Belle Vernon advances through winner鈥檚 bracket
Belle Vernon scored four runs in the top of the third inning Saturday on its way to a 6-2 victory over Ambridge Saturday in the winner’s bracket of the American Legion Baseball Region 6 tournament at Chippewa Park.
Belle Vernon advances to the winner’s bracket final against Connellsville on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. The winner advances to Monday’s final, while the loser plays the winner of the Ambridge-Blackhawk game at 5:30 p.m.
Ambridge was leading 1-0 when Belle Vernon pulled into the lead in the top of the third inning. The big hit of the inning was Jaxson Bozek’s two-run single. One run scored on a dropped third strike and the other came home on a fielder’s choice.
Ambridge scored a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Belle Vernon added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning.
Mason Suss pitched the last 4.1 innings for the win in relief of starter AJ Wardropper. Suss allowed one run on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Wardropper allowed one run in 2.2 innings on two hits with no walks and a strikeout.
Cole Matusik and Kayden Faychak doubled for Belle Vernon. Mitchell Vuick had a pair of singles and scored two runs. Jake Wessel, Faychak, and Colton Lee all drove in one run.
Ambridge’s Liam Baker went 3-for-3 with a double and two singles. Teagan Baker drove in both runs, and Joey Pugh doubled.
Charleroi rallied from a four-run deficit in the seventh inning and had the tying run on second and go-ahead on first, but fell a run short in a 9-8 loss to Ambridge.
Blackhawk edged Uniontown, 1-0.
Both Charleroi and Uniontown were eliminated from the tournament with the losses.