Jul 4, 2009 4 min read

ROSTRAVER TWP.-For a series between two teams that have played so close this season, Belle Vernon’s 6-0 win over California at John DiVirgilio Park in the first round of the Fayette American Legion playoffs might seem like a blowout. However as Belle Vernon coach Kurt Shutterly put it, “We felt like we were playing the best team in the playoffs in California.” Taking the first game of the series came down to pitching for both teams according to both teams’ coaches.

Dalton Bercasky pitched his way through six innings with five strikeouts, two walks and two hits for California while Belle Vernon pitcher Sam Bashioum picked up the win with a complete game shutout performance, only twice allowing California in scoring position with 10 strikeouts, three walks and seven hits.

“We knew what they were going to do,” said California coach Dave Gonos. “They weren’t going to surprise us with anything and with Dalton on the mound we feel like we can beat anyone.”

“The difference for us was when we were hitting the ball, we were hitting it right to them,” said Gonos. “We were great with fielding but when it came time to hit we didn’t have the advantage. They were able to squeeze the ball well and make plays that we just couldn’t.”

Meanwhile, Shutterly complimented his pitcher as well.

“What made the game tonight for us was Sam Bashioum,” said Shuttberly. “He was doing his best out there tonight against a very talented team and I felt it was just a matter of us getting that first run. If we get that run I think we can win with who we have on the mound.”

That first run for Belle Vernon came on an error for Bercasky when the pitcher balked in the bottom of the second that resulted in a score for Mike Pico and gave Belle Vernon a 1-0 lead.

“Bercasky made a throw from the mound to first base and the way he did it I could tell the umpire had a feeling about it and when he did it a second time they called it as a balk,” said Shutterly.

Belle Vernon added a second run in the bottom of the fourth inning after Ethan Cieply connected on a Bercasky pitch for a triple and was driven home thanks to a Travis Spagnolo sacrifice bunt to make the score 2-0 in favor of Belle Vernon.

A third run would come in the bottom of the fifth inning when previously walked Bashioum scored on an error by the third baseman to give Belle Vernon a 3-0 lead.

Belle Vernon would put the game out of reach in the bottom of the seventh inning when Tyler Shutterly hit a single to score Joe Janosik.

Shutterly would score off of a Nolan Russel double with Russel scoring on Craig Robivich’s single to give Belle Vernon a 6-0 cushion.

“The extra runs were nice,” said Shutterly. “But really after three runs I felt we could win. I think Bashioum did that well for us and we played our best tonight. I told our guys in the dugout afterwards that I thought we were the better team tonight against an opponent that is incredibly good”

Still Shutterly knows the task ahead of his team as they look to close out the series on Sunday at Beth-Center High School in a 2 p.m. start.

“We are very similar teams,” said Shutterly. “When we had our team meeting before the playoffs began the players all said this was the team we wanted to play because of how good they are and we got what we wanted.”