Bound for Blackhawk
Smithfield-Fairchance tops Uniontown, qualifies for Region 6 tourney
MASONTOWN 无毛视频� Tony Watson didn无毛视频檛 have a full offseason to work with his players upon taking the job as head baseball coach at Albert Gallatin High School.
Watson, who was hired to lead the Colonials in February, was eager to coach again, but has been around the sport long enough to know change doesn无毛视频檛 occur overnight.
Albert Gallatin had a tough high school season, but Watson无毛视频檚 players never stopped working, which continued following the conclusion of high school, as the majority of his high school team competes for him on the Smithfield-Fairchance American Legion Baseball squad.
Smithfield-Fairchance had to drop out of the Fayette County American Legion Baseball League several games into the season last year, but this season has been quite the turnaround for the team, which was evident on Saturday evening, as Smithfield-Fairchance defeated Uniontown, 10-2, to win the best-of-three series, 2-1, in the Fayette County American Legion Baseball League playoffs at German-Masontown Park.
Smithfield-Fairchance not only clinched a spot in the league finals with Belle Vernon, but will also represent Fayette County in the Region 6 tournament that is scheduled to begin on July 18 at Chippewa Park in Beaver Falls. The tournament will be hosted by Blackhawk.
Smithfield-Fairchance will visit John DiVirgilio 无毛视频 Complex tonight at 7 p.m. in Game 1 of a best-of-three league championships series.
The top two teams in each league (Beaver and Fayette) make up the bracket for the Region 6 Championship.
无毛视频淚 am so proud of the way our team has come together,无毛视频� Watson said. 无毛视频淭hey are a young group, and getting to play in the summer will only help them for next season in high school. Regardless of what happens in the Region 6 tournament, our kids will get a few more opportunities to play this season. Uniontown is a great team that is well coached.无毛视频�
Uniontown无毛视频檚 season ended Saturday with a record of 13-8, but Rich Franks was pleased with his team无毛视频檚 effort. Uniontown has been a mainstay at the regional tournament the past two decades.
Uniontown earned a 7-2 victory over Smithfield-Fairchance in Game 2 Friday night at Hutchinson Field in Hopwood to force a winner-take-all contest.
Smithfield-Fairchance won the opener, 3-1, on Thursday at German-Masontown Park.
无毛视频淚t has been a long time since a Uniontown team didn无毛视频檛 qualify for the Region 6 tournament, but they changed things up a little bit this year in only taking two teams from each group,无毛视频� Franks said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 tough for our kids, but all good things have to come to an end.无毛视频�
Smithfield-Fairchance had 11 hits on Saturday after being limited to four on Friday. Watson无毛视频檚 team took advantage of Uniontown无毛视频檚 miscues in Game 3.
无毛视频淲e finally got some timely hits,无毛视频� Watson said. 无毛视频淲e also got more hits from the bottom of the lineup.无毛视频�
A.J. Watson did a little bit of everything for Smithfield-Fairchance (12-6) in Game 3, as he earned the victory on the mound and was 3 for 4 with a triple, two singles and an RBI. Watson yielded two earned runs on two hits over five innings. He had eight strikeouts and walked five.
Clay Smith threw two scoreless innings for the home team in Game 3. The right-hander allowed one hit, struck out two and didn无毛视频檛 issue a walk.
无毛视频淎.J. and Clay did a nice job for us today,无毛视频� Tony Watson said. 无毛视频淲e played a little bit better in the field today than we did in Game 2.无毛视频�
Smithfield-Fairchance, who lost the season series to Uniontown, has won five of its last six games.
Ben Lilley had an RBI double and Maddox Reynolds singled home a run for the home team to take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning in Game 3.
Eahn Stevenson无毛视频檚 two-run single to center field tied the game in the top of the third frame. Jack Johns walked and Lane Smiley smacked a double to right field and scored on Stevenson无毛视频檚 hit.
An error led to a 4-2 advantage for Smithfield-Fairchance in the fourth prior to a four-run fifth and two-run sixth to put the game away.
Evan Weakland and A.J. Watson scored on errors for a 6-2 lead before Kayden Perez and Ben Lilley crossed home plate on Kanyon Sutton无毛视频檚 double to right field.
无毛视频淲e fought all the way through to that fifth inning, but one mistake led to another, and they had a couple of bloop hits that dropped in, but kudos to their kids,无毛视频� Franks said. 无毛视频淭hey battled with two strikes, put the ball in play and that无毛视频檚 what you need to do. Our bats weren无毛视频檛 there today. We picked a bad time to do that.无毛视频�
A.J. Watson无毛视频檚 triple drove in Weakland, who had reached first base safely on an error, for a seven-run cushion. Watson scored the game无毛视频檚 final run on Matt Malinsky无毛视频檚 base hit to right field.
Uniontown无毛视频檚 Nick Crouch had an infield single in the top of the seventh inning.
Smithfield-Fairchance took a 1-0 lead in Game 2 when Watson singled to center field, stole second, advanced to third on defensive indifference and scored on Malinsky无毛视频檚 groundout to second base in the top of the first inning, but the home tied the game in the bottom of the first frame on Sevi Vecchiolla无毛视频檚 double down the left-field line on an 0-2 count. Stevenson, who had singled with two outs after the visitors turned a double play, scored on Vecchiolla无毛视频檚 hit.
Franks stressed the value of his team无毛视频檚 response after Smithfield-Fairchance took an early advantage.
无毛视频淚t was big to get that run back in the bottom of the first inning,无毛视频� Franks said.无毛视频� Not just in terms of momentum, but Parker (Hoff) had a line drive that was caught by their third baseman, who doubled our guy off, but there was no way he could get back safely on that play. It was hit too hard.
无毛视频淚 think that killed our momentum a little bit, but give credit to the kids for not getting too down. Eahn and Sevi hit the ball hard, and we were able to get that run back.无毛视频�
Vecchiolla无毛视频檚 double was the final hit in his Legion Baseball career, as the recent Laurel Highlands graduate will not meet the age requirement to play next season. Vecchiolla, who played baseball, basketball and golf for the Mustangs, will continue his academic and baseball careers at Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC).
无毛视频淪evi has had a great career for us,无毛视频� Franks said. 无毛视频淗e is going to play in college, which is great, but we will miss him. We will also lose Jack Johns, Nick Fleszar, Parker Hoff and Connor Hebda because they will be too old to play. You can无毛视频檛 replace those guys, but we will have some new faces on the team next year.无毛视频�
Vecchiolla scored Uniontown无毛视频檚 second run in the bottom of the fourth inning when he reached first base safely on an error, advanced to third base on Mike Smith无毛视频檚 line drive to center field and crossed home plate on Noah Zawislan无毛视频檚 base hit to right field for a 2-1 edge.
The home team added three runs in the fifth frame to extend its lead to 5-1. Smiley was hit-by-pitch to lead off the inning, and with one out, raced to second on Aiden Milsom无毛视频檚 single to left field.
Shane Kelly walked to load the bases and Smiley scored for a 3-1 advantage on Hoff无毛视频檚 sacrifice flyout to center field in what would be the game-winning run. Milsom and Kelly scored when Stevenson was safe at first base on an error.
无毛视频淲e made the tough plays and didn无毛视频檛 make the easy ones today,无毛视频� said Tony Watson following Friday evening无毛视频檚 game. 无毛视频淲e left some runners on base, but we have to clean it up for tomorrow.无毛视频�
Uniontown added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning for a 7-1 cushion.
Zawislan and Fleszar drew back-to-back walks with one out before Zawislan crossed home plate on Brayden Hinzy无毛视频檚 singled to right field. Jamesen Carter, who entered the game as a courtesy runner for Fleszar, scored on Crouch无毛视频檚 sacrifice flyout to center field.
Fleszar earned the win on the mound in Game 2. He allowed two earned runs on four hits over six innings with four strikeouts and two walks. Stevenson closed the game out with a scoreless inning. He struck out two and didn无毛视频檛 walk a batter in the hitless frame.
Malinsky scored for the visitors in the top of the seventh inning when he singled, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a fielder无毛视频檚 choice.