Bulldogs survive late Huskies rally to win 5-3

May 11—Meadville held out through a seventh-inning rally from Harbor Creek and moved to 12-5 on the season with a 5-3 non-region win at Eldred Glen on Friday.

The Bulldogs led 5-0 after four innings and were in control of the game, but the Huskies didn't let up. Back-to-back walks to open the top of the seventh inning allowed an RBI double and a two-RBI single to push the Huskies within two runs.

With no outs, freshman pitcher Ian Miller grabbed a ground ball up the middle and tossed it to shortstop Rocco Tartaglione at second base. Tartaglione secured an out before completing the double play with his throw to first. In the next at bat, Miller forced a groundout to Tartaglione and the Bulldogs survived the late rally.

"We seem to have that this year where we don't put teams away when we have a chance to. Harbor Creek is a good team, but you're up 5-nothing and you have a chance to add a couple more and you have to do it against good teams," Meadville head coach Tony Tartaglione said. "We did survive in that seventh. Ian came in and threw strikes and we made a couple plays and got out of there."

Meadville did most of its damage in the fourth inning.

After Ryan Reichel walked on base, Brighton Anderson doubled into deep left field. Tartaglione belted one to the center field wall for a two-RBI triple. Bradyn Miller followed with a double to score Tartaglione and push the 'Dogs ahead by five.

"When you start hitting gaps and getting doubles people are gonna score," Tartaglione said. "We have to continue to do that a little more often."

The Bulldogs went up 2-0 in the bottom of the second. Anderson grounded into a fielder's choice, which scored Cam Arpin from third base. Jacoby Thompson scored on a wild pitch later in the inning.

On the bump, sophomore AJ Feleppa got the start and delivered five scoreless innings. He struck out six, walked two and allowed three hits. In the top of the fifth, he worked himself out of a jam. With runners on second and third and only one out, he secured a strikeout and a flyout to shallow left field to escape the inning with no damage.

Rocco Woodrow pitched the sixth inning and allowed one base runner. After two walks to lead off the seventh, Ian Miller finished the game on the mound.

"AJ, as a starter, I always know what I'll get out of him. He pitched great today and kept them off balance with every pitch he threw for the most part. He got to the pitch count I wanted him to," Tartaglione said. "Rocco came in and had a good inning. He walked a couple and it wasn't bad, but it was time for a different look. I knew Ian would come in and fire strikes and that's what we wanted. Pitch strikes and make plays."

Meadville out-hit Harbor Creek 7-5. Thompson was 2-for-2 with one double. Four of Meadville's hits were for extra bases.

The Bulldogs will host General McLane on Monday for a Region 7 battle in what is the team's home finale. They will conclude the regular season on Wednesday at McDowell.

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Harbor Creek (3)

(AB-R-H-BI) 2-1-1-1, Rzodkiewicz 4-0-1-2, Burick 2-0-1-0, Garbato 4-0-0-0, Vahey 2-0-0-0, Lanagan 1-0-0-0, Folmar 3-0-0-0, LaFuria 3-0-0-0, Vaughn 2-1-1-0, Irwin 2-0-1-0, Sprickman 0-1-0-0. Totals 25-3-5-3.

Meadville (5)

(AB-R-H-BI) I. Miller 2-0-0-0, Tartaglione 3-1-1-2, B. Miller 2-0-1-1, DeSantis-Biggs 4-0-1-0, Arpin 3-1-1-0, Thompson 2-1-2-0, Kleist 2-0-0-0, R. Reichel 2-1-0-0, Anderson 3-1-1-1. Totals 23-5-7-4.

Harbor Creek 000 000 3 — 3 5 0

Meadville 020 300 x — 5 7 1

BATTING

2B: HC — Dolak: M — Anderson, B. Miller, Thompson.

3B: M — Tartaglione.

PITCHING

(IP-H-R-ER-SO-BB) HC — Lanagan 3-5-4-4-5-4, Burick 2.2-2-1-1-1-3, Sprickman 0.1-0-0-0-0-1; M — Feleppa 5-3-0-0-6-2, Woodrow 1-0-2-2-0-2, I. Miller 1-2-1-1-0-1.

Alex Topor can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at atopor@meadvilletribune.com.