Miller Time: Connellsville Legion wins 6-5 to open series

CONNELLSVILLE – Wyatt Nehls couldn’t fully catch Matt Miller’s high-bouncing grounder with his glove as the ball fluttered onto the outfield turf and pinch runner Crue Harwell sprinted home with the game-winning run as Connellsville fought back to earn a 6-5 victory over Uniontown on Monday night.

Connellsville entered Tuesday’s second game in Uniontown with a 1-0 lead in the American Legion Baseball League’s best-of-three semifinal series.

“They wanted it more than we did at the beginning, but we answered everything,” said Connellsville manager Brian Sankovich. “They played hard. I have to take my hat off to them.”

“We played like it didn’t mean anything to us, which it didn’t. At the beginning we played like it didn’t mean anything to us, but as the game went on they adjusted. They want to win.

“You noticed it as the game progressed. That’s what makes the game so exciting.”

Noah Lion, who relieved starter Clay Dean in the bottom of the sixth inning, was able to get Matthew Firestone to hit a flyout to right field to open the bottom of the seventh inning.

Jake Lee was hit by a pitch. Kace Shearer hit a single into left field.

Crue Harwell came in to replace Lee at second base.

Anthony Piasecki followed with a ground ball, but it was mishandled, leaving all bases full.

The infield and outfield were pulled back to eliminate the lead runner at the plate.

Miller, who is 6’5″, hit a two-bouncer that Nehls, who was called up, could only touch with the tip of his glove as Harwell raced home the game-winning run.

“To their credit, they took advantage. We opened up a little bit. It’s tough,” Uniontown manager Richie Franks said. “When you pull the infield in like that, the ball hits so hard and bounces high, especially on a surface like that. He caught it with his glove. That’s the problem. When he’s back and in position at normal depth, it’s probably a routine play for him. And frankly, he can probably catch the opponent at the plate the way he got hit.”

“You have to involve them at this point. You have to seize the opportunity.”

Uniontown took a 2-0 lead with two hits in the first at-bat.

Mason Kuhn’s ground ball up the middle bounced off the dry grass of Connellsville’s infield and was the first single of the game. Two wild pitches took him to third base.

Parker Hoff managed a walk but was thrown out while trying to steal second base. Ethan Porreco managed to strike out Eanh Stevenson, but an inside pitch hit Tate Musko and kept the inning alive.

Nehls followed with a drive into deep left center field for a two-run triple.

Brian Sankovich said the slow start was due to a nearly two-week break.

“It was very frustrating. Our pitching was bad, probably because we hadn’t played in 10 days. And that’s probably my fault,” Sankovich said.

Connellsville managed to equalize without scoring.

Grayden Gillott started the first inning with a walk and reached third base after two consecutive throwing errors. He scored on Firestone’s sacrifice fly.

Shearer was hit by a pitch early in the second inning, stole second base and reached third on a passed ball. Piasecki walked and stole second base.

Both runners had a ground out, but Shearer was able to score on Aiden Newmeyer’s sacrifice fly.

Uniontown regained the lead with an unearned run in the third inning. Hoff hit a single with one out, reached second base on a wild pitch and scored on a miss to first base.

Uniontown’s lead grew to two runs after they went hitless in the fifth inning.

Nick Fleszar started the inning with a walk and moved to second base on Ethan Koffler’s sacrifice bunt. Porreco walked Kuhn and then made way for Mason Miller.

Hoff’s ground ball was mishandled, leaving all bases loaded. All three runners held Stevenson’s fly ball to right field, but Musko worked a walk that scored Fleszar.

Nehls hit a ball into right field, but Shearer was in perfect position to make the inning-ending catch.

“On offense, the sixth inning was a full ball, and Wyatt hit the ball right to the right fielder. That was one of the hardest balls we hit all day. It went right to somebody,” Franks said. “If the ball drops, we’ll probably get two runs. If it goes to the fence, we’ll get three and the game is completely different again.”

The home team fought back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Gillott opened the rally with a double and Chase Sankovich managed a walk. Both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch, Gillott scored and Sankovich reached third base on Firestone’s ground out.

Sankovich raced home with a through ball and scored the equalizer.

Uniontown took the lead again in the sixth inning when Clay Dean was walked and Shane Layton was hit on a pitch to lead off. Kuhn brought Dean home with a single with two outs.

Newmeyer came in as a replacement and ended the threat with a strikeout.

“The pitching wasn’t the best, but Aiden came in and did a great job,” Brian Sankovich said.

Connellsville took the lead in the bottom of the inning when Matt Miller led off with a double and Noah Zawislan’s single moved him to third base.

Uniontown was close to ending the rally, but Gillott’s rush down the first base line was better than the relay throw and enabled a double play on which Miller was able to score.

Uniontown was able to get a few runners on base in the seventh inning, but one was eliminated because he was caught stealing.

“We had chances. We got into a little bit of trouble,” Franks said, adding, “Kudos to their kids. They fought. Our kids fought, too.”

“It was a great game all the way through.”