VALLEY SPORTS HISTORY
2013
2013
• Monday was a memorable night at California’s Mechanic Street Playground. The playground hosted the first women’s contest in the J. Budd Grebb Memorial Summer Basketball League. This is the first time in the league’s five year history that girls have taken to the court. Belle Vernon’s Kaitlyn Slagus dominated the court as she led the Fredericktown Butcher shop team to a 53-36 win over Lagerheads. Slagus, who will be a junior, scored 16 points in the first half on her way to a game-high 28 points. She also had an unofficial tally of 15 rebounds and 7 blocks in the game.
• Belle Vernon defeated Brownsville, 8-2, in a battle of the unbeaten teams in Vesta Pony League action. Belle Vernon’s Evan Hannan stole home with two outs and Jojo Ruffalo hit a two-run homer to give Belle Vernon a 3-0 first inning lead. Hannan added a two run double in the fourth inning to increase Belle Vernon’s lead to 6-1. Nolan Stulock pitched a complete game giving up five hits and striking out eight batters. Hannan and Ruffolo each had three hits while Josh Hall and John Singer each added a pair of hit for the Leps.
2004
• With his Rostraver team behind 4-1 in the fourth inning, Ryan Russell felt a sense of urgency as he stepped to the plate. Hitting a lofty .346 for the season, Russell had gone hitless in his first two at bats. After falling behind 0-2 to pitcher Chris Lewis, the lefty calmly ripped a bases-loaded triple to the right-field fence. The score was suddenly deadlocked at 4-4 and Rostraver grabbed the momentum to take the win defeating Connellsville, 6-5, in Fayette County League action.
• The Evansville Otters moved up to within a half game of leadership in the Frontier League’s Eastern Division by defeating the Washington wild Things, 4-2, at Falconi Field. Evansville pitcher Grant Williams won his seventh straight win scattering six hits over seven innings. Williams bested Wild Things starting hurler Mike Powell whose name was added to the all-star team roster before the game. Powell was pulled after six innings after he gave up four runs on nine hits. Evansville struck for three runs in the fourth, highlighted by Carlos Brockley’s run-scoring double and RBIs from Frank Scott and Scott Ward. 1994
• In a battle of Belle Vernon-Rostraver Softball League titans, Mint Lounge defeated Step II, 14-10. PJ Jones led the winners with four singles including a key hit with the bases loaded in the four run eighth inning. Brian Corrin, Buzz Buszinski and Wally Malinchak each had a double and two singles for the winners. Step II was paced by Dave Sink with a double and two singles. In other games, PNA rocked Family Vision, 25-15; Collinsburg stopped Lowber, 5-1; Belle Vernon Presbyterian defeated Corning, 23-9 and Just-A-Tavern topped Elite, 18-10.
