Taking advantage: Charleroi advances to FCALBL semis with 6-3 win
CHARLEROI 鈥� Charleroi scored four runs without a hit in the first inning and escaped a bases-loaded situation in the sixth Friday night for a series-clinching 6-3 victory over visiting Smithfield-Fairchance.
Charleroi advanced to semifinals against Fayette County American Legion Baseball League regular-season champion Belle Vernon, plus it clinched a berth into the regional tournament after taking the best-of-3 quarterfinal series, 2-1.
Charleroi advanced to the Pennsylvania State Tournament last summer.
鈥淚t蘑菇视频 going to be tough. Obviously, (Belle Vernon was) the best team in the regular season and they鈥檙e probably deepest pitching-wise. And, they are probably the most senior-oriented team, similar to who we were last year,鈥� said Charleroi manager Luke Mollis.鈥滻 tell our kids to come out and play our best, and if we have our top couple kids pitching and we get hot hitting, you never know. We can beat anybody.鈥�
Charleroi has a couple players back from last year蘑菇视频 squad, so they understand what needs to be done for another successful postseason run.
鈥淲e have a mix. We have a couple guys who went through it last year. It helps to have their experience,鈥� said Mollis, adding, 鈥淜ids know we lost a lot. It蘑菇视频 going to be a whole different thing. We can鈥檛 live off the past.
鈥�(Making the regionals) is always our goal. But, we still want to make a run at the league championship.鈥�
Smithfield-Fairchance manager Nick Groover completed his first season on the heels of coaching the Albert Gallatin baseball team this spring for the first time. Groover saw improvement over the past several months.
鈥淚 think we can compete with anybody. We can compete with them (Charleroi) over there. I think it蘑菇视频 pretty truthful when I say we were a lot better than teams we played and we don鈥檛 play as well as we should,鈥� said Groover. 鈥淲e just give too many runs away.鈥�
The visitors gave away four runs in the bottom of the first inning after giving up three errors and two walks.
The first error was catcher蘑菇视频 interference, giving Tyler O鈥橬eil first base with one out. He moved to second on a balk.
Winning pitcher Eddie Frizzel蘑菇视频 ground ball was not fielded cleanly to give Charleroi runners on the corners. The visitors had a chance for an inning-ending double play, but Ben Shields was safe with a wide relay throw and O鈥橬eil scored.
Shields stole second. Spencer Behrendt struck out swinging, but the ball kicked to the backstop.
Behrendt was safe and Shields scored on the errant throw to first base.
Behrendt came around to score after a series of passed balls. Joe Campbell walked, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch.
鈥淲e were aggressive on the bases and they made a few errors, a few mistakes,鈥� said Mollis. 鈥淲e were getting on base and making things happen.鈥�
Smithfield-Fairchance scratched back with a run in the top of the second inning.
Robbie Wilson-Jones opened the inning with a single and advanced to second when the ball bounced over the outfielder蘑菇视频 head. He took third on a balk and scored on an infield error on a ball hit by Matt Malinsky.
Losing pitcher Colin Andrews struck out looking and his reaction after the call led to his ejection.
鈥淚 think he knows the mistake he made. He was in the 40-something pitches in the first inning, and they didn鈥檛 have any hits, either. That蘑菇视频 probably part of why he was so frustrated. I get it, but he knows better,鈥� said Groover.
Malinsky got the call a little earlier than expected, and, with the help of a caught stealing, held Charleroi scoreless in the bottom of the second inning.
Charleroi had its first hit of the game in the bottom of the third inning, and another miscue led to an unearned run.
Shields hit a shot into left-center field for a double, and when the ball was misplayed, hustled around the bases for a run.
Behrendt followed with a single and moved to second on Campbell蘑菇视频 sacrifice bunt. Behrendt scored on a mishandled ground ball.
Malinsky was able to hold Charleroi at bay over the final three innings, allowing two hits with three strikeouts.
Smithfield-Fairchance rallied in the top of the sixth inning and had the tying run on base.
Cyrus Potkul opened the inning with a single. Geno Valenti was walked and JJ Myers singled to load the bases with no outs.
Wilson-Jones singled home Potkul and Malinsky walked with the bases loaded.
Smithfield-Fairchance had a bad break when Kaden Brady蘑菇视频 fly ball was hit too sharply for a sacrifice fly. Frizzel escaped with a ground ball to first base.
鈥淲e had the bases loaded and no outs in the sixth. We got a couple out of it,鈥� said Groover, saying of Brady蘑菇视频 fly ball. 鈥淭hat蘑菇视频 kind of how the season, even the high school season went. We鈥檇 hit the ball right to them and make errors and give them a lot of runs.鈥�
Frizzel hit the pitch limit after the sixth inning and Gavin Kovach pitched the seventh. Kovach walked Valenti, his third of the game, but ended the game when he caught a pop up.
鈥淚t蘑菇视频 everything you could ask from him. He threw strikes,鈥� Mollis said of Frizzel. 鈥淕avin Kovach pitched well too. He蘑菇视频 pitched pretty well, mostly in relief like he did tonight.
鈥淎ll I ask of those guys is to throw strikes. If they don鈥檛 walk anyone, we have a chance.鈥�