Connellsville Legion belts out 12 hits in 13-0 win
CONNELLSVILLE 鈥� The Connellsville bats were alive Monday night for a 13-0 victory against visiting Colonial 3 in a Fayette County American Legion Baseball League game.
Connellsville (6-1) belted out 12 hits with eight players finishing with at least one hit to give manager Brian Sankovich a victory on his birthday.
鈥淲e hit the ball hard. We came out swinging. We had great pitching,鈥� said Sankovich. 鈥淲e鈥檙e starting to get our rhythm back and the kids are starting to see the ball well, and having fun.
鈥淚f someone鈥檚 not here, we have kids step up and produce. I鈥檓 very proud of these kids.鈥�
The home team didn鈥檛 waste any time by scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Aiden Newmeyer worked a walk to start the inning. He was sacrificed to second by Chase Sankovich and scored on Matthew Firestone鈥檚 sharp single that took a bad bounce over shortstop Dailan McManus.
Jake Lee singled home Firestone. Lee was forced at second on Kace Shearer鈥檚 infield grounder.
Grayden Gillott then cleared the bases with a double and came around to score on Anthony Piasecki鈥檚 single.
Connellsville (6-1) added to its lead in the bottom of the second inning.
Newmeyer was on first with two outs on a fielder鈥檚 choice. He stole second and moved to third on a throwing error. Sankovich walked and Firestone was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Lee rapped a two-run single into right field.
Connellsville was retired in order in the bottom of the third inning, but the bats came alive for seven runs in the fourth inning.
Singles by Cohen Groh, Noah Zawislan and Newmeyer loaded the bases with no out.
Sankovich brought home a run with a fielder鈥檚 choice. Firestone drove in the second run of the inning. Sankovich and Firestone both scored on wild pitches.
Gillott鈥檚 second double of the game plated Lee, and Groh singled home two more runs.
鈥淭hey hit the ball and they found the gaps. They hit the ball into spots where we weren鈥檛,鈥� said Colonial 3 manager Jim Monack.
Connellsville鈥檚 Matthew Miller was a presence on the mound, allowing only Brock Alekson鈥檚 single in the first inning and a single by Rylan Johnson in the third inning. He walked only one batter and struck out two.
鈥淢att did well. He threw strikes. They put the ball in play and we made the plays,鈥� said Sankovich.
Piasecki pitched a perfect fifth inning in relief of Miller.
鈥淲e hit a lot of fly balls, a lot of ground balls. We couldn鈥檛 find the gaps,鈥� said Monack. 鈥淲e only had three strikeouts. We were hitting the ball.鈥�
Monack believes his squad is rounding into shape as the season progresses.
鈥淭hey have a taste for winning now. We鈥檙e 4-4. It鈥檚 growing, It鈥檚 building,鈥� explained Monack. 鈥淭hey know they鈥檙e competitive. They know they can win any game.
鈥淲e have to go out there and do it.鈥�
Connellsville improves to 6-1 in league play.
鈥淲e have a lot of baseball (left to play with about a month remaining in the regular season). These kids have been getting better every game. That was our goal,鈥� said Sankovich.