SAEGERTOWN —
The French Creek Valley baseball team suffered exactly one loss this season. That was to Oil City.
And Oil City just happened to be FCV’s opponent for the first round of the Crawford/Venango American Legion playoffs on Wednesday.
“The kids talked about (the loss) a lot,” said FCV manager Brandon Crum. “They wanted to play with a chip. We never should have lost that game. And they knew it. ... Our kids talked about that a lot. And they wanted to be out of here in five innings.”
The Creekers (23-1) were let down on that point. It instead took them eight innings to dispose of Oil City 11-1.
“We definitely wanted to get some revenge,” said FCV starting pitcher Tylor Williams. “And I think we did the job.”
The win advances FCV to the best-of-three CVAL championship series, in which the Creekers will face Meadville, a 5-3 winner over Franklin in 12 innings yesterday.
The opening game of the series is slated for 5 p.m. on Friday at the Saegertown American Legion’s Ed Acker Field.
“They wanted to play with a chip and they went out and went for the throat,” said Crum. “That’s what we’ve got to do the rest of the way. We can’t take any plays off.”
As for Wednesday’s contest; for harboring a grudge, FCV played rather gracefully on offense. Much of the team’s damage was done with the bunt.
It was just a 2-1 game going into the sixth inning when the Creekers widened the gap with a healthy dose of small ball.
Hunter Johnston led it off with a single up the middle. That would end up being his first of three lead-off singles for the game.
That was followed by successful bunts by Scott Sada, Kyle Wise, Adam Bronson and Tyler Walters. Sada’s bunt ended up an error. Bronson’s and Walters’ both drove in runs.
“We struggled keeping the ball out of the air,” said Crum. “So we talked about it when they came off defense. We said, ‘We’re going to start putting the ball on the ground.’ And that’s kind of what we did. ... We have good speed and we have good bat control. So we put the ball on the ground and we made (Oil City) make the plays.”
FCV added three runs in the seventh. Johnston had a leadoff single. Sada hit into another error. Wise singled and scored and Austin Scere knocked a two-run single through the left side.
Then in the eighth, Johnston again singled to lead things off. He later found himself on third and scored the game-ending run on a two-out passed ball.
“That 10th run in the eighth inning, that meant a lot to these guys,” said Crum.
FCV had 14 base hits in the game. Johnston had three hits and scored three runs. Walters was 3-for-4. Wise was 2-for-4 with two runs. And Kyle McCray was 2-for-3.
Yet, as much as the offense was using finesse to win the ball game, the pitching staff was all about brutality.
Williams, the starter, and reliever Ryan Paden combined to strike out 15 batters in the game.
Williams had 11 through the first seven innings, allowing one unearned run on five hits with one walk.
“I felt real good the first half of the game,” said Williams, who struck out the side in the first inning on nine pitches. “The second half, I couldn’t spot my curve ball very well. It was one of those days where you’re going to have to throw the fastball.”
Paden finished the game off with two hitless innings with a walk and four Ks.
“Everybody was flat today,” said Oil City manager Jim Cochran. “We just couldn’t get any offense going to make something happen.”
Local Sports
French Creek Valley gets revenge, heads to title series
- Local Sports
-
-
No Triple Crown: Oxbow upsets Orb at Preakness
Right from the start, a horse trained by one not so over-the-hill Hall of Famer and ridden by another took control of the Preakness. The result: a huge upset and the end of any hopes for a Triple Crown attempt at the Belmont Stakes.
-
H.S. BASEBALL: Rockets too much for Bulldogs in season finale
TITUSVILLE — Year one of the Bruce Stewart era as the Meadville baseball head coach is officially in the books. Unfortunately it came with a defeat to the hands of Titusville. The Bulldogs committed three errors and allowed five unearned runs to cross the plate in a 7-3 loss at the Ed Myer Recreation Complex on Friday.
-
H.S. BOYS VOLLEYBALL: Cards clinch No. 2 spot for D-10 tourney
It took them until the final day of the regular season, but the Cochranton boys volleyball team now knows where they stand for next week’s Class AA District 10 playoffs.
-
H.S. TRACK & FIELD: Sternby runs away with gold at D-10 meet
HARBORCREEK — It was sweet redemption for Meadville’s Heather Sternby during Wednesday’s Class AAA District 10 Track and Field meet at Harbor Creek High School’s Paul J. Weitz Stadium.
After falling in the 100-meter dash to Grove City’s Courtney Corbin in last year’s meet by .09 seconds, Sternby got her revenge by defeating Corbin by .10 seconds in this year’s event. -
H.S. SOFTBALL: Two-run sixth lifts Saegertown in Region 3 battle
With the playoffs looming, Saegertown head softball coach Mark McKissock hoped to get his girls an early taste of that intense postseason atmosphere.
-
TRACK AND FIELD: ’Dogs prepare for districts
It’s amazing how much difference a year can make. Last year at this time, the Meadville girls track and field team was the Region 3 champion and a serious contender to dethrone Grove City as the District 10 Class AAA champion.
-
H.S. BASEBALL: Saegertown rolls to sweep of Conneaut
Nothing could get in the way of the Saegertown baseball team picking up a pair of wins on Friday. Not even Mother Nature. With a dark cloud hanging over Ed Acker Field, the Panthers made quick work of Conneaut with a run-shortened 12-0 and 11-1 win in non-region play.
-
H.S. Baseball: Mother Nature interrupts Conneaut winning streak
Most years the most devastating opposition for area softball and baseball teams is old Mother Nature.
This year has been no different. The wrath, however, has been a little less traumatic. -
H.S. TRACK & FIELD: ’Dogs close regular season with sweep
The Meadville track and field team ended the season with a bang on senior day and will be rolling into next week’s District 10 Class AAA Championships at Harbor Creek High School after sweeping Central Tech on Thursday at the Barco-Duratz Athletic Complex.
The boys (1-5) delivered a nail-biting 75-70 win, giving them their first win of the season, while the girls (3-3) cruised to a 120-26 victory. -
H.S. BASEBALL: Oilers too slick for Eagles
LINESVILLE — The Oil City baseball team simply has Conneaut’s number this year.
“And that’s the only number we’ve had so far this year,” said Oil City head coach Adam Best. His team is now 2-12 on the season, 2-5 in Region 6. And both of those wins were against Conneaut. - More Local Sports Headlines
-
No Triple Crown: Oxbow upsets Orb at Preakness
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
