Belle Vernon goes 3-0 to open the season
Local Sports, Sports
May 27, 2024
AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL OPENING WEEKEND

Belle Vernon goes 3-0 to open the season

By JEREMY SELLEW 

Belle Vernon’s senior legion baseball team couldn’t have asked for a better start to the summer season.

Belle Vernon went 3-0 over the Memorial Day weekend, picking up wins over Waynesburg, Colonial 3 and Uniontown.

It was a mixed start for Charleroi Post 22 as it went 1-2 over the weekend.

In Belle Vernon’s opening game, it pulled off an 11-0 win over Waynesburg Post 330.

Alex Nash got the win after allowing only one hit and one unearned run over three innings. Jaxson Bozek came on in relief and didn’t allow a hit through two innings.

EF’s Kayden Faychak led Belle Vernon’s 11-hit attack with three hits. Jake Wessel added a pair of hits. Both doubled and combined for five RBIs, with Wessel driving in two.

Nash helped his cause with two RBIs and Colton Lee added a triple.

Kole Doppelheuer, Cole Matusik, AJ Wardropper and Carson Matusik each had RBIs for Belle Vernon.

On Saturday, Belle Vernon took the field at Colonial and ran the hosts off the field with a 13-0 win in five innings.

The Elizabeth Forward trio of Charlie Nigut, Faychak and JB Crovak each had two hits each with Crovak and Faychak each slugging triples and driving in a pair of runs.

Austin Hoffman had a team-high three RBIs for BV.

AJ Wardropper got the win on the mound. He scattered two hits over three innings.

Frazier’s Logan Brown took the loss for Colonial. He went the distance and allowed 14 hits and nine earned runs.

On Sunday, Belle Vernon slugged out 13 hits in a 14-6 rout of Uniontown.

Crovak got the win going 4 2/3 innings with two hits and three runs allowed. Two of those runs were earned and he struck out 10.

Crovak had a double and three RBIs at the plate and BVA’s Cole Matusik added a pair of hits for the winners.

AJ Grese and Bozek each finished with a pair of RBIs.

Clay Dean took the loss for Uniontown. Dean allowed seven hits and nine earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.

Shane Layton doubled and Noah Lion had a pair of RBIs for Uniontown.

Belle Vernon led 6-4 into the fifth when they scored three runs in the top of the frame.

Uniontown 1, Charleroi 0 (Fri.)

Charleroi dropped a close decision in a pitchers’ duel against Uniontown to open the season.

Tate Musko outdueled Post 22’s Ben Shields as each pitcher allowed only one hit.

Shields had the lone hit for Charleroi.

Uniontown scored its lone run in the top of the first inning thanks to a pair of Charleroi errors.

Musko had the lone Uniontown hit in the top of the sixth inning.

Charleroi 15, Colonial #3 0 (Sat.)

Post 22 bounced back from the season-opening loss and got the bats going a little bit against Colonial.

Tyler O’Neil (3) and Jackson Keranko (2) combined for five RBIs as Charleroi scored 13 runs over the first three innings.

Keranko had the lone extra-base hit for Charleroi with a double. Eddie Frizzell, Spencer Behrendt, Joseph Girdwood and Joey Campbell each added RBIs for Post 22.

Gene Thorpe took the loss for Colonial as he was tagged for seven runs, all earned, on just three hits over 1 1/3 innings. He didn’t strike out a batter and walked five.

Dailan McManus entered the game on the mound and wasn’t much relief, allowing four hits and walking seven in just 2 2/3 innings.

Tyler Fisher got the win tossing two innings and allowing only one hit.

Connellsville 8, Charleroi 1 (Sun.)

Charleroi closed the weekend with a loss to Connellsville in Region 6 action.

Logan Lowery stifled the Charleroi bats as he scattered four hits in a complete-game outing.

Matthew Miller had a pair of hits and five RBIs to lead Connellsville (3-0).

Kace Shearer had two hits, Aiden Newmeyer doubled and Matthew Firestone tripled for the winners.

Frizzell had the lone RBI for Charleroi.

This week’s schedule Charleroi is back in action Wednesday on the road against Waynesburg for a 6 p.m. start, while Charleroi’s Jr. Legion team will host Belle Vernon Jr. Legion Tuesday at 6 before hosting Monroeville Thursday.

For Belle Vernon’s Sr. team, they’ll host Uniontown 6 p.m. Wednesday at the John DiVirgilio Complex.

The BV Jr. Legion squad (1-1) is at Charleroi Tuesday and will host Uniontown Jr. Legion Thursday.

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