Jul 22, 2010 By Paul S Brittain for The 3 min read

HOPWOOD – Even trailing 6-0 to Colonial 3 before the first home at bat, could Ron Popovich’s final game as Uniontown American Legion coach have ended any other way? Uniontown (20-9) rallied for a 13-9 win on Wednesday that clinched Popovich’s third Fayette County American Legion playoff championship in nine seasons as head coach.

“I’m proud, happy, and excited,” Popovich said afterwards. “The first inning to me wasn’t a big deal. I’ve been there before.”

Colonial 3 (19-11) came out swinging, as Jason Guthrie singled and scored on a double by Adam Dorogi. One out later, Uniontown starting pitcher Nate Workman walked Zach Patterson and Frank Rafitz to load the bases, and Cody Cross doubled to drive in all three runners.

Zach Hibbs followed with a double to drive in Cross, and Hibbs scored on a passed ball and throwing error.

Popovich brought Dylan Clifford in to relieve Workman, and Clifford got the final two outs of the inning.

Uniontown used some daring base running to get back in the game in the bottom of the first. Evan Arison singled with two outs and came around to score on a throwing error on a ball hit by Dylan Clifford. Ethan Mildren singled and was picked off first base, but stayed in a rundown long enough for Clifford to score from third to cut the deficit to 6-2.

Kevin Mitrisin led off the home second with a first-pitch home run to right center field to cut the score to 6-3.

In the Uniontown fourth, Carmen Congelio doubled and caught the Colonial 3 defense off guard when he scampered to third base with the ball back in the infield. He scored three batters later on a sacrifice fly by Max Beatty to cut the lead to 6-4.

Colonial 3 made it 7-4 in the fifth when Rafitz doubled and scored on a single by Cross.

Uniontown tied the score with three runs in the bottom of the fifth as Clifford singled to drive in Arison, and Nick Forsythe’s single drove in Mildren and Mitrisin.

The hosts went ahead to stay with a four-run sixth highlighted by another first pitch home run by Mitrisin off the scoreboard with Mildren on base. Congelio, Forsythe, Jake Riddell, and Beatty followed with singles as Congelio and Forsythe scored for an 11-7 lead.

Pitcher Ron Holp’s suicide squeeze bunt drove in Rafitz in the Colonial 3 seventh, but Uniontown answered when Arison scored as Congelio was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

The hosts made it 13-8 in the eighth when Mildren singled to drive in Dave Gaisbauer.

Colonial 3 added a ninth inning run on an error that allowed Holp to score.

Clifford earned the win with nine strikeouts and two runs surrendered in 6 2/3 innings and Mildren pitched the final two innings and struck out three batters.

Holp took the loss, pitching eight innings and striking out five, although five Colonial errors resulted in seven unearned runs.

“Nate (Workman) started and we had a couple little mistakes, but we weren’t down,” Popovich said. He praised the pitching efforts of Clifford and Mildren in holding Colonial 3 to three runs after the first inning.

Clifford said he felt good “until the sixth inning, when I got a little tired, (but) we were really motivated.”

Mildren said his only concern was with the heat. “We were in the heat all day, but we battled.”

Of his home runs, Mitrisin said, “I was just looking for a pitch to hit to start off an inning and I made good contact. That’s how (home runs) always come.”