Bagoly’s HR lifts Fitch

The Falcons (14-11) play in a regional semifinal in Canton next Thursday.

By PAUL TRGOVAC

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

STRUTHERS — It took almost 23 hours to finish the Division I district championship game between Austintown Fitch High and Lakewood St. Edward at Cene Park. The way it ended is what Hollywood makes movies out of.

Down to his team’s final strike, the Falcons’ Jason Bagoly drove a 3-2 pitch over the left-field fence for a walk-off two-run homer, as Fitch won the title with a 2-1 victory Thursday.

Fitch (14-11) will play in a regional semifinal next Thursday at Thurman Munson Stadium in Canton.

The game started Wednesday night with both pitchers putting up zeros. Rain caused the game to be suspended after five innings with a scoreless tie. Fitch pitcher Jim Kinnick allowed just one hit and had eight strikeouts while Aaron Costin had five strikeouts for St. Ed (20-10).

New day

When the game resumed Fitch went to Ricky Segesto on the mound. After he retired the first two batters the Eagles put together three straight singles to score the first run of the game.

“They strung together their hits which is something we were not able to do,” said Fitch coach Wally Ford.

In the bottom of the sixth, a one-out single by Kinnick was followed by a walk to Tom DeToro. St. Ed pitcher Ryan Saydell then got Segesto to ground into a double play to end the threat.

After holding the Eagles scoreless in the top of the seventh, the Falcons’ Joe Koch started the game-winning rally with his third single of the game. Nick Wiery sacrificed Koch to second and Chuck Olesky hit a grounder that Eagles first baseman Vince Marguard snagged and tossed to Saydell for the second out. Koch moved to third on the play.

Over 330-foot mark

Bagoly worked the count full before driving the ball over the 330-foot mark.

“He threw me an inside fastball. I really didn’t expect that. I was not hitting the outside fastball real well,” said Bagoly.

“We have been on a roll the past four or five games, so this is going to carry us.”

Ford said things worked perfectly for Fitch.

“We had the situation we wanted in the seventh with the top of our order coming up. Joey [Koch] got on, and we moved him over with the three and four hitters coming up. We started to wonder if it was not going to be our night after missing all the chances [Wednesday] night and in the sixth but these guys just kept hanging in there with no one wanting to make the last out.”