CHARLEROI, Pa. — Potomac Valley secured a 2-0 sweep of Charleroi Monday, defeating the Magicians, 4-2, at Charleroi Community Park to advance to the Fayette County Baseball League championship series.
The Mudcats (18-2) will face the Carmichaels Copperheads (18-2) in a five-game set, beginning Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Garrett College.
The teams will alternate home and away, with Potomac Valley hosting Wednesday, Friday and Monday (if necessary). All start at 6:30 p.m.
Carmichaels hosts Game 2 Thursday at 6 p.m. and Game 4 Sunday at 5 p.m. (if necessary).
Potomac Valley and Carmichaels both finished tied for first atop the seven-team league during the regular season, but the Mudcats took 2 of 3 meetings.
In the semifinal clincher Monday, Potomac Valley pushed four runs across in the first inning, and the mound duo of Brady McNew and Conner Blake combined to limit Charleroi to two runs on six hits.
Blake did the bulk of the work, tossing five shutout innings of four-hit ball to register as the winning pitcher. He struck out four and walked one.
All four Mudcats runs were scored with two outs.
Logan Rotruck (WVU Potomac State/Keyser) started the offense with a two-run single the opposite way to right field, Blake followed with an RBI knock to left, and Landyn Ansel (Davis & Elkins/Allegany) capped the scoring with an opposite-field hit to right that plated a run.
Seth Healy (Potomac State/Keyser) accounted for a third of the Mudcats’ hits, going 2 for 4.
Lazer Glasser took a loss in a complete game for the Magicians. He allowed four runs on six hits in seven innings, striking out 10 and walking six.
Tyler Sankovich and Manny Stitch both hit safely twice. Stitch and Glasser drove in Charleroi’s lone runs.