Belle Vernon Legion season ends with loss to Philipsburg
Jonathan Guth | 缅北禁地
Belle Vernon’s stay at the Pennsylvania American Legion Baseball playoffs ended Monday when Philipsburg rallied from a 5-0 deficit for an 8-5 victory at Williamsport.
The Phils were blanked in all but one inning but exploded for eight in the fifth to advance while Belle Vernon’s season ends with a 21-4-1 record and a 1-2 mark in the double-elimination state tournament.
Philipsburg combined six singles, two walks and an error in its big eighth inning, which included two-run singles by Fischer White and Zack Yoder and RBI hits from Conner Matier and winning pitcher Nick DeSimone. The Phils also got a base-loaded walk from Jack Nyman and a run-scoring grounder from Parker Lamb in the frame.
DeSimone earned the win with four scoreless innings in relief of Philipsburg starter Yoder. DeSimone allowed three hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Yoder was touched up for five runs (three earned) on seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts in three innings.
Belle Vernon starting pitcher JB Crovak retired all 11 batters he faced with six strikeouts before being replaced on the mound after 3.2 innings.
Cole Matusik finished the fourth inning but allowed five runs (two earned) on two hits and two walks in the fifth. He was relieved by Brendon Geho who gave up three runs on three hits with a walk and three strikeouts in two innings. Geho was charged with the loss.
Vincenzo Francia had two hits, two RBIs and two runs to lead the way for Belle Vernon, which also got a double from Jacob Peterson and a single and an RBI each from Jesse Sobczak and Crovak.
Belle Vernon jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Chase Petrosky walked and Jack Crovak reached on an error to start the rally. JB Crovak delivered an RBI single and Francia followed with a two-run hit for a 3-0 advantage. Vito Francia’s run-scoring single one out later made it 4-0.
Belle Vernon upped its lead to 5-0 in the third when Vincenzo Francia singled, went to second on Vito Francia’s walk, advanced to third on Matusik’s single and scored on Sobczak’s hit.
Belle Vernon began the tournament with a 10-6 win over host Williamsport on Saturday but then fell to Greater Pittston, 10-3, on Sunday and was eliminated by Philipsburg on Monday.
Belle Vernon, under manager Tom Jackson, won the Fayette league regular-season and tournament championships and was also victorious in the Region 6 tournament to qualify for the state playoffs for the second time in three years.