Make that a trifecta for Bruce Myers and his Post 159 Legion squad.
A 13-game losing streak to open the summer season appears to be in the rear view mirror for St. Clairsville following its third straight victory Tuesday evening.
Post 159 righthander Greyson Loweecy gutted out a complete game four-hit performance in 90-degree conditions at Memorial Park. Loweecy's teammates responded by compiling 11 hits and pulling out a 3-2 decision over Cadiz.
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ST. CLAIRSVILLE’S Zack Dornon (14) is safe at the plate following a third inning wild pitch during Tuesday’s American Legion game at Memorial Park. Cadiz pitcher Rasheen Mitchell (20) covered on the play. St. Clairsville prevailed, 3-2.
After opening the season by walking 11 batters in a road setback, Loweecy has battled back to author some clutch outings, including Tuesday's.
"Greyson has put his nose to the grindstone and pitched lights-out in recent starts," Myers praised. "That's a very good Cadiz team he shut down tonight."
Loweecy experienced one bad inning in which he yielded two runs and three hits. Otherwise, the former St. Clairsville Red Devil was outstanding, retiring 15 of the final 16 batters he faced. Overall, Loweecy logged eight strikreouts and walked but one.
Cadiz starter Rasheen Mitchell also pitched well before departing in the bottom of the fifth with two St. C. runners on base. Reliever Josh Kernik would surrender a two-run single to St. C.'s Cory Kotopka which proved the game-winning hit.
Kotopka, who went 3-for-3, hit two shots to the fence but pulled up both times at first base, the result of a pulled muscle.
Cadiz struck first in the second frame when Mitchell singled and raced home on Kernik's opposite field triple to right. A Ryan Rose ground ball plated Kernik.
St. C.'s Zack Dornon made things happen in the third, hitting a two-out single and advancing to second on Kotopka's base knock. After Dornon swiped third base, the ex-Barnesville Shamrock raced home on a Mitchell wild pitch and it was 2-1.
Two innings later, Bridgeport's Bailey McGrath and Dornon delivered singles and were stationed at second and third base when Kotopka hit a rope to left centerfield, scoring both teammates easily.
Loweecy gave up a two-out single to Cadiz' Nick Pelegreen in the seventh. But with Pelegreen at second base, Post 159's righthander recorded a game-ending strikeout.
"Good ball game all the way around," offered Post 34 skipper Brandt Mazeroski. "St. Clairsville scored one more run than we did, that's all." Mitchell struck out five while Kernik fanned a pair.
Kotopka, Dornon, Cameron Smith and Dalton Conroy produced multi-hit outings for St. C. Hunter Westlake contributed a double.
St. C. remains home for a Thursday test (6:00) against Toronto. Cadiz was slated to visit Toronto this evening in a 7:30 start.
Cadiz 020 000 0 - 2 4 0
St Clairsville 001 020 x - 3 11 1
Batteries: Mitchell, Kernik (5) and Patrone. Loweecy and McGrath.
Gibson may be reached at rgibson@timesleaderonline.com
