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Canann pitches two-hitter as JFK defeats McDonald
By BRANDON JUDEH
Struthers
Warren JFK’s Joey Canann pitched like an ace in the Eagles’ 10-0 victory over McDonald in a Division IV district baseball semifinal at Cene Park on Tuesday.
Canann mowed down the Blue Devils (17-7), throwing a two-hit complete game shutout in five innings.
“We came in wanting to throw strikes, I was missing some spots early, but eventually it all worked out,” said Canann., who was aided by the Eagles’ (17-4-1) defense.
JFK led 3-0 but the Blue Devils, after a walk and an error, had runners on first and second with one out in the fourth inning.
Third baseman Mike Ledenko, though, started a 5-3 double play to get the Eagles out of trouble.
It also changed the game.
“The double play was huge, one thing leads to another and that was a huge play and it was a game-changer,” Canann said.
In the JFK fifth, Marco Macali had a RBI double, then Chandler Diles smacked a two-run double to push the lead to 6-0.
JFK scored four more runs to end the game.
First baseman Ryan Wolfe, who went 3 for 3 with two RBIs, said he is excited to be playing for a district title, under the lights tonight.
“It’s going to be a big game, we are going to come out and give it all we have,” said Wolfe.
McDonald let another opportunity slip through their fingers in the fourth inning. Michael Raschilla led off with a single, followed by a stolen base, but back-to-back fly balls and a pop out got Canann out of the inning.
“We had a couple opportunities, but the double play was one of those deflating moments. If he sneaks it past then at the worst we have bases loaded with one out,” said McDonald coach Alan Stanley.
“When you are dealing with 16, 17, 18-year-old kids it can be an emotional roller-coaster and I think when that [double play] happened that deflated us.”
Diles knocked in the first JFK run on an RBI ground out in the second inning. In the fourth the Eagles added two more when Anthony Marzullo scored on a pass ball and Wolfe knocked in a run off of a single.
Diles knocked in three runs for the Eagles and James Coates went 2 for 2 and reached base two other times.
Raschilla and Cameron Ifft each had hits for McDonald.
McDonald starting pitcher Brandon O’Neill nearly matched Canann pitch for pitch through the first four innings, before JFK pulled away in the fifth.