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Crestview scores three in 7th to top Mooney
Crestview scores three in 7th to top Mooney
By STEVE WILAJ
STRUTHERS
Common sense says that Crestview’s 8-7 win against Cardinal Mooney on Thursday is a significant, even surprising victory for the Rebels.
However — when Inter-Tri County League Crestview rallied from a one-run seventh-inning deficit at Cene Park — head coach Dan Hill’s team only accomplished what it expected.
“This game wasn’t bigger than any other,” Hill said. “It was just the day we happened to be playing Mooney.
“So I think it was a big win in the concept that we did the things we didn’t do [Wednesday in a loss to Ursuline]. But no game is bigger than any other.”
Still, what the Rebels did was pound out 12 hits against the Cardinals, the biggest being Ty Fitzsimmons’ seventh-inning, two-run single with two outs that broke a 6-6 tie and propelled Crestview (3-1) to victory.
The Rebels trailed 4-1 after the second inning, 5-3 after the fourth and 6-5 going into the final frame.
“We have heart here at Crestview,” said Fitzsimmons, who also notched a double. “We never get down on ourselves and we always believe in each other. No matter if it’s Mooney, Ursuline, we can always fight back.”
Mooney (1-2) tried fighting back in the bottom half of the seventh, but Tyler Hurd struck out Aaron Woodbury with the tying run on second to end the game.
“Last year, we might have been in those [trailing] situations and say, ‘OK, we’re not supposed to beat this team. Let’s just finish out the game,’” Hill said. “But tonight we didn’t do that. Our coaches are just doing a fantastic job with the kids and the kids have worked hard all offseason, so they deserve this.”
Mooney used a four-run second inning off Crestview ace Mike McDonough to take an early 4-1 lead — helped by two Rebels errors, a hit batter and a walk. Bryce Richey’s bases-loaded walked scored one run, while two runs followed to score on an error before Dom Pecchia capped the frame with an RBI single.
Crestview answered in the top of the fourth on Joel Fitzsimmons’ two-run single — and after Mooney added another run in the bottom half — the Rebels tied the contest at 5 in the fifth inning on Caleb Hill’s RBI groundout and Andy Gorby’s RBI sacrifice bunt.
Mooney then scored its sixth run in the bottom of the fifth when Jake Fonderlin notched an RBI single off McDonough. The lead held up until Crestview’s seventh-inning rally.
McDonough. an Ohio State commit, allowed six runs (although only one was earned) on two hits, two walks, three hit batters and seven strikeouts.
“He pitched a phenomenal game,” Mooney coach Al Franceschelli said. “I thought we had enough runs to win the game, but it wasn’t meant to be. They’re scrappy. They fought back and I thought it showed real guts. ... But you just can’t win when you make five errors.”
Pecchia and Fonderlin each had two hits for Mooney. On the mound, Antonio Page allowed five runs on eight hits in five innings, while Devin Curd took the loss by surrendering three runs on four hits in two relief innings.
Crestview’s Devin Turvey had two hits, including a double, and Joel Fitzsimmons notched two singles, a triple and two RBIs.
“It feels really good, especially coming from behind,” Joel Fitzsimmons said. “It’s always been part of our team — our personality. We want to compete with everybody and come out here and win every game.”