CHARLEROI -- The Charleroi American Legion baseball team has a handful of the most pleasant kids you'd ever expect to meet.
But Monday the Magicians were a pack of wild boys -- at least on the diamond.
Charleroi fielders committed five errors while its pitchers issued 10 walks, hit two batters, uncorked five wild pitches and even balked twice.
The result: a 21-4 shellacking by Point Marion (6-6) in Fayette League action. The game was called after six innings due to the 15-run rule.
Charleroi coach Tom Hartman could not believe his team allowed 30 Point Marion batters to reach base safely.
"I've never seen us get thumped this badly," Hartman lamented. "Too many errors, too many walks. This team is just not coming together."
On the other side, Scott Piper went all six innings in his first appearance of the season for Point Marion. The right-hander gave up just six hits while walking two and hitting two.
"I didn't think I'd get a complete game, but we needed one because we have four games this week," Point Marion coach Dennis Santella said. "I think it was important to get a lead early because we have a tendency to get down, but we hit every inning."
Point Marion bolted out to a 4-0 lead when its first four batters of the game reached base. Sean McCahill and Greg Moore rapped RBI singles in the frame while Craig Santella drew a bases-loaded walk off losing pitcher Keith Carson.
"We're not pitching, not hitting the ball, we're not anything," Hartman said. "Other than that, I'm at a loss for words."
Trailing 6-0, the Magicians showed some fight in the third. Dom Scorza and Chris Chacko led off with back-to-back singles before Charleroi took advantage of Piper's sudden wildness (two walks, a wild pitch and a hit-batsman).
The Magicians scored three runs on Eugene Lancas' RBI-groundout, a sacrifice fly by Ricky Bartman and when Piper hit Carson with the bases loaded.
Adam Zewe followed with a sharp single to center, but Santella's relay gunned down Thomas at the plate to end the inning.
"I've been on both ends, not this bad, but I've been there," the elder Santella said. "You just weather it, go home, throw things around a little and come back next game. If you're on the winning end, you enjoy it until (your next game)."
A key Charleroi error in the fourth ensured Point Marion would be on the happy end. With one out and Charleroi trailing 6-3, Scorza dropped a fly ball while backpedaling in center. The visitors then rolled off six unearned runs off reliever Kevin Carson, capped by Piper's two-run double to the right-center field fence.
"When we played them the last time, we played well," Hartman said. "When we played Colonial on Friday, we lost in the eighth, but we played well. I can't put my finger on it."
Point Marion tacked on two more in the fifth before batting around once again in a seven-run sixth inning. The visitors smacked seven of their 16 hits in that final frame, including three straight doubles by Zach Gacek, Craig Santella and Craig Hrblin.
Lancas scored Charleroi's final run in the fourth. The third baseman doubled and came home on Thomas' single to left field.
Hartman managed a laugh when reminded the game counted for just one loss, no matter how many runs his team surrendered.
"We've given up 21 runs, 22 runs, but I guess it's like a 400-foot foul ball," he said. "It's a strike any way you can look at it."
DIAMOND FOOTNOTES: Both teams were missing three starters. The Magicians' Mike McCurry, Jody Wilkerson and Mitch Pankewicz are all vacationing ... Chacko batted leadoff for the first time this season. McCurry normally bats in the Magicians' No. 1 spot ... Point Marion pinch hitters went 3-for-3 with three RBI ... Craig Santella led the visitors with four RBI ... Thomas reached base in all three plate appearances for the Magicians ... Charleroi travels to Uniontown Wednesday before hosting Belle Vernon Friday.
