STRONG-ARMED
Armstrong’s bat, leadership help Roth Brothers
Andrew Armstrong has all the qualities a coach looks for in a leader. Which is why prior to Sunday’s Class B baseball game at Cene Park, Roth Brothers manager Matt McGivern felt compelled to pull his big-hitting first baseman aside.
“I told him this is your team,” McGivern said. “You’ve been playing for me partly up here since you were 14 years old. You’re 17 now and this is your team.
“I said you’re the leader today and he showed up and he did it.”
Armstrong, who will be a senior at Cardinal Mooney High School in the fall, delivered with a two-out, two-strike RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning that turned out to be the game-winner in a 3-2 victory over DuraEdge in the decisive Game 3 of their series.
“I was seeing the curveball really well today,” Armstrong said. “I was just sitting back thinking fastball, ready to adjust to the curveball. He happened to throw me a curveball over the plate and I just took it to right field.
“It found a gap for a base hit.”
It was the second time in three days Armstrong, or as he’s most commonly referred to, Army, was at the plate with the outcome in the balance. He walked to force in the game-winning run in Friday’s Game 1 victory.
His latest heroics only reinforced what his coach and teammates already knew about him.
“Two strikes, huge hit,” McGivern said. “These guys rallied all year and they showed it again today.”
Armstrong is a three-sport athlete for the Cardinals and verbally committed to Bowling Green State University for football last month. At 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, he plays tight end and strong safety on the football field and power forward on the basketball court.
Right now, however, he’s enjoying life at the ballpark.
“We’re all friends here; we’re all buddies,” he said of his Roth Bros. teammates.
“It’s summer and we’re just having fun out here playing some baseball. Nothing better.”
Armstrong finished the series against DuraEdge with a single, two doubles, a triple, two RBIs and two runs scored. Afterward, he deflected much of the credit.
“It’s really important that our starting pitchers stay positive,” Armstrong said. “They’re the leader, along with the catcher, so we just try to keep them energized and throwing strikes.”
On Sunday, Roth Bros. gave the ball to Mike Jones who needed 36 pitches to get through the first two innings. After surrendering a run in each, he settled in and gave up just one hit the rest of the way.
“Soup’s been great for us all year,” McGivern said of Jones, who they call Soup because he goes to Campbell High School.
“We love him and we get them to play the Wild Thing music, because he has the (Ricky Vaughn) glasses going.”
With one out in the top of the seventhth, Jones got a little wild on the mound and walked Anthony Calcagni (Poland) to put the tying run on base. After striking out Andy Sodergren (Heartland Christian) swinging, McGivern pulled his starter for Tyler Barone (Lowellville).
“Not many guys can smile coming off the mound when they need one more out,” McGivern said. “[Jones] smiled, knew the situation and turned it over the Tyler.”
Barone got Zach Senchak (New Castle) to pop out to shallow left field on the first pitch to end the game.
“Tyler’s started games for us and closed down games,” McGivern said. “He’s got stone cold veins. He’s got no fear out there. It doesn’t matter the situation, he wants the ball.”