Valenti’s big day sparks AG to sweep of Mustangs
Geno Valenti went a combined 6 for 9 with two doubles to spark Albert Gallatin in a doubleheader sweep of host Laurel Highlands, 8-1 and 9-8, in Section 2-AAAA baseball play on Tuesday.
Valenti went 4 for 4 in the opener with a double and two runs and followed that up with a 2-for-5 performance with two RBIs.
Albert Gallatin played as the home team in the second game which was tied 8-8 in the bottom of the seventh when Valenti hit a two-out double. Easton Pryce ran for Valenti and came around to score the winning run on Luke Wilson’s single.
“It was huge getting the two wins against a rival and even bigger starting off section play 2-0,” said first-year AG coach Nick Groover. “I’m really proud of our guys today. We put the bats together and made the plays we needed to.”
The Mustangs (0-2, 0-5) took a 4-0 lead in the second inning of the second game. The Colonials (2-0, 2-5) pushed across three runs in the bottom of the inning and went ahead 5-4 with two runs in the fourth. Laurel Highlands countered with a four-run fifth to reclaim the lead, 8-5, but AG plated three runs in the bottom of the sixth to set the stage for the dramatic walk-off ending.
“We didn’t give up after falling behind early and our middle of the order guys had some timely hits,” Groover said. “It was good to see the bats come alive for everyone. It was a complete team effort.”
Cyrus Potkul doubled, singled and had two RBIs in the second game and Alex Dolobach doubled and knocked in two runs for AG which also got RBIs from Kanyon Sutton and Jason Myers. Valenti earned the win, allowing four runs with two walks and six strikeouts in 5 ⅔ innings in relief of starting pitcher Dolobach.
Devan Krivosky doubled twice and had four RBIs and Noah Lion singled twice in the second game for LH.
The Colonials scored all the runs they would need in the first inning of the first game with a four-run rally and led 5-0 when the Mustangs scored their only run on Connor D’Amico’s RBI in the fourth.
Albert Gallatin capped the scoring with three runs in the sixth.
Myers was 3 for 4 with two doubles and two RBIs and Potkul had two hits and an RBI in the opener for AG. The Colonials also got a single and two RBIs from winning pitcher Evan Weakland, who coughed up just one unearned run on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts in 5 ⅓ innings with Dolobach recording the final seven outs.
“Pitching was great for us in game one with Evan Weakland and Alex Dolobach finishing it off,” Groover said. “And Geno Valenti did a great job relieving Alex in game two.”
Laurel Highlands was limited to just four hits in the first game with singles by Xander Call, Parker Hoff, D’Amico and losing pitcher Krivosky.