A steal of home sparked a three-run fourth inning rally, and that proved to be the difference Monday in Connellsville’s 5-3 victory over host Montour in a WPIAL Class 5A Section 4 baseball game.
Chase Sankovich’s theft with one out in the fourth snapped a 1-1 tie, and Grayden Gillott followed with a two-run single that made it 4-1.
Montour got a run back in its half of the fourth when Caleb Armbruster scored on a wild pitch, but the Falcons restored their three-run lead on Matthew Firestone’s RBI single in the sixth, making the score 5-2.
Montour pulled to within two runs in the seventh when Andrew Porto led off with a home run, but Firestone retired the next three batters in a row to nail down the win.
The Spartans scored their first run in the bottom of the first inning, taking advantage of a couple of Connellsville miscues.
Matteo Weber led off the inning by reaching safely on an error by the Connellsville first baseman. After courtesy runner Nino DiMichelle moved to second on a wild pitch, Michael Ivanoff singled DiMichelle to third, and he came around to score on Porto’s sacrifice fly.
Connellsville answered in the second on Jayden Mickens’ bases-loaded single, which scored Gradin Hodge from third. But Weber, who started on the mound for the Spartans, struck out the next two batters to strand all three runners and preserve the 1-1 tie.
Connellsville outhit Montour 10-5, and no one had more than one hit for the Spartans.
Postponements
Two other games involving West Hills area schools were postponed Monday. A scheduled game between Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and Carlynton will be played Tuesday, April 1, as part of a doubleheader at OLSH. Carlynton will be the home team in the first game and OLSH will be home in the nightcap.
Sto-Rox, meanwhile, had its game against Beaver Falls postponed until Wednesday.
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