Remember When?: Spartans regain Section 20 lead
By BRIAN HERMAN
Sports Editor
Mon Valley Catholic High’s baseballers are back in sole possession of first place today in Sec. 20.
The Spartans moved on top with a 5-4 victory over California Saturday afternoon at Veteran’s Memorial Field in Charleroi to avenge a 1-0 defeat to the Trojans earlier in the week.
Monessen, meanwhile, stayed a half-game behind the Spartans with an eight-inning, 9-8, triumph over visiting Beth-Center.
In the other Sec. 20 contest, Bentworth bombed Frazier, 13-2, in five innings.
Mon Valley Catholic goes to Bentworth, Monessen entertains Frazier and California is home with Beth-Center in games Tuesday.
At Charleroi, the Spartans capitalized on two California errors in the fourth inning to score two unearned runs and erase a 4-3 Trojan lead.
“We got a couple of breaks today and that’s something we haven’t been getting,” grinned MVC coach Jim Costantino.
The first came when third baseman Rob Lincavage’s bad throw to first on John Sheehan’s infield grounder allowed Sheehan to go to second and moved Joe Wunderlich, who singled and was bunted to second by Rick France, to third.
Wunderlich then scored the tying run on Dave Sukel’s sacrifice fly to center which also advanced Sheehan to third.
The Spartans scored the go-ahead run when freshman left fielder Brad Bowden dropped Chas Pascoe’s fly ball for a two-base error.
Tim Gales, meanwhile, blanked the Trojans over the final four innings on two hits in a strong relief stint after giving up two unearned runs in the third inning.
“I didn’t want to pitch Tim today unless we had to because he pulled a muscle in his leg Thursday,” said Costantino. “If he’s healthy, he’s my ace. But he wasn’t healthy.”
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