Myers sparks Uniontown Legion comeback
HOPWOOD – When Uniontown reliever J.C. Myers entered Wednesday’s Fayette American Legion playoff Game 3 against Charleroi, his team was already down 5-1. Four innings and two Charleroi solo home runs later, Uniontown looked up at a six-run deficit with only nine outs remaining.
“After he gave up the second home run, which was Charleroi’s last run,” Uniontown coach Ron Popovich said, “I told him to relax a little. He got a little mad on the mound, which was OK, but I needed him to relax at the plate.
“We were going to need his bat to help get back in this.”
Myers took the advice to heart and triggered a Uniontown rally. He led off the seventh inning with a single and later scored, along with Nate Fike to cut the lead to four.
After Uniontown chipped another run off the lead in the eighth inning and added two more in the ninth, Myers stepped up to the plate with two outs and two runners on. He lined a fastball down the left-field line for a two-run double as Uniontown escaped with an 8-7 victory for a 2-1 advantage in the championship series.
“I was seeing him well,” said Myers, who finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run. “He threw me a fastball and I got a good piece of it. I just felt like I needed to make up for last night when I let the winning run in.”
Game 4 is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. today in Charleroi. A win for Uniontown will end the series in its favor, while a Charleroi victory would send the series to a Game 5 Friday back in Hopwood.
Despite relaxing at the plate for his key hits, Myers stayed mad on the mound to close out the game.
Myers allowed only two base runners after Kyle Fisher-Law’s home run in the seventh inning put Charleroi on top by six. In the ninth, he finished off the Charleroi offense by catching a line drive off the bat of Neil Pascarella and doubling Fisher-Law off at first base.
With his performance, Myers picked up the win, pitching the final six and one-thirds innings. He allowed two runs on six hits, while striking out three and walking two.
“I did get mad after the second home run,” Myers said after the game. “But it helps sometimes you know. I don’t mind it. I think I pitch better when I’m a little mad because I get more focused and concentrate more.”
“I think he definitely started throwing a little harder and got some more zip on his fastball after that homer,” Popovich said in agreement. “We might have to make him mad before every game he pitches now.”
Charleroi took an early lead after putting up five runs in the first three innings to chase Uniontown starter Tyler Palermo.
Justin Deutsch scored on a wild pitch for the first run, and Fisher-Law later singled home Zack Neil for a two-run advantage.
After Uniontown put up one in its half of the first, Charleroi added three more in the third on RBI singles by Pascarella and Pete LaBrasca.
Two more runs came later after Myers entered the game on solo home runs by Kris Marchewka and Fisher-Law to give Charleroi eight home runs in the series.
Uniontown got back into striking distance in the seventh and eighth innings, thanks doubles by Fike and Nick Erminio that headed a couple of rallies.
And in the ninth, Uniontown had to fight again for a few more runs.
Jim Blosser led off with a single but was later forced out at second after a strikeout and a single. With runners on first and second, Cory Sawka drew a walk that loaded the bases.
An Eric Fudala ground ball skipped through the second baseman’s glove to score two runs. Myers then followed with a liner that kicked up chalk on the left-field line that easily scored Sawka from second base.
Fudala rounded third but held up when the throw beat him home. He raced back to third before heading towards home one last time, where a flip from Marchewka trickled away, allowing him to score the winning run.
“Wow,” Popovich said about the final play. “What a way to end a game. It was an outstanding effort by our guys.”
Fisher-Law and Pascarella each pounded out three hits in the game to lead the Charleroi offense. Fisher-Law homered and singled twice, while Pascarella recorded three singles in five at-bats.
Dishong suffered the loss, allowing the eight runs on 11 hits. He struck out nine batters and walked eight.
“He pitched a great game,” Popovich said. “He kept us off-balance the whole game and we weren’t able to get much going until the later innings. He really did an excellent job.”
But patience at the plate paid off for Uniontown as it scored seven runs in the final three innings to come away with a win.
“I hate to keep on saying it, but our kids know that the game isn’t over until you play all nine innings,” Popovich said. “They play hard to the whole way through and to come back on a great team like Charleroi really says a lot.”