Warren Post 135 scored two runs in the first inning and Matt Jaskolka shut down the Blair offense, fanning 14 batters en route to a 2-0 victory in the Warren County Senior American Legion Baseball League semifinals on Wednesday at Old Legion Field.
Post 135 will advance to play defending champion Corry Northwest Savings Bank in the finals, in a best-of-three series. Corry defeated Youngsville Post 658, 3-0, on Wednesday to earn their spot in the finals.
Mike Monroe started off the bottom of the first for Post 135 with a triple before Hank Morrison knocked him in with a triple of his own. Morrison raced home on a wild pitch, scoring the second and final run of the game.
Article Photos
Times Observer photo by Jonathan McAfoos
Beating the tag
Blair’s Collin Fantaskey manages to slide safely under the tag of Warren Post 135 third baseman Tanner Stanz during the Senior American Legion Baseball League semifinals on Wednesday at Old Legion Field. Post 135 won 2-0, setting up a best-of-three series with defending champion Corry, beginning Friday at Old Legion Field.
The pitching took over from there.
Jaskolka and Blair pitcher Preston McMeans put on a clinic, rarely allowing the opposing team any further scoring opportunities. McMeans gave up four hits while striking out seven, while Jaskolka allowed five hits to go with his 14 strikeouts and earning the win.
Blair had its best chance to get on the scoreboard in the sixth inning after loading the bases with two outs, but Jaskolka found a way to get out of the jam, inducing a soft groundball to first base. Collin Fantaskey hit a one-out single in the seventh and stole second, but was stranded there to end the game.
Post 135 and Corry will face off on Friday in game one of their series. The league champion advances to the Pennsylvania American Legion Region 8 Tournament.
Blair 000 000 0 0 5
Post 135 200 000 x 2 4
3b-Cameron McIntosh (B), Mike Monroe (P), Hank Morrison (P). WP-Matt Jaskolka. LP-Preston McMeans.
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Corry Savings Bank 3, Youngsville Post 658 0
Defending champion Corry Savings Bank is two wins away from another Senior American Legion Baseball League title after a 3-0 victory over Youngsville Post 658 Wednesday at The Ballpark at Columbus.
The majority of the game was a pitcher's duel between Youngsville's Cory Craig and Corry's Will Gerould. Craig allowed just four Corry hits in seven innings while striking out nine and Gerould allowed five Youngsville hits in the shutout.
By far the biggest hit of the contest came in the fourth inning when, with the bases loaded, Corry's Evan Melnichak sent a single screaming to centerfield. There, it got past the Post 658 defender, allowing two additional runs to score.
Post 658 ends the season with a 9-5 record, according to head coach Tom Craig.
Youngsville Post 658 000 000 0 - 0 5
Corry Savings Bank 000 300 x - 3 4
WP-Will Gerould. LP-Cory Craig.