Fayette records 13 runs and 16 hits in win over GA
Playing its first home game in over a year and its first game in 10 days, the Penn State Fayette baseball team erupted for 13 runs on 16 hits in its 13-3 win over Penn State Greater Allegheny Wednesday.
The Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) win keeps Fayette (2-1 overall, 2-0 PSUAC) in first place in the West Division while GA (0-3, 0-3) is still looking to pick up its first win of the young season.
Coach Mike Sikorski spoke about the offense as well as the dominating effort by Garrett Stevenson (Hempfield, PA/Hempfield HS) on the mound.
"The offense was absolutely incredible," he said. "The kids are having really good at-bats and the approach has been good. We are seeing the ball well and seeing a lot of pitches by getting the pitch count up for the opposing pitchers. We are hitting for power and putting the barrel of the bat on the ball. We had a lot of timely hits today."
Sikorski transitioned to Stevenson.
"Garrett battled and was effective in every way. He got stronger as the game went on, kept the hitters off-balance and trusted his defense. He did a great job keeping the ball in the yard and was able to get ahead in the count. Garrett was motivated and had a lot of energy."
Stevenson went the distance, striking out six and only needing 84 pitches over the seven innings to run his record to 2-0 while he received plenty of help from the 16 Fayette hits and six GA errors.
Hopwood, PA - Fayette took a 1-0 lead in the second with the help of a pair of GA miscues. Cade Warrick (Mill Run, PA/Connellsville HS) led off the inning with a single and four batters later, he scored when Nik Gibson (Uniontown, PA/Uniontown HS) reached on an error.
The 1-0 lead didn't last long as GA scored an unearned run of its own to tie the game in the top of the third. However, Fayette took the lead back in the bottom of the inning as it once again took advantage of a GA error. With one out, Nate Zimcosky (Uniontown, PA/Laurel Highlands HS) singled and advanced to second on a Warrick single. Noah Hansen (New Kensington, PA/Kiski Area HS) reached base on a GA error and the miscue brought in Zimcosky to give Fayette the 2-1 lead.
Fayette extended its lead to 3-1 in the fourth when Kaleb Scott (Uniontown, PA/Laurel Highlands HS) singled in Gibson, who had led off the inning with a single of his own.
GA tied the game in the fifth as it scored a pair of runs on three hits with all of the action taking place after the first two batters were retired. The score sat at 3-3, but Fayette would score 10 runs over its next three at-bats to enact the 10-run rule.
In the bottom of the fifth, Fayette scored five runs on five hits and sent 13 batters to the plate. Scott had a two-run single while both Kade Musgrove (Connellsville, PA/Connellsville HS) and Andrew Despot (Moon, PA/Moon HS) added RBI singles. Cory Fleming (Monessen, PA/Monessen HS) scored the other run in the inning on a wild pitch.
Musgrove hit a two-run homer in the sixth and then Fayette closed out the game with three runs in the seventh. Hansen had an RBI single and then Gibson recorded a two-run single to enact the 10-run rule and end the game.
Warrick and Gibson led the Fayette attack offensively with three hits apiece.
Leadoff hitters recorded five hits in seven at-bats (.714) for Fayette.
"You can't ask for much more than that," Sikorski said of the five leadoff hits. We led off each inning with effective at-bats. We are getting on and scoring runs as we have scored 28 runs over our last two games."
Fayette returns to action when it heads to Penn State Mont Alto (5-1, 3-1) on Saturday and Sunday for a pair of double headers.
"It is definitely going to be a big weekend and they are one of the top teams in the conference," Sikorski said. "We have to keep the energy and emotion up, have to take it one game as it may and let the weekend fall where it is supposed to. We have to see the ball and hit the ball."
For more on the Penn State Fayette baseball team, go to https://www.psfathletics.com/sports/bsb/index.