Falcons earn playoff spot in emphatic fashion
Connellsville needed at least a split with Gateway to earn a WPIAL baseball playoff berth out of Section 4-5A.
The Falcons did that in emphatic fashion on Monday in the opener of their two-game set with a 17-1 pounding of the host Gators in four innings.
Keegan Lott was 3 for 3 with a double and three RBIs and winning pitcher Noah Zawislan gave up three hits and three walks with six strikeouts it tossing all four frames for Connellsville.
Geno Farrell also knocked in three runs with two hits, both Linkon Keller and Caden Matthews had a double, single and an RBI and Xander Newmeyer and Zawislan each had a single and two RBIs for the Falcons, who also got a single and an RBI from Jackson Lee.
Connellsville rang up six runs in the first inning and three in the third to go up 9-0 and added an eight-run outburst in the fourth.
Gateway (2-7, 4-13) scored its only run in the third inning an a triple by Jon Saunders and a single by Tyler Feeser.
FORT CHERRY 9, CALIFORNIA 0 – Ryan Huey got the Rangers off to a good start with a two-run homer in the first inning and that was more enough for Dylan Lueck who pitched a three-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts as Fort Cherry beat the visiting Trojans in a Section 1-2A showdown.
The two teams entered the game with 8-0 section records but Fort Cherry (9-0, 14-0) took sole possession of the top spot and needed a win at California (8-1, 10-5) on Tuesday to clinch the section title.
Blake Sweder had two doubles and an RBI and Ben Demascal singled and knocked in two runs for the Rangers.
Eli Carpenter, Weston Monticelli, Landon Abercrombie and Chase Shemansky each had a single for the Trojans. Logan Hartley took the loss.
GEIBEL CATHOLIC 12, MONESSEN 8 – Zane Hixson had a double and five RBIs as the Gators topped the host Greyhounds in a non-section clash.
John Hess had a double, single and two RBIs and Troy Hoffer had a single and two RBIs for Geibel (5-6), which also got two a double and single from Michael Novotny and a single and an RBI from Eahn Stevenson.
Christian Scherer had a double and two RBIs for Monessen (0-16), which also got a double and two singles from Nathan Speicher and two hits from Jakob Dell.
BELLE VERNON 16, ALBERT GALLATIN 4 – Connor Bergman had two hits, including a double, and four RBIs and AJ Watson doubled and knocked in three runs as the Leopards (7-2, 11-3) beat the Colonials in a Section 2-4A game.
Ben Lilley had two hits with a double and two RBIs for Albert Gallatin (0-11, 1-14).
CARMICHAELS 7, AVELLA 3 – Chase Ankrom had two hits and two RBIs as the Mikes upended the second-place Eagles in a Section 1-A game.
Winning pitcher Scottie Maskil allowed one run on four hits with four walks and six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings and delivered a double, single and RBI with the bat.
Brayden Andrews had two hits for Carmichaels (5-5, 6-8), which also got a double and an RBI from Ryder Krieg and a single and an RBI from Dominic Yazzani.
Chas Rush had two hits and an RBI for Avella (7-4, 10-6). Bryce Wright took the loss.
CHARLEROI 8, BROWNSVILLE 3 – Brayden Todaro had two hits and an RBI as the Cougars (5-4, 7-7) beat the host Falcons (3-8, 3-10) in a Section 4-3A game.
Elijah Patterson and Jeremiah McDonald both had a single and an RBI for Brownsville.
CHARTIERS-HOUSTON 5, JEFFERSON-MORGAN 3 – Josh Hawkins had two hits and an RBI as the Bucs (9-6) defeated the Rockets (8-8) in a non-section game, ending J-M’s seven-game winning streak.
Brayden Ellsworth had two hits and Dayten Marion singled and drove in a run for Jefferson-Morgan, which also got a double from John Woodward.
BENTWORTH 4, BETH-CENTER 1 – Sam Wade pitched a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts as the host Bearcats (3-8, 4-10) triumphed over the Bulldogs (1-8, 1-11) in a Section 1-2A game.
Enzo Brown had two hits and an RBI for Beth-Center.
GREENSBURG CENTRAL CATHOLIC 18, WEST GREENE 0 – Tyler Samide fired a four-inning no-hitter as the first-place Centurions (9-0, 10-9) blanked the Pioneers (2-7, 2-13) in a Section 1-A game.
JEANNETTE 16, MAPLETOWN 0 – Evan Yargeau drove in three runs as the Jayhawks (4-5, 8-6) shut out the Maples (0-9, 2-14) in a Section 1-A game.
Owen Griffin and Coltin Halbert had the only hits for Mapletown.
KEYSTONE OAKS 5, WAYNESBURG CENTRAL 4 – C.J. Corwin had a triple and two RBIs and Austin Surber tripled and singled twice but the Raiders (4-5, 5-10) fell to Keystone Oaks (5-4, 7-7) in a Section 4-3A game.
LIGONIER VALLEY 9, SOUTHMORELAND 3 – Jake Govern had a single and an RBI for the Scotties (0-9, 1-14) in a Section 3-3A loss to the Rams (0-9, 1-14).