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Youngstown sweeps McCandless for Zone title
Youngstown sweeps McCandless by double-digit runs
By Greg Gulas
STRUTHERS
The Youngstown All-Stars breezed through their first two tournament games, outscoring opponents by a 27-5 count.
A 10-4 loss to North Allegheny McCandless on Saturday dropped them to the loser’s bracket, only to find them advance to the title tile with a 12-8, come-from-behind victory over Butler that had them weather a 7-2 deficit and two extended rain delays.
On Monday, Youngstown returned the favor by sweeping McCandless, 15-4 and 18-7 in six innings to capture the Colt 15U East Zone Tournament championship at Bob Cene Park.
Matt Senchak went 5-for-5 with a double, scored five runs and added a run batted in.
After roping a double in four at-bats in the opener, he felt like he had to step up in the lead-off spot.
“I needed to change something up, so I started to chew some gum and it kept me focused,” Senchak said.
After forcing a second game, Youngstown wasted no time as they got on the board once again in the opening inning for a 2-0 lead.
The runs came on a single by Bob Cavalier, adding another tally on the same play when Cavalier got caught in a rundown long enough for Dylan Hetrick to cross the plate.
Youngstown increased their lead to 4-0 in the second inning, adding a run on a single by Hetrick and later a fielding error by McCandless shortstop Patrick Zwick.
A bases clearing double by Nick Guarnieri and a run-scoring single by Cavalier stretched the lead to 8-0 after four innings of play. Braden Olson pushed the score to 10-0 in the fifth inning with two-run double.
McCandless extended the game by scoring three times in their half of the fifth on six walks, which allowed all runs to score via a free pass.
The All-Stars sent 12 batters to the plate in the sixth inning, scoring eight times for an 18-3 lead.
Youngstown allowed four more runs by McCandless in their half of the inning before reliever Johnnie Mikos as able to get the final out.
GAME 1
YOUNGSTOWN ALL-STARS 15, NORTH ALLEGHENY McCANDLESS 4
Dylan Keller threw a complete game four-hitter, striking out 10 to pitch the Youngstown All-Stars into the “if necessary” game.
It didn’t the all-stars long to get on the board, doing so in their initial at-bat when Senchak was hit by a pitch to lead off the game. He scored when McCandless pitcher Shane Murphy was called for a balk.
McCandless knotted the game in at 1-1 in their half of the frame when Cameron Medic, who led off the inning with a double to deep right-center field, advanced to third base on back-to-back walks and then raced home on a sacrifice fly by Murphy.
Run scoring singles by Medic and Zwick staked McCandless to a 3-1 advantage in the second inning, making it 4-1 an inning later after Anthony Hattrupt led off with a double and came home on an infield error.
A four-run fourth inning helped Youngstown reclaim the lead, 5-4 with two runs coming on a Devin Turvey single. The All-Stars got another on a throwing error by the pitcher and the other on a bases loaded walk to Braden Olson.
Youngstown followed with another four-run inning, taking a 9-4 lead in the fourth on the strength of four hits, three walks (including an intentional pass) and run scoring singles by Senchak and Olson.
They extended their lead to 12-4 in the sixth inning by sending eight batters to the plate, scoring three more runs in their final at-bat by when another eight batters found their way to the box.