AVIATORS RALLY PAST FITCH LATE

ALLIANCE, OH- Coming off the heels of clinching a share of the AAC Crown, Austintown-Fitch fell to Alliance 6-2 on Thursday in a game where early runs shaped the outcome.

Austintown-Fitch struck first when Jackson Cheeks knocked a single to bring in a run. But Alliance quickly flipped the script in their half of the first. Ryan Bruni smacked a double that drove in two runs, swinging the momentum Alliance’s way with a 2-1 lead.

Chris Hall was the standout on the mound for Alliance, holding Austintown-Fitch to just two unearned runs over more than six innings, striking out four along the way. Anthony Wibert shouldered the loss for Austintown-Fitch, allowing three runs across four and a third innings.

Cheeks managed a hit and an RBI for Austintown-Fitch, but it was Frank Senediak who was on fire at the plate, bagging three hits to try to spark his team. Austintown-Fitch’s defense was on point too, turning two double plays.

For Alliance, Bruni wasn’t just a hero with the bat, driving in three runs on his lone hit of the day. Samuel Gress and Bo Davis also made noise. Gress collected a pair of hits and swiped two bases, while Davis worked the count for two walks, contributing to the team’s six-walk day. Alliance was aggressive on the bases, stealing seven bags in total.

Next up, Austintown-Fitch heads to face Ursuline on Monday, hoping to rebound against a familiar foe.