Connellsville Legion wins opener, 4-2
Connellsville broke a 2-2 tie with two runs in the bottom of the third inning, and starting pitcher Robbie Egan made it stand Tuesday to open the Fayette American Legion Baseball League season with a 4-2 win over visiting Belle Vernon. Ben Herrington led off the bottom of the third with a single. Kaitan Smiley forced him at second, leading to consecutive walks to Dustyn Pastors, Tyler Onusko and Andrew Kaper with Kaper’s leading to a run. The second run of the inning scored when Brian Sherwood’s hit was mishandled in the outfield.
Belle Vernon scored in its first at-bat, but the home team pushed into the lead in the bottom of the inning with a pair of runs. The visitors tied the game in the top of the second.
Egan went the distance for the win, allowing four hits and one earned run to go with eight strikeouts and five walks. Andy Schleihauf doubled and Colton Wilhelm tripled in the win. Andrew Kaper finished with two of Connellsville’s nine hits.
Connellsville is back in action tonight when it hosts Charleroi.
Fayette County League
Mill Run 3, Potter’s Clubhouse 2 – Mill Run tied the game in the bottom of the seventh and scored the winning run with one out in the bottom of the ninth to rally past visiting Potter’s Clubhouse for a Fayette County Baseball League victory.
Trailing 2-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Mill Run’s Jeff Kooser led off with a single. He moved to second on Rich Orndorff’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Brandon Bryner’s single.
After Kooser held Potter’s Clubhouse scoreless in extra innings, Jim Warrick led off the bottom of the ninth for Mill Run (1-1) with a single. Bryner’s single moved pinchrunner Ken Wiltrout to second and both runners moved up a base on Dennis Show’s sacrifice. Jeremy Miller was intentionally walked and Ryan Firestone’s single plated Wiltrout with the winning run.
Firestone’s single gave Mill Run a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but RBI singles by Ryan Guthrie in the second and Phil Gratchic in the third gave Potter’s a 2-1 lead.
Kooser pitched the final two innings for the win, allowing just two hits. Bryner and Show both had two singles in the win.
Gratchic led Potter’s (0-1) with three singles.