Quakertown blanks Charleroi Legion
LATROBE – What a difference a day makes.
Charleroi pounded out 11 hits and allowed just three to open the Pennsylvania American Legion Baseball Tournament Monday with a 10-0 victory over Falls.
The tables were turned on Charleroi in Tuesday’s winner’s bracket game after Quakertown responded in kind with a 10-0 victory in five innings.
Charleroi slips into the loser’s bracket today at 12:40 p.m. against Wesleyville, who edged Beech Creek, 5-4, in an elimination game.
“I was scared that might happen. It felt flat from the get-go,” said Charleroi manager Luke Mollis. “I don’t know if was a letdown from the win yesterday. I told them before the game winning 10-0 doesn’t mean anything today.
“It is what it is. It’s a loss whether it’s 10-0 or 4-3.”
The loss was the first since a 2-0 defeat to Uniontown in extra innings on June 19. Now, Charleroi must put together another win streak if it wants to extend its season by securing a berth in the state final and a spot in the regional at Morgantown.
“It’s going to be a little tough now. We just have to survive and advance. Win tomorrow and work your way to Thursday,” said Mollis. “We made it tough now. We have to win three games.
“You have to get to the championship round if you want to advance (to the regional in Morgantown).”
The uncertain availability of Gianni Cantini, who suffered a leg injury in Monday’s game, affects who Mollis will have on the mound for the run through the loser’s bracket.
“We got two left that are our usual pitchers and hopefully maybe Gianni can bounce back somehow. It’s going to be a little tough now. We just have to survive and advance,” said Mollis, adding, “Everyone is in the same boat with pitching.”
Quakertown posted three runs in the bottom of the first inning, aided by a mishandled ground ball.
Cole Reich singled with one out and Brandon Pierce’s grounder was not fielded cleanly for runners at first and second. Ethan Beil made the most of the extra out by launching a three-run home run over the center field fence.
Lorenzo Glasser retired the side in order in the bottom of the second and stranded runners at second and third in the third inning.
Quakertown’s bats came alive in the fourth inning with five hits, including two home runs.
Caleb Everitt opened the inning with a double down the left field line. Brayden Schuler singled and Everitt scored on Tommy Kozlusky’s single.
Danny Qualteria was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Reich then blasted a ball over the center field fence for a grand slam.
Pierce flew out to center field, but Quakertown had one last long ball left with Beil belting a pitch over the left field fence.
Glasser was able to stop the rally with fly balls to right field and shortstop.
Quakertown didn’t waste any time invoking the mercy rule in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Everitt was safe on an infield error, and advanced to third on a stolen base and throwing error. Schuler’s fly ball to Colton Brightwell in center field wasn’t deep enough to score Everitt, but Kozlusky’s single was to plate the 10th run.
“They hit the ball well. Not too many of them were cheap,” said Mollis. “Lorenzo didn’t have a good game today. A costly error (in the first inning), that might’ve got us out of the inning. It might change a couple innings.”
Peyton Myers shut down Charleroi, allowing only Remi Lessman’s bad-bounce single in the bottom of fourth inning.
Charleroi had just one runner reach second base when Spencer Behrendt walked and was sacrificed to second by Glasser in the third inning. However, Spencer Behrendt broke for third base on Chad Behrendt’s ground ball and got caught up in a rundown.
Hunter Mamie walked to start the top of the second inning, but was erased on a double play. Myers struck out four, including the side in the top of the fifth inning.
“We didn’t have good at-bats, and the limited bats we had we didn’t have many chances,” said Mollis.
Charleroi is a veteran squad, so Mollis believes they’ll be able to shake off the loss.
“I hope so. I was a little disappointed on how we showed up today,” said Mollis. “We came out flat. Energy wasn’t there. That’s not taking anything from them. Everyone here is good.
“Against a really good team you’re going to get smoked.”