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Preston Tosses Gem to lift West Middlesex Past Sharpsville for D10 Class 2A Baseball Gold Powered by North Washington Rodeo

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Richie Preston fired a two-hit shutout as No. 3 West Middlesex earned a 6-0 win over top-seed Sharpsville in the District 10 Class 2A championship game.

Preston spoiled Sharpsville’s bid for its third consecutive D10 crown, striking out six, walking three, and throwing 55 of his 91 pitches for strikes. Preston has now just given up one run over his last two starts spanning 13 innings, including a 5-1 semifinal win over Wilmington in which he also allowed just two hits.

The Big Reds, who took out both of the top seeds (Wilmington was the No. 2 seed) en route to the title, when Kyle Hurley scored on a passed ball. They picked up another run in the fourth when Bowen Briggs singled and Aiden Puskar scored on a throwing error on the play.

Middlesex broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth, scoring four times. Briggs had an RBI single, followed by a two-run triple from No. 9 hitter Gio Rococi. Julian Trott put the finishing touches on the inning with a single that brought in Rococi.

Brock Lenzi pitched all six innings for Sharpsville, allowing four earned runs on 11 hits, striking out eight, and walking one.

               

Trott, Hurley, Briggs, and Rococi had two hits apiece for the Big Reds, with Puskar scoring a pair of runs.

Stephen Tarnoci and James Thomas had Sharpsville’s hits.

With the win, West Middlesex advances to play the loser of the Serra Catholic/Neshannock WPIAL championship game (that game is Tuesday) on Monday, June 6.

                       

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