EC Edges Riverside In Opening Night of Little League Tournament

Ellwood City edged Riverside, 7-6, in the nightcap of the opening night of the 69th Ellwood City Little League Tournament at Freidhoff Field Monday night.

In yet another battle of zip code 16117, the crosstown rivals staged a barn burner before a crowd of over 300 fans. Jordan Keller gave Ellwood City a 6-0 lead with a grand slam in the second inning. Carlo Nardone’s solo homer proved to be the game-winner in the fifth inning. Riverside had the tying run at third base and the go-ahead at second base before Ellwood City notched the final out.

After Riverside went in order in the first, Ellwood City threatened in the bottom of the frame. A Nate Kennedy single between two walks loaded the bases with one out. But two strikeouts ended the threat. McCartney Plassmeyer singled for Riverside in the In the bottom of the second with two outs but a strikeout ended the inning. In the bottom of the second inning, Luke Bleakney was hit-by-pitch to lead off the inning for Ellwood City. Colton Hardy and Dom Hogue followed with walks to load the bases. Geordon Bokor drew the third base on balls of the inning to force in Bleakney to give Ellwood City a 1-0 lead. After a strikeout, Kennedy was hit-by-pitch forcing in Hardy to up the Ellwood City lead to 2-0. Keller then delivered his grand slam over the centerfield fence to up the Ellwood City lead to 6-0.

Riverside got on the scoreboard in the top of the third inning. With two outs, Cole Vogel singled and moved to second on a wild pitch. Logan Young followed with an RBI-single scoring Vogel to make the score 6-1. Jackson Barber followed with a single and Alex Weisz reached on catcher’s interference to load the bases. But a strikeout ended the threat. Riverside rallied for two runs in the top of the fourth inning. Plassmeyer led off with a single and after a strikeout, Joe Chill reached on an error. After a groundout, Cole Vogel walked to load the bases. Young drew a base-on-balls forcing in Plassmeyer to cut the deficit to 6-2. Barber followed with a single scoring Chill and Vogel and the Ellwood City lead was sliced to 6-4.

After Ellwood City was retired in order for the second straight inning, Riverside crept closer in the top of the fifth inning. After a groundout, Plassmeyer smacked his third straight single. Jack Sanders and Joe Chill reached on errors to load the bases. After a pop-up, Vogel walked to force in Plassmeyer and cut the score to 6-5. But the rally ended on a fly out corralled by rightfielder Adam Zikeli. In the bottom of the inning, Ellwood City scored what proved to be the winning run. Nardone led off the inning by belting a homer to right-centerfield to increase Ellwood City’s lead to 7-5. After Anthony Barberio was hit-by-a-pitch, a fielder’s choice and a Bleakney walk, put runners on first and second base. But a strikeout and fly out ended the inning.

In the top of the sixth inning, Barber reached on an error to lead off the inning for Riverside. After a pop out, RIchards walked to put runners on first and second base. Ellwood City second baseman Bleakney got the second out of the inning retiring Richards at second base. With runners on first and third base, Riverside was dealt an unlucky break which would have tied the game. Sanders smacked a line drive deep to centerfield which bounced over the fence for a double. Barber scored from third base to narrow the lead to 7-6. But the tying run was held at third base because of the book rule double. With the tying run at third base and the go-ahead run at second base, Ellwood City nailed down the victory with a game-ending strikeout.

Keller led Ellwood City at the plate with a grand slam home run and four RBI. Nardone homered and walked with an RBI. Kennedy reached base twice with a single and hit-by-pitch. Jake Biskup singled and Bleakney reached base twice with a walk and hit-by-pitch. Riverside was led by Plassmeyer with three singles. Barber singed twice with two RBI. Vogel singled and walked twice and Young singled, walked and drove in a run. Sanders doubled with an RBI.

Kennedy was the winning pitcher for Ellwood City. He allowed one run and fanned four batters in three innings of work. Biskup picked up the save. Vogel threw three scoreless innings of relief for Riverside.

RIVERSIDE CLOBBERS MOHAWK TUESDAY, BEHIND BARBER AND WEISZ

Riverside downed Mohawk, 15-0, on Tuesday behind Jackson Barber and Alex Weisz in the 69th Ellwood City Little League Tournament at Freidhoff Field. Jackson Barber tripled, doubled and singled twice and Alex Weisz rapped four singles and drove in five runs to lead Riverside.

Riverside scored five runs in the top of the first inning with Weisz driving in two runs with a single and Tyler Richards adding a n RBI-single to open a 5-0 lead. Riverside added a solo run in the bottom of the second inning on a double by Logan Young and an RBI single by Weisz to up their lead to 6-0. After a scoreless third inning, Riverside three more runs in the fourth inning. Riverside’s used a walk, a wild pitch, and RBI-single by Barber, an error, another walk and a hit batsmen to raise the lead to 9-0. Riverside finished the scoring in the fifth inning with six more runs. A single by Gavin Coyne was followed by two strikeouts. Barber added an RBI-triple and Weisz added an RBI-single. Jack Sanders an RBI-single and Young and Barber added RBI-doubles.

Barber led Riverside with a triple, double and two singles with three RBI. Weisz had four singles with five RBI. Richard added three singles and Logan Young had two doubles. Sanders singled twice with a hit-by-pitch and Cole Vogel singled and walked twice. McCartney Plasmeyer reached base four times with three walks and a hit-by-pitch. Coyne added a single. Dillon Deal led Mohawk at the plate with a double and Maddox Ryhal and Tyler Howarth singled for Mohawk. Chase Weisz reached base twice on a walk and hit-by-pitch.

Plassmeyer was the winning pitcher for Riverside. He allowed two hits and fanned four batters in three innings of work. Coyne fanned allowed one hit and fanned four batters in relief. Briar Crawford allowed one hit and fanned five batters in 2-1/3 innings of relief for Mohawk.

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

Riverside vs Neshannock….8:00 PM

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE

Mohawk vs Riverside/Neshannock loser…6:00 PM

Ellwood City vs Seneca Valley North…8:00 PM