Connellsville Legion takes care of business
Connellsville has earned the top spot in the Region 6 American Legion Baseball Tournament, but Brian Sankovich’s team doesn’t want to rest on its laurels, which was evident Monday night in an 11-1 victory over Charleroi at Thomas E. Sankovich Field on the campus of Connellsville Area High School.
Connellsville improved to 14-0 this season while Charleroi fell to 7-9.
The Region 6 tournament is scheduled for April 18-23 at John DiVirgilio Sports Complex in Rostraver Township. The tournament will be hosted by Belle Vernon Legion. Connellsville and the host team have already qualified, and either Charleroi or Uniontown will be the third-place team out of the Fayette County League.
Three teams from Beaver County are scheduled to compete, but there have been occurrences in past seasons where another team was added to complete the field if one squad can not play.
Connellsville scored three runs in the third and fifth innings, and four in the sixth to break open Monday’s game.
Mason Miller didn’t allow a hit over four innings, but yielded an unearned run. Miller had two strikeouts and two walks in earning the pitching victory. Grayden Gillott finished the last two innings. He allowed two hits while striking out two and walking one.
The game finished in six innings due to the 10-run rule.
Gradin Hodge had three hits and six RBIs. He drove in two runs apiece on singles in the third and sixth innings, and a pair scored on his double in the fifth. Teammate Alex VanSickle had three base hits.
Kace Shearer doubled and drove in two runs. Ethan Porreca added two RBIs and singled.
Lazer Glasser drove in Charleroi’s run in the fourth frame on a fielder’s choice. Brock Henderson and Dylan Klinger singled for the visitors.
Belle Vernon 10, Uniontown 2 — A seven-run sixth inning turned a close game into a rout for Belle Vernon at John DiVirgilio Complex.
Fayette’s second-place team improved to 12-3 this season, while Uniontown dropped to 13-8-1. Uniontown has scheduled multiple non-league games, which doesn’t reflect on its record for the region tournament.
In the home team’s sixth, Cam Matusik and Jacob Peterson each hit a three-run double, and JB Crovak walked with the bases loaded to force in a run.
Belle Vernon scored its first run on a passed ball in the first inning. It scored one run on a wild pitch and another when Mitchell Vuick was hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded in the third frame.
Ian Porter earned the win on the mound in yielding two earned runs on seven hits over five innings. He struck out four and walked one. Cole Matusik pitched two scoreless frames to close out the game. Matusik tripled and scored two runs.
Uniontown’s Noah Lion was a home run shy of the cycle with three hits. He scored one run. Teammate Sevi Vecchiolla singled twice and drove in a run.
Uniontown’s Connor D’Amico doubled to drive in Vecchiolla in the fourth inning.
Mill Run 5, Youghiogheny 1 — The Millers had a two-run lead heading into the third inning, which was enough for the pitching duo of Beau Bigam and Kole Koontz in a victory in Fayette County Baseball League play at Wharton Township Recreational Park in Farmington.
Bigam allowed one earned run on three hits over five innings to earn the win on the mound. He had five strikeouts and one walk. Koontz pitched the final two frames without allowing a run or hit. He had one strikeout and no walks.
Bigam scored the first run when he singled two right field, stole second base and scored on Cade Warrick’s base hit to center field.
Mill Run (5-7) added its second run when Luke Warrick walked, advanced to second when Alan Vansickle recorded his first of two hits, and scored on Anthony Piasecki’s base hit to center field.
The Millers extended their advantage to 4-0 in the third frame when Cade Warrick was hit-by-pitch, advanced to second on Hunter Smiley’s single to right field and scored on Logan Kemp’s base hit to left field. Smiley and Kemp moved to second and third on the throw.
Smiley scored when Marc Prinkey grounded out to third base.
Youghiogheny (3-8) cut the deficit to 4-1 in the top of the fourth inning when Grayson Willis tripled and scored on Dom Koch’s single.
Mill Run scored its fifth run in the bottom half of the frame when Teran Kemp walked, sprinted to second on a wild pitch and scored on Vansickle’s base hit to right field.