Hempfield East Legion comes up short in Great Lakes Regional
Swoyersville has Hempfield East’s number this season.
For the third time in two weeks, Swoyersville beat the District 31 and Region 7 champions, this time 4-1 on Thursday in the American Legion Great Lakes Regional at Eastern Illinois in Charleston, Ill.
The loss ended Hempfield East’s season. Swoyersville was the only team to defeat Hempfield East in the Pennsylvania state tournament.
“It was a wonderful experience for the players, something they’ll remember for a lifetime,” Hempfield East coach Scott Smith said. “They’ve gone has far as any travel team and loved the entire experience.”
Swoyersville got a one-hit performance from winning pitcher Tommy Federici and three hits from leadoff hitter Garret Vought.
Hempfield East grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Andrew Rosenberg, who walked, scored on a sacrifice fly by Matt Wicker.
Swoyersville tied the score 1-1 in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly by Tyler O’Kane to scored Vought.
The winning run came in the second inning on a balk.
Hempfield East’s only hit was by Rosenberg with two outs in the fifth inning.
Swoyersville got two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Lance Daley suffered the loss despite allowing only two hits.
Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.
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