Marsinko has big day as Connellsville grabs 2- lead in Legion finals
CONNELLSVILLE – This time, Chris Marsinko was the one enjoying a big day in baseball, a day like he had never before experienced himself. At the same time, Sherwood Hughes was wishing he could be a baseball banker and put some of the hits and runs into escrow.
Marsinko hit a pair of home runs, a triple, and drove in eight runs to power Connellsville past Carmichaels, 19-2, in Game 3 of the Fayette American Legion Baseball League playoff championship series Saturday at the Connellsville High School Field.
Play was halted after five innings under the Legion’s 15-run rule.
Game 4 will be played at 2 p.m. today at the Mapletown High School Field.
If Connellsville wins, the series is over, but if Carmichaels wins, the fifth and deciding game will be played at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Connellsville High School Field.
Marsinko hit a three-run homer to feature an eight-run spree in the first, tripled in one in the second and capped the day with a grand slam in the fourth.
He said, “I have never before enjoyed a day like this myself in a game. I had never hit two home runs in a game before, and I had never hit a grand slam. I had watched others have big days, but today I got to enjoy one and help us win.”
Connellsville had 14 hits off three pitchers, 10 for extra bases.
Along with Marsinko’s barrage, Tony Marciante hit two doubles, a home run, and single (3 RBI), Wes Hughes a triple and single, Justin Marsinko a double and single, Phil Gratchic a triple and Zack Leonard a double.
Meanwhile, Tom Cesario was working a four-hitter and had a shutout until the fifth when John Pochron singled, Drew Denham was aboard on an error, Jono Menhart singled to load the bases and Jeff Lapkowicz singled in two.
Hughes said, “Tommy was very effective today. He moved his pitches well around the plate.”
Then he said, “I honestly never expected us to hit like we did today, especially against their pitching. But our guys came out hitting, and I stopped giving signs after the second inning. I was concerned at first for no matter how many runs you score against Carmichaels, it always seems like it’s never enough. They come back on you.”
Also pleasing to Hughes was “the lower half of our batting order coming through like they did at the plate (5 hits, 8 runs). They have been struggling a little bit lately, but today they all had a hand in the win.”
Carmichaels manager Jerry Kowalczyk said, “They hit, they fielded, they did everything a team has to do to win and then some, and they stopped us from doing the same. After the first inning, it was really a tough road for us.”
Connellsville grabbed an 8-0 lead at the start. With one out, Bubba Fox was alive on an error and Marciante doubled him in. Then with two out, Leonard doubled, Brad Livingston was safe on an error, Gratchic walked, J. Marsinko doubled, Hughes singled and Marsinko hit his first homer.
In the second, Marciante doubled to lead off, Brandon Bryner and Livingston walked, and Gratchic, Hughes and Marsinko tripled, around an out.
In the six-run fourth, Gratchic walked, Marsinko singled, Hughes was hit by a pitch to load them up, Marsinko unloaded them with a shot over the fence in left, Fox singled and Marciante homered to left-center.
As he left the field, Hughes said, “I just hope this momentum carries over into the regionals, but I sure would like to put some of these runs and hits into an account for those games.”