Connellsville slams LH, 14-4
CONNELLSVILLE – In one sense, you might say that Connellsville did the unexpected. The Falcons scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth, with nobody out, to clinch a 14-4 win over visiting Laurel Highlands in Section 2-AAA baseball action Thursday.
Play ended in the fifth under the 10-run rule.
It was the Falcons’ third section win in a row. They are 7-1 overall.
As he savored the win, Connellsvile coach Bob Renzi said, “You never, ever expect to beat Laurel Highlands by 10 runs, but the team played one of their better games of the season today.
“When we got the early lead, that set the pace of the game for when you can get out at the start like we did, you can take away some things the other team wants to do. But to their credit, Laurel Highlands didn’t give up. They were down 10-1, then got three in the fifth, and we had to come back with four.”
The Falcons went into the home fifth leading 10-4. Chris Marsinko singled to lead off and Anthony Smith and Andy Beucher walked to load the bases. Brandon Bryner singled for two with Beucher going to third and Bryner to second on the throw to the plate. Jon Stutzman then hit his second double to score both runners and end the game.
Matt Rupp took a two-hitter into the fifth when the Mustangs (6-2, 1-2) made their 3-run move and had two runners on with two out. Brent Wilson came on in relief and got the final out.
Laurel Highlands coach Tommy Landman said, “We started off bad and went from there, falling behind 5-0. We didn’t do a whole lot of things well, although we did have that three-run inning, but they came right back with four. We hurt ourselves with walks and hit batters, and with a couple of errors. Now we just have to bounce back, starting Saturday at home with Hempfield.”
Stutzman had two doubles and four runs batted across, Marsinko a triple and two singles, Bryner a single and four RBI and Beucher a brace of singles.
For LH, Aaron Lowden hit two doubles, Santino Sloboda a double and single and Dave Landman a double.
Connellsville went up 2-0 in the first. Tony Marciante walked to lead off, and there were runners on first and second when C. Marsinko’s bunt was thrown wide at first. Smith was hit by a pitch to load them up, Beucher singled for one run and Marsinko scored on an out.
Renzi said later, “Marsinko’s bunt was a big play because when we can get the top of our order on base, we have the speed to score and the middle of the lineup coming up. Chris has been struggling at the plate lately, but he ended that with three hits today.”
It was 5-0 in the second after Marciante walked, Marsinko tripled him in and Marsinko scored on Smith’s fly ball.
Laurel Highlands got on the board in the third. Paul Briczinski and Steve Fuller were hit by pitches, Andy Koposky was alive on an error to load the bases and Landman’s fly ball scored Briczinski.
Connellsville got that back, with interest, in the fourth.
Justin Marsinko was hit by a pitch, Chris Marsinko and Smith singled with one out, Beucher walked, and a force play, Stutzman’s double and an error made it 10-1.
The Mustangs got three in the fifth as Koposky singled, Landman doubled, Sloboda singled and Lowden doubled in two, making it 10-4.
Connellsville came right back with four to end the game.
Both teams have section games at home on Saturday, CAHS with Uniontown (12 noon) and LH with Hempfield.