Walking into the final: Belle Vernon, Connellsville meet in Region 6 championship
Belle Vernon and Connellsville will meet for the third time in a week, and the second time in just over 24 hours, when the two local teams play Monday afternoon for the American Legion Baseball Region 6 tournament title at Chippewa Park.
Connellsville “walked” into the championship with the winning run scoring when Matthew Firestone walked with the bases loaded for an 9-8 win over Blackhawk. Connellsville defeated Blackhawk on Friday, 4-0.
Firestone, the winning pitcher, battled through his at-bat and worked a walk after reaching a full count.
“We found a way,” said Connellsville manager Brian Sankovich. “We gutted it out.”
Connellsville was seemingly in cruise control in the loser’s bracket final with a 7-0 lead, but Blackhawk chipped away at the advantage for an 8-7 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.
“We went up 7-0 and fell asleep,” said Brian Sankovich.
Connellsville tied the game in the bottom of the sixth and Firestone held Blackhawk scoreless in the top of the seventh inning.
Belle Vernon rallied with five runs in the top of the fifth inning for a 6-2 victory over Connellsville in the winner’s bracket final earlier in the day.
Belle Vernon advanced into the championship as the lone undefeated team. The loss snapped Connellsville’s 10-game winning streak.
Belle Vernon pieced together five hits off losing pitcher Mason Miller for the lead in the top of the fifth inning. The key hit of the inning was Kaden Faychak’s bases-loaded triple.
Belle Vernon added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning.
Connellsville scored single runs in the bottom of the first and third innings.
“We had one bad inning. We left too many people on base. Every ball we hit was right at them,” said Brian Sankovich.
Alex Nash held Connellsville to two hits in the complete-game victory. He walked four and struck out one.
Miller also went the distance, allowing five earned runs on nine hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
Belle Vernon’s Colton Lee finished with two hits and two RBI.
Grayden Gillott had a triple and Kace Shearer singled for Connellsville’s two hits. Chase Sankovich drove in a run in the loss.
“We had a team outing (after the Belle Vernon loss). The kids were loose (going into the Blackhawk game),” said Brian Sankovch.