by Frank Aceto

Associate Sports Editor

Stow -- Matt Marino knew it once he made contact.

He put his fist in the air and didn't even need to watch the ball as it sailed over the fence.

Yes, there's nothing like hitting a walk-off home run against your archrival.

Thanks to the senior third baseman's homer to right field in the bottom of the seventh inning, the host Bulldogs earned a come-from-behind 5-4 win over Cuyahoga Falls April 30.

More importantly, Stow completed a two-game sweep to remain in a tie for first place in the Northeast Ohio Conference Valley Division.

The Bulldogs (10-6, 3-1), behind a dominating effort from left-hander Alex Haines, won the first game, 8-0, April 28 at Water Works Park.

"I just wanted to put the ball in play," Marino said. "It was a fastball on the outer part of the plate. I knew it was gone once I hit it."

Marino's blast, which he hit off right-handed reliever Alex Walke with two outs, may have doomed Falls' hopes of competing for at least a share of the division crown.

With the loss, the Black Tigers fell to 13-5 overall and 1-3 in the Valley Division. Falls also lost a heartbreaking 7-6 decision in the final at bat to Solon earlier in the season.

The Black Tigers saw a 5-0 lead disappear in that game. On April 30, a 4-0 advantage evaporated before their eyes in the final two innings.

"We're having a good season, but we just have to learn how to finish games," said Falls head coach Jim Farrell.

The Black Tigers wasted a stellar outing from starter Bryon Holland. The right-hander pitched 5-2/3 innings before giving way to Walke. Holland allowed three runs in the sixth. All of those runs were unearned as Falls committed two errors in the inning.

"There were a lot of positives in this game and Bryon's effort was one of them," Farrell said. "He threw really well."

Unfortunately for the Black Tigers, Walke did not have his best stuff.

Prior to Marino's heroics, Walke gave up a home run to left field off the bat of Mike Burrowbridge.

Stow got its offense together late in the game, but the Bulldogs squandered many opportunities with runners on base.

That changed in the sixth.

David Clark got the Bulldogs on the board with a run-scoring groundout and Blake Williams and David Cort drove in the other two runs with singles.

And those key runs sparked the drama to come in the seventh, an inning that will be remembered for a long time.

"They [the Black Tigers] have an excellent ballclub," said Stow head coach John Daymon. "I told Matt that they were going to pitch him away. He's a strong man."

The game belonged to Falls in the first five innings.

Holland retired the first seven batters and escaped a couple of jams in the third and fifth innings.

He got some help from his offense, too.

Facing one of the premiere pitchers in the area, right-hander Alex Loftin, the Black Tigers had a 3-0 lead when Loftin left the game after the fifth inning.

Of the three runs Loftin allowed, only two of them were earned as the Bulldogs committed four errors on the evening.

"Alex kept it close," Daymon said. "That was the key."

Jourdan Leymon got Falls on the board with a run-scoring double in the first. James Mathews made it 2-0 with a run-scoring groundout in the fifth and the Black Tigers added an unearned run later in the inning.

Falls made it 4-0 with an unearned run off right-hander Brandon Wallin in the sixth. Wallin, however, finished the game and got the win.

Zach Speer finished with two hits, including a double and a stolen base, for Stow and Williams added two singles.

Anthony Longhitano set the table for the Black Tigers with three hits, including two doubles, and Shaffer had two doubles and scored two runs.

Stow took control of game one with five runs in the first. Haines allowed five hits in the complete-game masterpiece.

Falls also earned 8-6 and 5-0 victories over Barberton and Orrville at the Hal Naragon Invitational April 26 at Barberton High School.

Marcus Hardy had three hits, including a double, and two runs scored and Bryan Policicchio had two triples and two runs batted in against Barberton. Walke got the win on the mound.

Shaffer got the win against Orrville. Longhitano scored three runs and Leymon had two singles and an RBI.

Also contributing for Falls were Eric Smith, who had two hits, including a double, and Mathews, who had a double and two RBIs.

On April 24 at Water Works Park, the Black Tigers scored five runs in the first and never looked back en route to an 8-4 win over Lakewood St. Edward.

Robert Roxbury got the win on the mound and Mathews hit his third home run of the season.

Falls was scheduled to host the Anspach Tournament May 33. Results were not available at press time.

The Black Tigers are set to play a home-and-home with Valley Division foe Mayfield May 5 and 6 before heading to Cleveland to face St. Ignatius May 8.

All three games are slated to begin at 4:30 p.m.

E-mail: faceto@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3914