew over just north of the grandstands.

Panther Valley 000 000 0 - 0 5 2

Pine Grove 000 100 x - 1 5 1

S. Hood and Orsulak; E. Hannevig, Deichert (1) and D. Zimmerman. W - E. Hannevig. L - S. Hood.