Staying alive: Smithfield-Fairchance forces Game 3 with extra-inning win
MASONTOWN 鈥� Charleroi right fielder Tyler O鈥橬eil wasn鈥檛 able to hold on to Cyrus Potkul鈥檚 fly ball as he rolled over on a diving catch after a long run into the right-center gap, allowing Ethan Carr to sprint around from first base to score the winning run in Smithfield-Fairchance鈥檚 6-5 victory in eight innings Wednesday night at German-Masontown Park.
The home victory tied the Fayette County American Legion Baseball League best-of-3 quarterfinal series, forcing a deciding game Friday at Charleroi.
鈥淚t鈥檚 do or die on Friday,鈥� said Smithfield-Fairchance manager Nick Groover. 鈥淚鈥檓 sure they鈥檙e not going to think about it much until Friday when the game is about to happen.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to get wins here. It is. With high school ball we struggled here, and we were able, for once, to pull one out.鈥�
As for what he might say in the pregame speech, Groover added, 鈥淭his is it, the last game.鈥�
Groover believes his pitching staff should be ready for what might be the last game of the summer.
鈥淲e have some arms left. You have to worry about what鈥檚 in front of you,鈥� said Groover. 鈥淚 think everyone can pitch except for JJ and Evan, so we should be good with arms, hopefully.鈥�
Charleroi assistant coach Jeff Lessman believes his squad will come ready to play after celebrating the Fourth of July.
鈥淚 think since it鈥檚 a holiday, a day is enough to erase (the loss), and come back ready to play on our home field,鈥� said Lessman.鈥滻 thought our pitching was great. The defense was great. They just had one extra hit than we did.鈥�
Carr walked with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning and remained at first when Clay Smith鈥檚 bunt attempt with two strikes went foul for a strikeout.
Potkul, the leadoff hitter, followed with a shot to the right-center field gap. O鈥橬eil sprinted into the gap and appeared to make the catch, but the ball rolled out of his glove for a game-winning double instead of an inning-ending put out.
Charleroi tied the game with two runs in the top of the sixth inning.
Smithfield-Fairchance鈥檚 Matt Malinsky entered the game in relief and was greeted by Joe Campbell鈥檚 sinking line drive into left field. Clay Smith tried to make a sliding catch, but was unable to hang on to the ball for a double. Campbell advanced to third on a wild pitch.
Jake Beveridge walked and stole second. Malinsky induced a fly ball to shortstop Robbie Wilson-Jones for the first out.
Jace Pager singled Campbell home and Beveridge took third. Pager stole second and Beveridge tied the game when he scored on a passed ball. O鈥橬eil flied out to Wilson-Jones to end the rally.
鈥淚t was tough to hold the lead and then you have to manage pitchers. You have to worry about pitch count,鈥� said Groover.
Smithfield-Fairchance surged into the lead with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Carr and Smith walked to start the rally. Evan Weakland walked with one out to load the bases.
Geno Valenti鈥檚 bouncing single took a fortuitous hop to plate Carr and Smith, and Valenti was able to take second on the throw home. Jason Myers kept the rally alive with a run-scoring single.
Valenti was caught in a rundown on Wilson-Jones鈥� ground ball for the second out. Malinsky brought home the fourth run of the inning when the shortstop was unable to make a play on his ground ball deep into the hole.
Both teams scored runs in the first inning. O鈥橬eil drove in Charleroi鈥檚 run with a double and Valenti鈥檚 sacrifice fly scored Potkul after he opened the inning with a single and a stolen base.
Charleroi regained the lead in the top of the second inning with two runs.
Campbell singled with one out and stole second. Jake Beveridge was safe on an infield error and stole second.
Dan Verscharen slapped a double to right field to plate the first run. The second run came on a mishandled ground ball and Verscharen attempted to score when Pager鈥檚 ground ball was bobbled, but the throw was in time for the out.
Smithfield-Fairchance got a break when O鈥橬eil鈥檚 long fly ball bounced over the right field fence for a double, holding Pager at third. Weakland was able to stop the rally with a fly ball to Wilson-Jones.
Charleroi stranded nine runners and possibly ran out of a run or two.
鈥淲e just couldn鈥檛 find the guy to get them in to score. We鈥檙e missing the big hit in a couple innings,鈥� said Lessman, adding, 鈥淲e made some base running errors.鈥�