Uniontown caps regular season with 8-3 win
Charleroi's Matt Carcella reaches back into first base as Uniontown's Mason Fordyce (right) waits for the ball during Tuesday's Fayette American Legion Baseball League game at Hutchinson Field at Hopwood.
Charleroi's Jaren Sullenberger pitches against Uniontown at Hutchinson Field in Tuesday's Fayette American Legion Baseball League regular-season finale.
Charleroi's Gunner Riley gets back into first base as Uniontown first baseman Mason Fordyce awaits the throw at Hutchinson Field in Hopwood Tuesday.
Uniontown's Mike Bochnek pitches against Charleroi in Tuesday's Fayette American Legion Baseball League game at Hutchinson Field in Hopwood.
HOPWOOD — Coach Scott DeBerry figures his Uniontown American Legion team was lucky to escape with an 8-3 win over Charleroi in Tuesday’s final regular season game. He’s hoping they’ll come more inspired for Thursday’s one-and-done playoff game against Carmichaels.
“We were flat, there’s no doubt about it,” DeBerry said. “It’s not like I told them before the game that the playoffs were already set. We didn’t tell them.”
As an old saying goes, Charleroi (3-16-1) won the battle but lost then war. The visitors out-hit Uniontown 11-9, but lost in the final score.
The difference may have been a pair of catches by Uniontown left fielder Bobby King, who dove to steal extra bases from Charleroi’s Brooks Watkins with Gunner Riley and Colin McCormick on base in the visitors’ third inning. Almost as spectacular was a catch made by King near the fence in the Charleroi fifth that took extra bases away from leadoff batter Simeon Bell.
“Those were huge catches,” DeBerry said. “He’s done that all year.”
Uniontown (14-4) took the lead for good by scoring a pair of unearned runs in the first inning off Charleroi pitcher Jared Sullenberger.
Max Beatty reached base on an infield error and advanced to second on a balk. One out later, Alex Gabler singled to drive in Beatty. A walk and error loaded the bases before Adam Crayton’s force out drove in Gabler for a 2-0 lead.
It became 4-0 in the third. Gabler walked, stole second and moved to third base when the throw went into the outfield. King’s sacrifice fly drove in Gabler. Crayton then singled, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on Mike Bochnak’s single.
Charleroi cut the lead in half in the sixth when Watkins doubled and scored on Nick Vaccaro’s single. Vaccaro was out on a force play, but the return throw to first was wild and allowed Jon Kite to move to second. After a pair of walks loaded the bases, John Adomaitis walked to drive in Kite.
The visitors made it 4-3 in the seventh when McCormick was safe on an error, Watkins and Vaccaro singled to load the bases, and Kite’s ground out drove in McCormick.
Uniontown sent nine batters to the plate in the seventh and scored four runs as an error allowed Jake Kearn to score, Gabler and King both scored on Crayton’s bunt single, and Crayton scored on a two out double by Cody Gibson for an 8-3 lead.
DeBerry used four pitchers with starter Tyler Mayers getting the win while Bochnak, Tyler Dubovich, and King each pitched over the final six innings.
Because Charleroi will be shorthanded in numbers, the team won’t be playing in the upcoming playoffs.
“I played four years of Legion ball and lived for the playoffs,” said Charleroi coach Nate Helster. “It hurts because of the time we all put in. We started with 16 kids and the fact that we don’t have the numbers is hard on us. I wish all (Uniontown’s) guys luck in the playoffs.”
The Uniontown and Carmichaels game at Hutchinson on Thursday will eliminate the loser. The winner will advance to a best-of-three series beginning on Friday.
“If we do come out flat again, our season is over and everything we have worked for is gone,” DeBerry said. “None of these guys are ready to quit playing.”