Apr 30, 2004 By Mike Ciarochi 3 min read

When it was over, there was nothing left to give on either side of the field. Connellsville left fielder Jason Goodwin’s perfect throw to catcher Andy Schleihauf nailed Uniontown’s Randy Fisher at home for the final out in the Falcons’ 8-7 nine-inning win over the Red Raiders Thursday at Bailey Park.

The Section 2-AAA win keeps Connellsville (7-7, 4-5) alive for one of two WPIAL playoff berths with three section games to play, while Uniontown fell to 3-9, 3-6. The Red Raiders also remain alive in the playoff chase and travel to Albert Gallatin Tuesday in a key game.

“I couldn’t ask for more out of my team,” Uniontown coach Chris Baker said. “They played with a lot of heart today and I am very proud of them. It takes a real team to fight like they did and I think this game can bring us even closer together as a team.”

“They did a great job, both teams,” Connellsville coach Brian Shipley echoed. “These guys played tough the whole game. They all did a great job.”

It was a struggle from the outset, with no let-up on either side until it was over. Uniontown grabbed the early lead when starting pitcher Ryan Guthrie hit a two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the first inning.

Guthrie shut the Falcons down until Ryan Firestone opened the fourth inning with a home run to left field to tie the score, 2-2. Connellsville scored an unearned run in the third when Tom McAllister singled, stole second and scored on an errant throw after a force-out.

Uniontown reclaimed the lead, 3-2, when Gregg Billy drew a bases-loaded walk and made it 4-2 in the fifth when Guthrie hit a one-out single and scored on Howie King’s single to center.

Connellsville starting pitcher Kevin Bell turned in a gutsy performance in typical bend-but-don’t-break fashion. Bell threw 120 pitches in 7.2 innings and only four of the seven runs he yielded were earned. He enticed two double-play balls and kept Connellsville within striking distance the whole way.

In the sixth, his teammates responded. Goodwin opened the inning with a homer to left field, Wes Hughes doubled to center and Firestone clouted his second homer of the game, this one to center field, and Connellsville led for the first time, 5-4.

Uniontown came back to tie it when, with two outs, Price was hit by a pitch, advanced on an error and scored on Fisher’s single to left.

Connellsville scored twice in the eighth on four hits, but Uniontown got even when Mike George reached on an error and, with two outs, King homered to left field.

Wes Hughes homered to right-center in the top of the ninth for what proved to be the winning run. It also set up Goodwin and Schleihauf to be defensive heroes.

“It was good fundamental baseball,” Shipley said of the play. “The throw was right at the cut, the cut let it go and we got the out.”