Ben Miller started to warm up at the plate for Selinsgrove in this past Thursday’s clinching victory over Berwick. Miller, who plays for Midd-West during the high school season, had two hits and two runs scored in the win.
    But that’s nothing compared to what he had in store for Athens on Saturday in the first round of the Region V Tournament at Pineknotter Park.
    Miller was 4-for-4 with two homers, a triple and a double with four runs scored and five runs batted in as Selinsgrove rolled to a 20-4 victory over the Bradford/Tioga champions.
    “It just seems to be falling into place right now, not like the beginning of the season,” Miller said. “Every (pitch) looked like it was hanging out over the plate.”
Selinsgrove (15-8) faces Abington VFW (18-8), a 20-7 winner over Jersey Shore, at 4:30 p.m. back at Pineknotter Park. Athens faces Jersey Shore at 9:30 a.m.
    Miller might have had the biggest day at the plate for Selinsgrove, but he wasn’t the only one. Leadoff hitter Paul Eyster had two homers, including a grand slam and 6 RBIs. Eyster and Zach Mills each scored three runs. Catcher Nate Rovenolt had 2 RBIs. Nine different players scored runs, seven different players had hits and six different players knocked in runs for Selinsgrove.
    “No, we haven’t (hit like this all season). I said after the Berwick when the bottom of the order got going that we hadn’t put together a game when the entire lineup hit,” Selinsgrove manager Bryan Mohr said. “We did that (Saturday). We just seem to be gelling at the right time.”
    Selinsgrove fell behind 2-0 in the top of the first. Eric Secor tripled with one out for Athens. After an Eric Wells walk, Secor scored on a wild pitch. After an out and a Bruce Osborn single put runners on the corners, Wells stole home when Osborn intentionally got caught in a rundown for the final out and a 2-0 lead.
    The lead was short-lived. Selinsgrove answered right back with eight runs in the bottom of the first. Eyster walked and Derek Moyer singled to start the inning. Nick Gaugler followed with an RBI single. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third. That’s when Athens gloves and arms began to fail them.
    After a hit batter loaded the bases, a two throwing errors on the same play, allowed a run to score and runners to be on second and third. Miller followed with a three-run homer to make the score 6-2.
    “The first inning was huge. We needed that to get our heads back into the game after they got those two runs,” Miller said.
    Mills then reached second on a dropped fly ball and scored on Rovenolt’s single. He went to second on a throwing error. After the second out of the inning, Eyster capped the scored with a two-run homer to give Selinsgrove an 8-2 lead.
    Selinsgrove ended the game with another eight-run inning in the bottom of the sixth. With one out and a runner on first, three wild pitches and two walks allowed a run to score and put runners on second and third. Miller hit his second homer of the game to make it 16-4. A Mills single and two more walks loaded the bases before Eyster capped the scoring with a grand slam to center field.
    Robinson got the win for Selinsgrove, improving to 5-0 on the season. He worked 2 2/3 innings in relief. He didn’t allow a earned run. He struck out one and walked one.