Belle Vernon reaches winners pool

Belle Vernon scored four runs in the third inning on Saturday to earn a 6-2 victory over Ambridge in the winners’ round of the American Legion Baseball Region 6 tournament at Chippewa Park.

Belle Vernon advances to the winners pool final against Connellsville on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. The winner advances to Monday’s final, while the loser faces the winner of the Ambridge-Blackhawk game at 5:30 p.m.

Ambridge was leading 1-0 when Belle Vernon took the lead in the third inning. The big hit of the inning was Jaxson Bozek’s two-run single. One run scored on a dropped third strike and the other came in on a fielder’s choice.

Ambridge scored a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Belle Vernon added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning.

Mason Suss pitched the final 4.1 innings for the win, relieving starter AJ Wardropper. Suss allowed one run on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Wardropper allowed one run in 2.2 innings on two hits with no walks and one strikeout.

Cole Matusik and Kayden Faychak doubled for Belle Vernon. Mitchell Vuick had a pair of singles and scored two runs. Jake Wessel, Faychak and Colton Lee all drove in one run.

Ambridge’s Liam Baker went 3-for-3 with a double and two singles. Teagan Baker drove in both runs and Joey Pugh doubled.

Charleroi rallied from a four-run deficit in the seventh inning to get the tying run at second base and the lead at first, but fell one run short in a 9-8 loss to Ambridge.

Blackhawk defeated Uniontown 1-0.

Both Charleroi and Uniontown were eliminated from the tournament by the losing team.