Sokol’s late heroics lift BVA past LH
By JEREMY SELLEW
jsellew@yourmvi.com
Another brilliant pitching performance by Matt Bamford, clutch hitting by Andrew Sokol and some wizardry from Andrew Kostelnik on the mound were just some of the highlights in Belle Vernon Area’s 5-4 win over visiting Laurel Highlands Tuesday.
After watching the Mustangs take a 4-3 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning, Sokol finished 3 for 3 and delivered a two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the frame to give the Leopards (5-2, 5-1) the lead one last time.
“I don’t feel like I was hitting good enough so far this season,” Sokol said after getting showered with water and Gatorade by his teammates. “I mean, I woke up and saw I was hitting .333. That’s not good enough, so to go 3 for 3 feels like I got a big weight off my shoulders.”
Ryan Hamer led off the bottom of the sixth with a double after a diving attempt in right by the Mustangs’ Jayce Hampe. Zach Jackson followed with a one-out single to left to push Hamer to third.
Tanner Steeber followed with a ground ball to third as Hamer broke for home, but he was forced out on a tag by LH catcher Alex McClain.
Donovan Von Fradenburgh walked to load the bases for Sokol, who drove the first pitch he saw into right field to score Jackson’s courtesy runner Dane Anden and Steeber.
“I was thinking curve ball. Look curve, adjust to the fastball,” Sokol said. “I had faith that I was a good enough hitter to make that adjustment and I trusted myself and adjusted in time to get a good swing on it.”
“All I can say about him is clutch,” BVA head coach Tony Watson said. “Especially after yesterday and them beating us 8-1. It didn’t look like he was picking up pitches good at all in that game, but today, he was really seeing the ball well and he was really zoned in.”
The Mustangs (5-3, 4-2) got No. 2 hitter Braeden McKnight on base to start the seventh, but he was quickly picked off by Kostelnik, who entered the game in the sixth for starter Matt Bamford.
He picked off LH’s Kadin Early for the final out of the sixth inning, as well.
“There may be only one or two guys I’ve ever seen with that caliber of pick-off move,” Watson said. “That’s ever. We call him the Ice Man. He comes in calm, cool and collected and just throws strikes. He was big for us again tonight.”
Kostelnik walked Nick Kumor and allowed a single to Alex McClain to put runners on first and second with one out in the inning.
Kostelnik’s best pitch though was the first pitch to Zack Koffler, who pounded a breaking ball right into the ground to Leopards third baseman Seamus Joyce. Joyce fielded the ball on two hops, touched third and threw to first for a double play to end the game and put Belle Vernon into first place in the standings.
“It feels great because that is a hell of a good team over there,” Sokol said. “But I think we showed that we have a lot of character and fight on our team.”
Watson raved about the performance of his starter, Bamford. He earned a no-decision after throwing 5 2/3 innings and allowed three runs, two earned. He struck out six.
“I can’t say enough good things about him,” Watson said. “We thought about pitching someone else, but he wanted the ball so we gave it to him. That team pounds the ball and they’re so hard to keep off balance. He was phenomenal.”
The Mustangs took a 1-0 lead on Bamford in the top of the first after McKnight singled and came around to score on a pair of errors by the shortstop Steeber. Bamford got out of the inning on a 5-4-3 double play.
“He struggled a little bit today, but again, he’s an outfielder playing shortstop. His teammates picked him up and he delivered at the plate for us,” Watson said.
BVA tied the game after a lead-off double in the second by Aidan Ochs down the left-field line. He moved to third on a Hamer groundout before scoring when Brady Hoffman reached on an error.
The Leopards tacked on two more in the third to take a 3-1 advantage.
Donovan Von Fradenburgh reached on a bunt single. He went to second on a wild pitch before Sokol singled him to third.
Xander Zilka reached on a fielder’s choice allowing Von Fradenburgh to score. Ochs delivered again with another double down the line to score Zilka.
“We moved Ochs up to sixth in the order for that reason,” Watson said. “He’s really seeing the ball well. He was clutch today, too.”
McClain had an RBI single in the fifth to make it 3-2 before his team took the lead with two more runs in the sixth.
Bamford struck out the first two hitters in the inning before Joe Chambers ripped a double into the corner to end Bamford’s night.
Pinch-hitter Braeden O’Brien entered to face the lefty Kostelnik and tripled to right after Hamer’s diving attempt was off target. O’Brien came around to score on Early’s single and give LH the lead before he was picked off.
“I think we made the statement that we can play with anyone in this section,” Watson said of his team, which is still playing without senior shortstop Garrett Greco. “We’re a little more confident. We’ll enjoy this one, but we have West Mifflin next. They’re tough and have some good arms. But I think our bunch is really confident and they should be.”
The Leopards are scheduled to host Thomas Jefferson Thursday before a two-game series with West Mifflin Friday and Saturday.
