Jun 19, 2026 By Rob Burchianti 3 min read

Smithfield-Fairchance stormed back from a 3-0 deficit with four runs in both the fourth and fifth innings on its way to defeating visiting Charleroi, 8-3, in Fayette American Legion Baseball action on Thursday.

AJ Watson was 2 for 2 with a sacrifice fly and two RBIs, Ben Lilley had two hits and knocked in a run and Maddox Reynolds a single and two RBIs for S-F (5-3-1), which sits in second place in the standings behind Belle Vernon (7-1). Charleroi fell to 3-5.

Smithfield-Fairchance also got two hits from Billy Craig, a single and an RBI apiece from Evan Weakland and Matt Malinsky and a double from Mason Usher.

Winning pitcher Kaiden Brady allowed two earned runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. Nico Edward tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, giving up just one walk while striking out three.

Lazer Glasser had a double, single and an RBI for Charleroi, which also got a hit and an RBI from both Logan Hartley and Brock Henderson.

Charleroi pushed across one run in each the first, second and third inning to go up 3-0.

Craig started S-F’s fourth-inning rally with a single and scored one out later on Watson’s single. After Malinsky walked an Kayden Perez singled to load the bases, Lilley hit an RBI single and Reynolds followed with a two-run single to put the visitors ahead to stay at 4-3.

Smithfield-Fairchance tacked on four insurance runs in the fifth. Usher led off with a double, went to third on Craig’s single and scored on Weakland’s hit. Watson’s sacrifice fly and Malinsky’s RBI single made it 7-3, and Malinsky eventually scored on an error to set the final score.

Losing pitcher Sam Wade surrendered four runs on five hits and one walk with five strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.

BELLE VERNON 12, CARMICHAELS 2 — Belle Vernon broke a 2-2 tie with three runs in the third inning then put the game away with seven in the fifth on its way to a five-inning Fayette American Legion Baseball win over host Carmichaels.

Vito Francia stroked a triple and two singles and drove in three runs and Landon Jackson had two hits and two RBIs for Belle Vernon (7-1), which also got a two-run triple from Aiden Shaffer, two RBIs from JB Crovak and a single and an RBI from winning pitcher Cole Matusik.

Matusik gave up four runs on four hits and two walks with six strikeouts in four innings. Brandon Geho pitched a scoreless fifth.

Chase Ankrom had two hits and an RBI for Carmichaels (2-5), which also got a single and an RBI from Brayden Ellsworth. Jase Zdravecky took the loss.

MILL RUN 4, CHARLEROI 2 — Josh Burns went 3 for 3 with a double and an RBI as the Millers picked up their first win of the season over the visiting Magicians in Fayette County Baseball League action.

Colby Simmons had a double and a sacrifice fly, winning pitcher Anthony DeMarco had a hit and an RBI Lane Smiley smacked a triple for Mill Run (1-5).

DeMarco coughed up just one runs on four hits and five walks with four strikeouts in five innings. Smiley finished up from there for the save, allowing one run on two hits in two innings.

Tyler Sankovich led the way for Charleroi with three hits. The Magicians also got a triple and an RBI from Chad Behrendt, a double and an RBI from Remington Lessman and a double from Brad Banaszak.

Losing pitcher Colton Brightwell surrendered three earned runs on six hits and five walks with five strikeouts in six innings.