BV finds offense, tops Ringgold
MONONGAHELA – “Welcome back.”
Those were the words of Belle Vernon Area coach Daryl Hixenbaugh towards a few of his injured players getting back into game shape during Leopards’s 12-3 Section 4-AAA win over Ringgold at Ken Griffey Field Friday.
It could have as just as easily been directed at his team’s offense.
In their three games between Tuesday and Thursday, two of which were section losses, the Leopards managed a total of five runs.
Runs weren’t a problem in this game, however, as Justin Ivill had a triple, two singles, and a career-high five RBI while the Leopards exploded for 13 hits.
“We put together a small ball lineup and we came out driving the ball,” Hixenbaugh said. “It’s baseball, so who knows.”
The Leopards (4-2, 7-2) scored in each of the first five innings and were up 3-0 when Ringgold tied the score in the bottom of the second.
After a strikeout, Ringgold (2-4, 3-6) had six straight batters reach base thanks to four singles, an error and a walk to score the three runs.
Belle Vernon’s Joel Engstrom threw 33 pitches in the inning, but he settled down and went six innings.
Other than the four hits in the second inning, Engstrom only allowed a first-inning single to Ryan Varley.
In the top of the third, Jordan Zilka blasted a home run over the right-centerfield fence to give BVA a 4-3 lead.
The Leopards tacked on six runs in the fourth with Ivill and Josh Hoffman both registering two-run singles and both Tim Labuda and Mike Fine adding RBI singles.
Ivill singled in two more runs in the fifth.
Enstrom said the offensive production made things easier on the mound.
“I was able to relax once we started scoring,” he said. “It is always easier to pitch with the lead.”
Ringgold coach Rob Nystrom feels his team can still get things going despite a slow start.
“We left too many guys on base and we are lacking that one clutch hit that can put teams away,” Nystrom said. “Everybody hasn’t clicked yet and one game it’s these guys and the next game it is someone else.
“We just have to keep working.”
Joining Ivill with multiple hits for BVA was Zilka (home run and single), and the trio of Evan Hannan, Hoffman, and Ben Cole who each recorded two singles. Varley paced Ringgold with two singles.