Off with a bang
Belle Vernon wins opener in Legion state playoffs, 10-6
Belle Vernon took control early and reasserted itself late in winning its opening game at the Pennsylvania American Legion Baseball playoffs on Saturday evening.
Belle Vernon built an early 5-0 advantage then pushed across three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning after host Williamsport sliced the lead to one in earning a 10-6 victory.
Manager Tom Jackson’s squad was slated to play Greater Pittston in its second game of the double-elimination tournament Sunday night.
Jacob Peterson led a 10-hit attack with two hits and three RBIs, Chase Petrosky contributed a double, single and two RBIs, and Jack Crovak also had a double and a single for Belle Vernon, which improved its sparkling overall record to 21-2-1.
“I thought we played well,” Jackson said. “We scored two in the first and three in the second to go up 5-0 and kind of take control.”
After starting pitcher Aiden Shaffer worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the top of the first inning, Belle Vernon also loaded the bases in the bottom of the frame against losing pitcher Jaxson March and was able to cash in.
Consecutive singles by Petrosky, Jack Crovak and JB Crovak started the rally and Belle Vernon got run-scoring walks from Peterson and Jesse Sobczak.
Belle Vernon got an RBI single by Vito Francia and a two-run single by Peterson in the second inning to establish its early five-run advantage.
March got Williamsport on the board with a run-scoring single in the third and the hosts whittled the game to 5-2 in the fifth when Chase Wright tripled and scored on a March’s ground out.
Petrosky bumped the margin back up to five runs with a two-run double in the bottom of the inning. Dominic Pireaux was thrown out at home on the play, preventing a three-run hit by Petrosky.
Down 7-2, Williamsport got a bases-loaded walk by March and a three-run triple by Jaydn Wagner to chop the gap to just a single run.
“They hit a bases-loaded triple when we dove for a ball where we probably would’ve been better off just playing it in front of us,” Jackson said. “But mistakes happen. We were able to respond quickly when they got close and build our lead back up.”
Anthony Corella and JB Crovak started the three-run rally in the bottom of the inning with walks and run-scoring singles by Peterson, Brendon Geho and Vincenzo Francia bumped Belle Vernon’s advantage back up to four.
Shaffer allowed two runs on six hits and six walks in 4.2 innings in earning the win. Maddox Ceccarelli relieved Shaffer with two outs in the fifth and gave up three runs in one inning of work. JB Crovak got the final four outs to record the save. He coughed up one run in the sixth but closed out the game with a 1-2-3 seventh.
March, who allowed three runs in two innings, contributed three RBIs for Williamsport, which also got three hits from Wright and two from Wagner.
“We started Aiden Shaffer and told him if you can give us three, anything after that is extra,” Jackson said. “We kept him at 80 (pitches) so if we keep winning he’d be good for Wednesday. We threw Ceccarelli and kept him under 30. We’ll give him (Sunday) off and we’d probably use him in relief on Monday if we win. We closed with JB.”
Jackson felt his team was well prepared.
“We had two or three that were on that 2024 team (which also played in the state playoffs), but all of them were ramped up all morning. You could tell they were ready to go,” Jackson said. “They came down, ate breakfast, then we went and hit. We found Lycoming College to go take some infield-outfield and some batting and bunting practice. Then they relaxed for a couple hours and got there by 4:30.
“The players actually beat me to the field so they were ready.”
Jackson was able to clear his bench on Saturday.
“We got everybody in the first game so that was nice,” Jackson said. “You’re not always going to be able to do that so I took the opportunity yesterday to make sure everybody got to experience it.”
Jackson anticipated a stiff test from Greater Pittston.
“I don’t know a whole lot about them other than they play in a tough region,” Jackson said. “I watched a little bit of their game. They won 3-1.
“We have a couple lineup changes that my staff and I figured out. As for pitching, we’re going to start Ian Porter, then Nate Grimm will be lined up for relief and Cole Matusik would be the closer. I always try to have three pitchers available that I know I want to throw at any time and I let them know what the plan is.”