Scrappy Belle Vernon Jr. Legion falls to Trafford

Despite missing some key contributors due to the PONY League playoffs, Belle Vernon’s Junior Legion team put up a valiant effort in a 13-9 loss to a strong Trafford Post 331 squad on Thursday.

Belle Vernon (8-6) had nine players at their disposal as they couldn’t quite keep the pace with Trafford (11-1), but fill-in skipper Mark Corella was proud of his team’s effort given the circumstances.

“We were a little short staffed today, and that was a quality team,” he said. “I applauded their effort. I thought the effort was there from everyone. We went down 10-2 and then we scored six more in one inning. We start the playoffs next week, which is encouraging.

“We didn’t have much pitching depth today. It was tough, but it was what it was. I was most encouraged by the effort against a good squad.”

Landon Bell, Chace Petrosky and Anthony Corella took the mound for Belle Vernon in the loss. Bell started things off, going 1 1/3 innings and giving up five hits and seven runs. Petrosky then went 2 2/3 frames, allowing three runs and three hits with four strikeouts. Corella pitched the final three innings, giving up four hits and three runs.

All nine players managed a hit for Belle Vernon, with Jaden Johnson managing two.

For Trafford, Jordan White had three hits and two RBIs while Bryce Ruby tallied five RBIs on two hits. Noah Rattigan had four RBIs as well.

Trafford wasted no time getting on the board with a tworun start to the game.

White led things off with a single and stole second and advanced to third on a balk during Ruby’s at-bat. With White at third, a groundout from Ruby was good to make it 1-0 early.

Ben Grabowski crushed a triple to deep center before another RBI groundout from Rattigan made the score 2-0 in favor of Trafford.

Belle Vernon responded with a run of its own. Petrosky singled and reached second on an error before getting to third on a wild pitch. Ian Porter brought him in with a sacrifice fly to cut Belle Vernon’s deficit in half at 2-1.

That deficit quickly grew though as Trafford continued to find offense.

Jacob Lang and Otto Hettler drew one-out walks to set up Peyton Mastro’s plate appearance, and he singled to score a run.

After another walk loaded the bases, White singled to make it 4-1. Ruby then made the score 6-1 with a two-run single.

Rattigan capped off the second-inning scoring at 7-1 with another RBI groundout that plated White.

Trafford Post 331 added three more runs in the third frame as Cameron King scored on a wild pitch while Lang and Hettler scored on another two-run single from Ruby.

Belle Vernon then pulled a run back in the bottom of the third as Porter got his second RBI of the contest to plate Alex Quiggle.

After the first scoreless inning of the game for Trafford, Belle Vernon’s offense exploded to cut the deficit to 10-8 in the bottom of the fourth.

Quiggle earned an RBI on a groundout before Freddy Cirlos scored on an error.

Belle Vernon kept the pressure on and forced a pitching change as Kaden Lipko took the mound, and they continued their momentum even with the new arm.

Vincenzo Francia doubled to welcome Lipko to the game, bringing two runs home and making it 106. Then, after a wild pitch helped to score the seventh run of the game for Belle Vernon, Corella doubled to bring Francia home and make it 10-8.

Despite the momentum for Belle Vernon, it was Trafford that scored the next three runs and put the game to bed in the top of the fifth.

With one out and runners on second and third, White singled to bring another run home. A double from Rattigan capped off Trafford’s scoring at 13.

Belle Vernon fought until the end, managing a ninth run in the bottom of the seventh, but that was all it could manage in the loss.

“They were scrappy, which was encouraging,” Corella said. “We had guys out of position, but they kept fighting. The effort was there against a good squad, and you just have to walk away encouraged despite the result.”