Carter Cerra doubled, homered and pitched a complete game, scattering 10 hits, as Blair defeated Corry Northwest Savings Bank in Senior American Legion Baseball League action at the Ballpark at Columbus on Thursday.
Blair struck first, scratching out a run in the top of the first. Collin Fantaskey singled with one out and scored on an infield single by Cerra.
While Northwest tallied two to take the lead in the bottom of the second, Blair would tie it up in the top of the third. Jason Stanton lead off the inning with a double, went to third on a Fantaskey groundout and scored on a ground out off the bat of Eddie Dorunda.
Blair extended the lead in the fourth. On the first pitch, Cerra launched a home run over the left field fence to put Blair up two.
Corry scratched out single runs in the fifth and sixth to tie the game but Blair came roaring back in the top of the seventh. With Dorunda on first and two outs, Preston McMeans doubled off the left field fence and Dorunda scored from first to tie the game. Cerra then helped his own cause yet again, hammering a double to right center that scored McMeans.
Down one, Northwest led off the bottom of the seventh with a double but Cerra would strike out two of the next three hitters to secure the win.
Cerra scattered 10 hits, giving up four runs, to gain the win. Blair's defense was strong, committing just two errors on the night.
Blair 101 100 2 - 5 9
NWSB 020 011 0 - 4 10
2B - Carter Cerra (B), Preston McMeans (B), Jason Stanton (B), Silvis (N) 2. Hr- Carter Cerra
WP - Cerra.
LP - Andthrop
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It was a pitcher's battle on Thursday in Post 658's 5-1 win over Tidioute.
While Tidioute's Brian Faulkner hurled the whole game and supplied both his teams hits, including a home run, Post 658's pitcher Broc Horn outpaced him with 17 strikeouts and a home run of his own.
"They've shown a lot of improvement," Post 658 coach Tom Craig said about Tidioute's progress in their first year.
"We hit the ball and they caught it, there was so much improvement it was hard to believe," Craig said.
Post 658 is now 8-4 on the year and will play Columbus, at Columbus tomorrow in their final game of the regular season.
Post 658 001 030 1 - 5 9
Tidioute 000 010 0 - 1 2
2b- Thomas Henry (P). HR-Brian Faulkner (T), Broc Horn (P). WP-Horn. LP-Faulkner.