Shields, Charleroi stay alive with 1-0 victory
HOPWOOD — Ben Shields rebounded from a tough outing Saturday night and Nico Rongaus drove in the only run as Charleroi stayed alive in the Region 6 American Legion Baseball Tournament with a 1-0 victory Sunday afternoon over Center Monaca at Hutchinson Field.
Charleroi plays in the losers’ bracket game Monday at 3:45 p.m.
“That’s more of our style,” Charleroi manager Luke Mollis said of the close win. “Not a lot of walks and no errors.”
Charleroi only had six hits off losing pitcher Hunter Boring, but had two in the top of the fifth inning for the game’s only run.
Hunter Mamie opened the inning with a single. The catcher then broke off a steal attempt, but Center Monaca catcher Nick Marvin hesitated and didn’t run at Mamie and the Charleroi catcher alertly beat the throw into second base for a steal.
Boring retired the next two batters, but Rongaus lifted a single to left field, his second hit of the game, to bring home Mamie.
“It’s small ball. Rongaus got the timely hit,” said Mollis.
Shields was hit hard in the four Brighton Township batters he faced before rain led to the suspension of the game Saturday night.
The tall right-hander rebounded in the must-win losers’ bracket game by allowing only four hits. Shields walked three and struck out three.
“I think he was hitting his spots a little better,” Mollis said of Shields. “That was a great performance by him. He bounced back.”
Center Monaca threatened in the bottom of the second inning with runners at first and third with two outs.
Josh Kenelly singled to lead off the inning and moved to third on an errant pickoff throw. Hunter Boring walked with one out.
Shields threw a wild pitch with Zach Geisler batting, but the ball ricocheted off the cement wall right to catcher Mamie. Boring initially broke, then stopped. He was tagged out by third baseman Rongaus for the second out after a short rundown.
First baseman Remi Lessman stayed in play to catch Geisler’s short pop fly for the third out.
Center Monaca had one final threat in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Marvin walked to lead off the inning and moved to second on Hunter Boring’s sacrifice bunt.
But Shields got Geisler to ground out to shortstop Chad Behrendt and then beat Shane Jarvie to the bag for Lessman’s toss for the third out.