Region 6 tournament a huge success
Everyone involved with the Uniontown American Legion baseball program and Hutchinson Field deserves a huge pat on the back for a tremendous regional tournament that just wrapped up on Wednesday.
I apologize in advance for not being able to name all parties involved.
Uniontown manager Brad Yohman had to pull double duty in coaching his team, who made a valiant effort in the tournament before running into two stud pitchers Ambridge-Baden鈥檚 Travis Holman and Blackhawk鈥檚 Michael Turconi, and making sure everything was ready on the field.
Yohman was the first at the field and the last to leave. He and the grounds crew that included his players, parents, including Tommy Sankovich and Chris Edenfield, and South Union Township workers Gary Phillips, Lori Sylvester, Mark Maldovan, Martin Conners, Donna Rowan and Zack Mettlermade sure the field was playable after storms hit the area the week prior to the tournament. Day 1 was delayed due to a late storm on Friday night, but the rest of the games ran on schedule.
South Union Township Supervisor Jason Scott helped make the tournament a go with the necessary tools and resources.
Yohman made sure that all members of the media had a place to sit and do their work at all games, and we were supplied with any water or refreshments needed on five hot-summer days.
Tournament director Ron Popovich, who is also the Albert Gallatin head baseball coach, has directed the last three Region 6 Tournaments and he handled everything in a professional manner even when some folks weren鈥檛 doing the same. I take my hat off to Popovich in how he ran the tournament.
The umpires have a thankless job, and head umpire Joe Volpe and his staff worked 15 games without any trouble.
Uniontown had high aspirations with a roster that had six veterans in Zach Uhazie, Troy Kifer, Luke Paull, Hudson Novak and Derek Gaisbauer.
It was blanked, 8-0, by Ambridge-Baden, and, 5-0, by Blackhawk in being eliminated from the tournament.
It has been a privilege to cover the players who are graduating from the Legion program, and it will be nice to see where their careers go in college. I am sure they are still stinging about not qualifying for the state tournament, but they gave it there all and had a great run.
Colonial 3 won its first game, 11-5, over Bethel Park on the first game of the tournament on Saturday. Manager Don Bell鈥檚 team had to fight through the Fayette American Legion playoffs to qualify for the Region 6 Tournament, and was gritty despite losing its next two games to eventual tournament champion, Ambridge-Baden, and Robinson-Montour.
Connellsville ran into a buzzsaw it its first game against Ambridge-Baden and starting pitcher Tre Thomas. Thomas blanked Joe Bonadio鈥檚 team, 3-0. Connellsville, who wasn鈥檛 in full force throughout its two games, lost to Bethel Park, 7-1, and was eliminated on Sunday.
Thomas, Holman and Nick Campalong pitched three stellar games in leading Ambridge-Baden to the championship.
Edenfield and Sankovich did the announcing, and on Sunday morning during the Bethel Park Colonial 3 game, Edenfield took time out to introduce yours truly to the crowd to the tune of Stone Cold Steve Austin鈥檚 theme music. I will admit, I loved the attention, and I can鈥檛 thank Chris and Tommy enough. Folks like that are one of the many reasons why I love my job.
Scoreboard operator Suzanne Boyle helped me out on Sunday evening when I wasn鈥檛 feeling quite right. I don鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 the sun or what, but she gave me a banana and offered me some water. I just wanted to thank her for making me feel better, and she did a great job with the scoreboard as well. I believe it was Mrs. Boyle.
鈥淏aseball鈥� Tom Palaisa always says hi to me and compliments my work. He is a constant at not only Hutchinson Field but other local baseball games as well. He is always willing to help out and he gave me a Sprite when I wasn鈥檛 feeling my best. I didn鈥檛 know if I could have made it that night, but due to some very caring people, I was able to pound out a story that I hope was pretty good.
The workers at the concession stand did a great job in working from sunrise to sunset. Mike Miskanin and his staff, Tami Miskanin, Rene Brown, Kim Coffman, and Debbie Dennis were at all five days of the tournament.
The young ladies that helped with the 50/50 were Skylar, Shelby and Autumn did their job with enthusiasm that I surely don鈥檛 posses anymore.
I was teased by Tommy that I can鈥檛 do a story without his dad, Tom, and brother, Brian, and that is true, so here it goes.
Longtime Connellsville baseball coach Tom Sankovich, who guided the Falcons to a state title in 1989 and also coached Bud Murphy鈥檚 baseball, not only attended Uniontown鈥檚 games to watch his grandson, Travis, play, but was at other contests in the tournament as well.
It was great to see Coach in such fine spirits, and I always look forward to our chats. The Sankovich family was in full force with Tom鈥檚 wife, Connie, his son, Brian and grandsons, Chase and Tyler, attending the tournament. Not surprisingly, Chase and Tyler play baseball. I didn鈥檛 see Brian鈥檚 wife, Jennifer, but she deserves credit for keeping it all together.
缅北禁地 sports writer Jonathan Guth can be reached via email at jguth@heraldstandard.com or jonathanguth85@gmail.com