Ellwood City Edges Neshannock 4-1, Reaches Championship Game Wednesday

Ellwood City defeated Neshannock, 4-1, on Monday night at Freidhoff Field to reach the finals of the 75th Ellwood City Little League Tournament.

Ellwood City with a 3-1 record will face off against undefeated Boardman with a 3-0 record. In their first matchup, Boardman edged Ellwood City, 2-1, in an epic nine-inning battle on Sunday night.

For the second year in a row the championship game will be televised live by WKBN in Youngstown Ohio.

Asher Fabich doubled, singled and drove in two runs and Brady Beightley threw three scoreless innings without allowing a hit to lead Ellwood City.

After three scoreless innings, Ellwood City mounted a threat in the bottom of the third inning. Landyn Frederick looped a single to right field. Fabich followed with a single to rightfield to place runners on first and second base. Jace Vandevort then slashed a line drive that was caught by rightfielder Shane Dobbs who fired to shortstop Matt Fowler to retire Frederick to end the inning.

Neshannock broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning with an unearned run on relief pitcher Fabich. Jackson Holmstrup reached on and infield single and Janusznewicz reached on an error to place runners at first and second base. A throwing error on an attempted catcher pickoff allowed Holmstrup to score to give Neshannock a 1-0 lead. With Janusznewicz om yhird base, Fabick struck out the next two batters to end the inning.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Ellwood City rallied for four runs to take the lead. Beightley drew a base on balls and Ryan Bales was hit by a pitch to place runners on first and second base. Gage Pflugh followed with a single but the relay from centerfielder Holmstrup to third baseman Brody Kimmel nailed Beightley at the plate. Jaxon Wyatt drew a base on balls. With Bales at third base, the catcher’s return throw to the pitcher was errant and a hustling Bales scored to tie the score at 1-1. Rocco Gagric drew a walk to load the bases. After a strikeout, Alexander Casas-Cordero drew a walk to score to score Pflugh with the go-ahead run to give Ellwood City a 2-1 lead. Fabich followed with a double scoring Wyant and Gagric to increase the lead to 4-1. Casas-Cordero was thrown out at the plate attemoting to score to end the inning. Fabich threw a scoreless fifth inning for Ellwood City. Wyant relieved in the sixth inning and picked up the save ending the game with a strikeout to send Ellwood City to the finals.

Starting pitcher Beightley threw three no-hit, scoreless innings with six strikeouts for Ellwood City. Fabich was the winning pitcher in relief with two innings of work. He allowed no earned runs and fanned four batters. Wyant got the save with a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. The three pitchers limited Neshannock to one single. Janusznewicaz threw three scoreless innings for Neshannock with six strikeouts.

Fabich led Ellwood City at the plate with a double, single and two RBI. Beightly singled, walked and scored a run. Bales and Pflugh both singled and scored a run and Frederick added a single. Casas-Cordero added an RBI with a base on balls. Holmstrup had a single for Neshannock.

This summer’s tournament is the second-oldest Little League Tournament in the country, next to the Little League World Series, which will hold its 79th tournament this year.

photos available at www.ellwoodcitybaseball.com/