缅北禁地

Taking advantage: Solid pitching, 11 walks carry Connellsville to 5-1 win

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Umpire Bill Schottenheimer makes the out call on Belle Vernon鈥檚 Kayden Faychak as Connellsville shortstop Grayden Gillott throws to first for an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the sixth inning in Monday鈥檚 Fayette County American Legion Baseball League championship game at DiVirgilio Complex.

Jim Downey | 缅北禁地

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Connellsville鈥檚 Ethan Porreca reaches back before delivering a pitch in the bottom of the first inning in Monday鈥檚 Fayette County American Legion Baseball League championship game against Belle Vernon at DiVirgilio Complex.

Jim Downey | 缅北禁地

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Belle Vernon pitcher Charlie Nigut taps first base for the out on Connellsville鈥檚 Cohen Groh after taking the throw from first baseman Colton Lee in the top of the third inning in Monday鈥檚 Fayette County American Legion Baseball League championship game at DiVirgilio Complex.

Jim Downey | 缅北禁地

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Connellsville鈥檚 Mason Miller releases the ball in the bottom of the fifth inning in Monday鈥檚 Fayette County American Legion Baseball League championship game against Belle Vernon at DiVirgilio Complex.

Jim Downey | 缅北禁地

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Connellsville鈥檚 Aiden Newmeyer hits a Baltimore chop in front of the plate in the top of the fourth inning in Monday鈥檚 Fayette County American Legion Baseball League championship game against Belle Vernon at DiVirgilio Complex. Newmeyer was safe on a throwing error.

Jim Downey | 缅北禁地

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Belle Vernon second baseman Jaxson Bozak is unable to glove a high throw as Connellsville鈥檚 Matthew Miller slides into second base on a passed ball in the top of the fourth inning in Monday鈥檚 Fayette County American Legion Baseball League championship game at DiVirgilio Complex.

Jim Downey | 缅北禁地

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Belle Vernon second baseman Jaxson Bozak waits for the throw as Connellsville鈥檚 Kace Shearer slides into second for a stolen base in the top of the second inning in Monday鈥檚 Fayette County American Legion Baseball League championship game at DiVirgilio Complex.

Jim Downey | 缅北禁地

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Connellsville鈥檚 Grayden Gillott slides into second base for a stolen base as Belle Vernon second baseman Jaxson Bozak leaps for the high throw in the top of the third inning in Monday鈥檚 Fayette County American Legion Baseball League championship game at DiVirgilio Complex.

Jim Downey | 缅北禁地

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Connellsville鈥檚 Matthew Miller fires a pitch in the bottom of the fifth inning in Monday鈥檚 Fayette County American Legion Baseball League championship game against Belle Vernon at DiVirgilio Complex.

Jim Downey | 缅北禁地

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Belle Vernon鈥檚 JB Crovak throws a pitch in the top of the first inning in Monday鈥檚 Fayette County American Legion Baseball League championship game against Connellsville at DiVirgilio Complex.

Jim Downey | 缅北禁地

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ROSTRAVER TWP. 鈥� Hits were tough to come by in Monday鈥檚 Fayette County American Legion Baseball League championship with Connellsville and Belle Vernon finishing with a combined eight hits.

However, Connellsville received 11 walks and three of those walks scored for a 5-1 road victory and the league playoff title.

鈥淲e played to win the game. I鈥檓 happy with these kids because they really wanted to win the game,鈥� said Connellsville manager Brian Sankovich. 鈥淚鈥檓 very happy with the way we performed, and it鈥檚 always good to win.鈥�

Belle Vernon manager Tom Jackson didn鈥檛 mince words when he spoke about the impact the free passes had on the outcome.

鈥淓leven walks don鈥檛 win games. They didn鈥檛 beat us.We gave them that game. That game was given to them,鈥� said Jackson, adding, 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 win with only four hits.鈥�

Connellsville was held hitless through two outs in the top of the fourth inning, but held a 1-0 lead.

Grayden Gillott walked with two outs in the top of the third inning and stole second. Chase Sankovich and Matthew Firestone walked to load the bases.

Gillott then scored on a wild pitch.

Belle Vernon responded in the bottom of the inning.

Charlie Nigut singled to start the inning and stole second. Nigut scored when JB Crovak鈥檚 infield ground ball was mishandled.

Connellsville regained the lead after two outs in the top of the fourth inning.

Matthew Miller was able to break the hitless string with an infield single. He advanced to second on a passed ball.

Aiden Newmeyer鈥檚 swinging bunt was thrown away to allow Miller to score. Cohan Groh and Noah Zawislan walked to load the bases, and Gillott got an RBI the easy way with a bases-loaded walk.

Connellsville鈥檚 offense provided a couple insurance runs in the top of the fifth inning.

Firestone walked and moved to second with no outs. Belle Vernon was an out away from escaping the inning after a strikeout and fly ball, but Anthony Piasecki ripped a line drive into the right-center field gap for an RBI triple.

Piasecki then scored on Matthew Miller鈥檚 double.

The Connellsville pitching rotation of Ethan Porreca, Mason Miller (who picked up the win), and Matthew Miller allowed just four hits and walked two batters, but the defense committed three errors behind the trio to provide scoring opportunities for Belle Vernon.

鈥淲e took an approach we wanted to give some pitchers work to get ready for regionals. We didn鈥檛 want to use our pitchers because we鈥檙e going to use them at the end of the week,鈥� explained Brian Sankovich. 鈥淲e were on a pitch count with these kids. I wanted to get one more kid into pitch, but the way it worked out, we鈥檙e okay.

鈥淧orreca was virtually unhittable. The only hit they got they (off Porreca) broke their bat.鈥�