BB postseason hopes slide with DH losses

Dubois, PA - The Penn State Fayette baseball team entered the weekend with a chance of making the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference postseason.

Friday night, those hopes took a hit as Fayette (10-11 overall, 10-10 PSUAC) was swept at Penn State DuBois (19-4, 16-4).

In the opener, Fayette scored the first run of the game, but it did not score again in a 10-1 loss.  Kade Musgrove (Connellsville, PA/Connellsville HS) singled in Cade Warrick (Mill Run, PA/Connellsville HS), but it was all DuBois from there as the hosts scored seven runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth.

DuBois starting pitcher Brandon Orsich went six innings and limited Fayette to three hits while Cory Fleming (Monessen, PA/Monessen HS) took the loss on the hill.

The hosts finished with seven extra base hits and 15 total for the game.

In the finale, Fayette dropped a heartbreaker, 6-5.

With one out in the first, Nate Zimcosky (Uniontown, PA/Laurel Highlands HS) and Noah Hansen (New Kensington, PA/Kiski Area HS) hit back-to-back home runs to give Fayette a 2-0 lead. 

Warrick doubled in Fleming in the third to make the score 3-0.  Dubois plated a pair in its half of the inning to make the score 3-2 and the hosts tied the game in the fourth when Luke Selvo led off the inning with a homer.

In the sixth, Fayette took a 4-3 advantage.  Matt Morgan (Eighty-Four, PA/Ringgold HS) reached first to lead off the inning when he was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a single by Chris Rendulic (Port Vue, PA/South Allegheny HS).  Andrew Despot (Moon, PA/Moon HS) advanced the runners with a sacrifice and Morgan scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of TJ Lux (West Newton, PA/Yough HS).  DuBois answered and took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the inning as it pieced together three hits.

Fayette tied the game in the seventh as Zimcosky led off the inning by reaching first on an error and advanced to second when Hansen was hit by a pitch.  Warrick followed with an RBI single to tie the game but Fleming, who pinch ran for Hansen, was thrown out trying to make it to third.  Fayette was still in business, but it stranded two runners to send the game to the bottom of the seventh.  After Dan Stauffer doubled, he scored two batters later when Talon Falls doubled him in to end the game.

Hansen went the distance on the mound as he gave up six runs, all earned, while striking out four and walking three.  Stauffer picked up the win for DuBois.

Warrick finished with a double and two singles to pace Fayette while Hansen homered and doubled, Rendulic had two singles and Zimcosky had his first inning homer.

The teams have a quick turnaround as they face off at Fayette Saturday with an early start for the doubleheader.  First pitch is at 11 a.m.

For more on the Penn State Fayette baseball team, go to https://www.psfathletics.com/sports/bsb/index.