Lion hits grand slam as Uniontown Legion splits DH
Noah Lion hit a grand slam and drove in the winning runs for Uniontown Legion Post 51 in a 12-9 victory over Charleroi Post 22 in the second game over a doubleheader on Wednesday night in Fayette County American Legion Baseball play at Hutchinson Field in Hopwood.
Charleroi (3-3) won the first game of the twin bill, 6-5.
The scoring in Game 2 went back-and-forth, as both teams scored two runs in the first inning prior to Uniontown (3-3) taking a 3-2 lead in the fourth. Charleroi regained its advantage at 5-3 in the top of the fifth inning before the home team rallied for five runs in the bottom of the fifth frame for a three-run cushion.
Charleroi put up four runs in the top of the sixth inning to hold a 9-8 edge, but Uniontown came through in the bottom of the sixth with four runs and held on for the win.
The home team began the penultimate inning with Eahn Stevenson drawing a leadoff walk on a 3-2 count before a strikeout was recorded. Stevenson stole second and scored on Noah Zawislan’s double to left field.
Sevi Vecchiolla singled prior to crossing home plate when Lion hit a line-drive double to right field that also scored Zawislan for an 11-9 lead. Following a second strikeout, Lion raced for home when Nick Fleszar reached first base safely on an error for a three-run advantage.
Winning pitcher Brayden Hinzy struck out the first two batters in the top of the seventh, but Wade kept the visitors in the game with a single to left field. Hinzy delivered his fourth strikeout to put the game away for the home team.
Hinzy yielded one unearned run on one hit over 1 鈪� innings. He walked two.
Charleroi took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Josh Hawkins was safe at first base on an error, advanced to second on a groundout to second base and scored on Dylan Klinger’s line drive to center field for a one-run advantage. Klinger attempted to steal second base, but was thrown out by Vecchiolla.
Jaxson Klinger doubled to center field and crossed home plate on Lazer Glasser’s two-batter to right field.
Uniontown plated two runners in the bottom of the first when Vecchiolla drove in Stevenson, who had walked, advanced to second on Lane Smiley’s bunt base hit, and third after Zawislan worked a base on balls.
Smiley was thrown out at home on Vecchiolla’s double. Zawislan scored on Hinzy’s base hit for the game-tying run, but Vecchiolla was thrown out at home on an attempted steal to keep the game level after the opening inning.
Lion singled to right field, and after advancing to third on an error, scored on Fleszar’s line drive to right field for a 3-2 lead after four innings.
Charleroi scored its three runs in the fifth frame on two hits, and took advantage of two errors.
Brock Henderson singled to right field and Dylan Klinger reached first base safely on an error before both scored on Jaxson Klinger’s triple to center field. Jaxson Klinger crossed home plate on Glasser’s groundout to first base. Jaxson Klinger had three hits.
Vecchiolla threw out a second base runner who was attempting to steal second.
Jamesen Carter, Stevenson and Smiley recorded three-straight singles before Carter scored on a passed ball to cut the deficit to 5-4.
With first base open, Vecchiolla was intentionally walked prior to Lion clearing the left-field fence on the first pitch he saw for an 8-5 advantage. Smiley had three hits.
The visitors didn’t allow being down by three to affect their play in responding with four runs on one hit. Charleroi batters worked three walks in the top of the sixth inning and were hit-by-pitch twice.
Braedon Todaro was hit-by-pitch to lead off the frame, and following a popup to shortstop, Luke Henderson singled to left field.
Hawkins walked to load the bases and Todaro scored when Brock Henderson was hit-by-pitch to pull within two.
Wade, who entered as a pinch runner for Luke Henderson, and Hawkins crossed home plate to tie the game when Dylan Klinger reached first base safely on a fielder’s choice to shortstop.
Jaxson Klinger and Glasser walked, and Dylan Klinger scored the go-ahead run on an error with Layne Gerba batting.
In Game 1, Charleroi, who was the home team on the scoreboard, won in walk-off fashion when Jake Corrin’s ground ball to left field plated Gerba for the game-winning run.
Charleroi trailed 5-4 entering the final frame, but Glasser got the ball rolling with a line drive to right field to lead off the inning. He stole second and advanced to third on a groundout to third base before scoring on Gerba’s double to left field.
Uniontown appeared to be on its way to an easy victory in scoring four runs in the top of the first frame, as Smiley walked prior to Zawislan and Lion being hit-by-pitch to load the bases.
Vecchiolla drove in Smiley and Zawislan with a base hit to left field for a 2-0 lead.
Following a strikeout for two outs in the inning, Fleszar was hit-by-pitch and Lion scored when Carter reached first base safely on an error. Aiden Milsom singled home Vecchiolla for a 4-0 advantage.
Vecchiolla reached on an error and scored in the third for a 5-0 lead.
Charleroi pulled with three in the bottom of the third when Dylan Klinger reached first base safely on a fielder’s choice prior to scoring on Jaxson Klinger’s line-drive double to right field. He stepped on home plate when Glasser smacked a base hit to right field.
Charleroi added two more runs in the sixth to pull within one when Gerba, who had singled, and Luke Henderson, who reached first base on an error, scored.
Gerba crossed home plate on Dylan Klinger’s base hit to center field, and Henderson raced home on an error.
Lion doubled to left field in the fifth inning. Smiley had two base hits.
Nick Crouch pitched five solid innings for Uniontown, but came away with a no-decision. He allowed two earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts and four walks.
Anthony Koziel was tagged with a no-decision after yielding five runs (two earned) on five hits over six frames. He had seven strikeouts and walked one in throwing 94 pitches (63 strikes). Jaxson Klinger earned the victory on the hill in throwing a scoreless frame. He allowed one hit while striking out two without a walk.