Malinsky pitches S-F past Charleroi
Charleroi could barely touch Smithfield-Fairchance starting pitcher Matt Malinsky for most of Monday’s Fayette American Legion baseball game on Tuesday.
While Malinsky was breezing on the mound, giving up one unearned run on one hit in a complete-game effort, Smithfield-Fairchance’s bats had only come up with one run itself through five innings.
The visitors finally broke through against Charleoi starter Jake Corrin in the top of the sixth thanks to a clutch triple by AJ Watson to grab a hard-earned 3-1 victory.
Smithfield-Fairchance improved to 3-2-1 on the season while Charleroi to 2-2.
“Matt Malinsky pitched a gem,” S-F manager Tony Watson said. “Kept their hitters off-balance throughout the game.”
Malinsky walked two and struck out nine.
Smithfield-Fairchance took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Kaiden Brady smacked a triple to center field and came home on Ben Lilley’s ground out.
Malinsky retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced but ran into trouble in the fourth when he hit Lazer Glasser leading off the inning and walked Tristyn Woods one out later.
Dylan Klinger followed with his team’s lone hit, an infield single, and an error on the play allowed Glasser to score and tie it at 1-1.
The only other baserunner Malinsky would allow was on an error in the fifth inning. After that he set down the final eight batters he faced in order.
Corrin was pitching a solid game also and had given up just a run on three hits going into the sixth.
Evan Weakland led off the sixth for S-F with a single to left and AJ Watson followed with a triple to right to give Malinsky the one more run he needed. Malinsky followed with an RBI single to help his own cause and make it 3-1.
Brady, Watson and Malinsky each had two hits for Smithfield-Fairchance.
“We had some timely hitting from Kaiden Brady and AJ. which gave Matt the insurance runs he needed,” Tony Watson said. “It was a complete team effort from top to bottom.”
Corrin surrendered eight hits with no walks and five strikeouts in six innings in taking the loss. Woods pitched a scoreless seventh in relief.
Smithfield-Fairchance is back in action Thursday with a 6 p.m. home game against Belle Vernon. Charleroi is slated to play a doubleheader at Uniontown on Wednesday with the first game set for 5 p.m. at Hutchinson Field.