Sharpsville wins opener, 2-1

The Blue Devils defeated Steel Valley to advance to the second round.
By BILL ALBRIGHT
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
SLIPPERY ROCK -- Monday's lesson for the Sharpsville High baseball team: Sometimes when you are not on top of your game, if you continue to battle and play hard, you just might find a way to win.
At Critchfield Park on the Slippery Rock University campus, the Blue Devils scrapped their way to a 2-1 win over the Steel Valley Ironmen in the opening round of the PIAA Class AA state playoffs.
"At this stage of the season, I'll take a win anyway I can get it and today, that was a flat win," said Sharpsville coach Kirk Scurpa. "I just told the boys that we will have a good time tonight, we'll get together and come back tomorrow and practice real hard because we have to play better than we did today."
Sharpsville scores first
The Blue Devils scored first, in the bottom of the first inning, when Jarryd Summers doubled to center, moved to third on a single by Ryan Morris and scored on the front end of a double steal.
Sharpsville doubled its lead to 2-0 in the third when Kyle Rupp led off with a walk and scored all the way from first when Josh Fyffe got caught in a rundown between first and second.
Steel Valley scored its only run of the game in the fifth when Garrett Gori reached on a fielder's choice, went to second on a walk to Thomas Perlaky and scored when Matthew Suhjada was safe on one of two Sharpsville errors.
For most of the game, the usually potent Sharpsville bats were handcuffed by Steel Valley pitcher Darren Smith.
"I don't know what was going on up there because we are usually a good fastball-hitting team," said Scurpa. "His ball must have been cutting quite a bit and he has to be a good pitcher because he kept [defending state champion] Riverside to three runs the other day. I warned our boys that we couldn't come in here flat and expect to win, but that is what happened and we got away with it."
Good pitching
While Smith was tough, the Blue Devils' duo of Summers and Fyffe was even better.
Summers started and worked the first five innings, allowing one unearned run on just one hit, walking three and striking out seven.
"I scraped my left arm and it was bothering me a little bit," said Summers, who injured his arm sliding into third base early in the game. "I felt strong and wanted to keep pitching, but Coach decided to take me out."
Scurpa called on Fyffe to close out the game. The right-hander worked the final two innings, didn't allow a hit, while walking one and striking out two.
"We only had a one-run lead so I knew I had to shut them down," said Fyffe. "Usually when I go in, one or two hits wouldn't bother me, but today, I knew there was no room for error."
Learning experience
Scurpa said his decision to change pitchers was the result of a learning experience.
"Those two guys did a nice job today, and I have learned from the years past when I stuck with my 'horse,' sometimes things didn't work out for us," he said. "I pulled [Summers] with a one-hitter which is kind of odd, but I have been down that road before when we got hit late in the game and it cost us. I have two quality pitchers."
Sharpsville advanced to the second round Thursday against the winner of today's first round game between Philipsburg-Osceola and Greensburg Central Catholic. Thursday's site and time will be announced.