Jefferson County, Follansbee split a legion doubleheader
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WELLSBURG -- Both Jefferson County and Follansbee's legion baseball teams showed the ability to bounce back in a doubleheader Wednesday.
Jefferson County's bats erupted early in Game 1 to put Sunday's loss in the Beast of the East semifinals in the rear-view mirror with a 12-3 victory, then Follansbee quickly put its disappointing Game 1 effort behind it by taking the nightcap, 3-1.
"We battled a lot of adversity," Follansbee coach Joe Campinelli, whose team moves to 4-6, said. "I am just really proud of all the kids for how they battled back in the second game. Jefferson County is one of the premier teams in the Valley, they're always good and coach Pierro does a great job. We're happy to come back and get the split but even more happy with the effort of the kids."
The win in Game 1 gave Jefferson County its 20th of the season, Wednesday's split putting the season mark at 20-7.
"We came out hot in the first game, we hit the ball well," Jefferson County head coach Anthony Pierro said. "The second game … it happens. We have to find ways to get guys in and score runs, we didn't do that.
"We're on our 27th game now, we've got five games in the next four days. I tell the kids you can't get too excited about good games or harp on bad games too much, it's a long season."
GAME 1
Jefferson County plated eight runs in the top of the first and did not look back, and took full advantage of six Follansbee miscues.
Sal Barcalow drove in a run and reached on an error to open the scoring, then Gavin Pownall made it 2-0 with a sac fly. Landon Crozier's RBI single made it 3-0, then Eli Fayak drove in another run with a single and Zach Smith also came home on a throw.
Then, Teddy Glyptis, Hakim Edwards and Brayden Moses hit back-to-back-to-back RBI singles to make it 8-0.
"It was great to see that (after being held to one run Sunday)," Pierro said.
In the fourth, Landon Pownall scored on a passed ball, Smith knocked an RBI groundout and Crozier drove in another run with an RBI single. Moses' RBI groundout in the fifth capped Jefferson County's offensive onslaught.
Aydan Manning started and fired four innings, fanning five and walking one.
Hunter Rhoades' RBI double in the first, Spencer Zoladz's RBi groundout in the fourth and Jered Hissam's RBI single in the fifth accounted for Follansbee's offense.
"We have another doubleheader (today) so we were trying to keep everyone under 30 (pitches)," Campinelli said. "We got down 8-0, (Jefferson County) was hitting it well, they weren't ripping the cover off the ball or anything, but they were dropping … we didn't field the ball very well and got in a hole.
"Aydan Manning pitched a heck of a game for them."
GAME 2
The nightcap was much different right from the start. After a combined nine runs in the first inning of the opener, the first inning was scoreless.
Jefferson County, though, did strike first again, this time getting on the board when Teddy Glyptis raced home on a wild pitch in the bottom of the second.
Rhoades tied the game for Follansbee in the top of the third, putting a ball in play and a miscue by the Jefferson County infield allowed Charlie Fuscardo to score.
Each team left men on base before Follansbee broke through in the top of the fifth. Zoladz reached first on a dropped third strike, and ultimately what proved to be the winning run on Garrett Hornick's RBI walk with two outs. Fuscardo then scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-1 before the inning was over.
Zoladz went the final three innings on the mound to earn the win, while TJ Decapio fired the first three for Follansbee. Each fanned three.
"TJ hadn't ptched for us all year," Campinelli said. "Between games I asked him if he could pitch for us and he went out with no warmup or anything and kept us in the game. Spencer normally catches, he caught the first game … he hadn't thrown for us this year either and he did a great job."
For Jefferson County, Barcalow (three innings, two strikeouts), Silas Hyde (two innings, five strikeouts) and Edwards (one inning, two strikeouts) combined to keep it close.
"Our pitching has been great," Pierro said. "Hakim looked great, Silas Hyde is amazing for a freshman, Sal threw great and he's a sophomore. We're throwing a lot of young guys, we play three of four freshmen every game."
UP NEXT
Jefferson County: Play the Wheeling Wildthings in Moundsville today before doubleheaders at Marietta on Saturday and St. Clairsville on Sunday.
Follansbee: Is back at the Brooke High School diamond for another twinbill tonight, taking on county rival Wellsburg Post 34.