Connellsville squeezes out victory over Norwin
CONNELLSVILLE – Talk about “squeezing” out a win, Connellsville did just that Tuesday. Wes Hughes executed a perfect two-strike squeeze bunt, scoring Chris Pepe from third to give Connellsville the edge, 4-3, over visiting Norwin, in exhibition baseball play.
Connellsville led 3-2 after three. Norwin tied the game in the fifth, and that’s the way they went into the seventh inning. Shawn Durr, who went the distance in a well pitched game, set the Knights (2-4) down in order in the top of the seventh, and then the Falcons made their winning move.
Pepe led off the inning with a single into short left that Shaun Connelly made a diving grab for but just missed. Pepe went to second on a wild pitch, to third on a perfect bunt by Jason Goodwin and scored on Hughes’ tapper in front of the plate.
Coach Bob Renze said, “We tell our leadoff batters every inning to do whatever they can to get on base because if you get the leadoff man on, then you pressure the other team. Pepe got on, and then we got two perfectly executed bunts, both with two strikes on the batter, and that was the game.”
Durr went the distance for the Falcons (3-2), allowing seven hits, striking out five and not walking a batter.
After the third inning, the Falcon outfield had only three outs, and just three runners got past first with one scoring.
Renze said, “Durr threw a fine game. He made only one bad pitch that was hit for a homer in the first. Other than that, he was in control. Both pitchers worked very well today.
Norwin got a good effort from their pitcher (Tim Reynolds). They have a fine team and they wanted to win this one. He’s their No. 1 pitcher, and when you beat any team’s No. 1 pitcher you have made a real big step.”
Reynolds worked a six-hitter, striking out seven and walking only two. The Knights’ outfielders had just two outs for the day, both to center, and from the time CAHS scored with one out in the third until the seventh, only one runner got as far as second.
Justin Marsinko singled with one down in the fifth and moved ahead on a wild pitch.
Norwin coach Doug Aftanas called the game “very well played. We knew that coach Renze likes to do a lot of running and bunting, and that was a real good two-strike curve that he (Hughes) bunted. Reynolds worked a good game for us, I just wish we could have scored some more runs for him, but at the same time their pitcher was keeping us from putting together any streak of hits.”
Tony Marciante homered and Marsinko doubled to pace the Falcon offense. John Hanna hit a two-run homer and Shaun Connelly a brace of doubles for Norwin.
Norwin went up 2-0 in the top of the first when Chris Holzer was aboard on an error leading off, and with two out, Hanna cleared the fence in center.
Connellsville came right back with two runs to tie. Marsinko walked to lead off and went to third when Corey Fox was safe on an error. He later scored on a double play. Marciante followed with a drive over the left-center fence.
The Falcons led 3-2 in the third after Marsinko doubled to lead off, went to third as Fox grounded out and scored on Andy Beucher’s single.
Norwin tied it in the fifth when Connelly doubled with two out and scored on Andy Dickson’s single.
Connellsville will play four consecutive home games, starting today with North Allegheny, then Woodland Hills on Thursday, Hempfield on Friday and the first Section 2-AAA game of the year on Saturday with Uniontown.
The latter game has been moved back to 2 p.m. because of tests at CAHS.