Moon breaks out the lumber, beats Uniontown, 13-7
CONNELLSVILLE — Uniontown had “one of those” innings to start Wednesday’s Region 6 American Legion Baseball Tournament loser’s bracket game, but, unfortunately for the local squad, Moon had a couple of those innings on its way to a 13-7 victory.
Uniontown closes the season with an overall record of 26-6. Moon (18-5) advanced to the title game against undefeated West Mifflin. West Mifflin defeated Blackhawk, 7-5.
Trailing 4-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, Moon batted around to take a 6-4 lead.
Uniontown starter Luke Wallace stranded six batters and allowed just the one run through the first four innings, but Moon touched up Wallace for four straight hits, the third being a three-run blast over the left-center field fence by Rocco Maue.
Mason Prickett’s single was the fourth straight hit. After he was sacrificed to second, he moved to third on Ryan Shields’ single. Shields moved to second on an errant throw to third base.
Dom Peroni came on in relief, but the hitting kept coming when Trevor Rasbach cracked a two-run double on a 3-2 pitch. Peroni managed to get the next two batters to close out the inning.
“They got the hit when they needed it,” said Uniontown manager Scott DeBerry. “They hit the ball hard. We hit the ball hard on the ground right to them.”
Moon extended its lead to 8-4 with two runs in the bottom of the sixth on a throwing error and an RBI single by Matt Capo.
“We are very discplined with our bats. We’ve scored 45 runs (in the tournament),” said Moon manager Tyler George.
Uniontown bounced back in the top of the seventh with three runs.
Drew DeBerry greeted relief pitcher Marco DeBlasio with a lead-off single. The center fielder then raced home on Teddie Sova’s double. Zack Stashick brought home Sova with a one-out single. Tyler Dubovich cracked a double to deep right-center field that plated Stashick.
Guiseppe Schiano kept the rally going with a walk and Nick Lancaster knocked DeBlasio out of the game with a bases-loading single.
Ryan Shield relieved and ended the threat with a strikeout looking and lazy pop to third base.
The three runners stranded in the seventh inning ran Uniontown’s total to that point in the game to eight.
“We left so many opportunities out there. That has really killed us,” said DeBerry. “That’s what’s happened to us in our last four losses.”
Any thoughts of a stirring come-from-behind victory were squelched in the bottom of the eighth inning when Moon sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five runs.
Capo had a two-run double, although he made the second out at third base trying to stretch it into a triple. Josh Bogats drove home the third run with a single after a pair of walks off Collin McKee. Cole Koegel capped the inning with a two-out, two-run single on a 1-2 pitch off Luke Paull.
Uniontown was in the driver’s seat early after scoring three runs in its first at-bat.
Drew DeBerry was safe on an infield error to lead off the game. Teddie Sova walked on four pitches and stolen bases moved both runners up a base.
Peroni laced a single up the middle, scoring DeBerry. DeBlasio’s throw was on the mark, however, gunning down Sova at the plate.
Peroni stole third and Guiseppe Schiano was hit by a pitch with two outs. Kody Thomas singled to load the bases, and Corey Dascenzo singled to bring home Peroni.
Trevor Rasbach stranded the three runners by ending the inning with a strikeout. Rasbach went six innings for the win, allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits with five strikeouts and three walks.
“My kids aren’t used to playing 9-inning games,” said George. “I give credit to the kids. It’s easy to lay down. My kids wanted this game.
“You have to finish the game.”
“I didn’t see that coming,” DeBerry said of the offensive explosion by Moon. “They deserved to win. They outplayed us.”
The loss ended a successful season which began for most of the players with the high school schedule.
“I’m disappointed. I expected more from us. We had high expectation,” said DeBerry. “Obviously, we didn’t meet them.
“We need to find a way to take the next step. Until you take that next step, you don’t know what it is.”
Most of the squad returns next year.
“We still lose five. It’s a pretty good five. They were the core of the team,” DeBerry said of his son, McKee, Dubovich, Lancaster and Stashick. “I think we still have a great core of young guys.
“The (successful) high school season (at Laurel Highlands and Uniontown) helped a lot. The work ethic on their part carried over.”