Strong pitching helping lead Plum Junior Legion team toward playoffs

The Plum Junior Legion baseball team found itself right in the mix for a playoff spot as it closed in on the midway point of its schedule.

A dramatic 4-3 extra-inning victory June 6 against rival Fox Chapel put Plum at 4-3 in the North Division and also got the team back on track after three straight losses.

Two of those losses came in a doubleheader sweep at the hands of Fox Chapel on May 28.

“It was just a crazy game, but the guys hung in there and picked up a really nice win,” Plum coach Dan Macioce said.

“This league is competitive in both divisions. There should be a lot of games like that the rest of the way and into the playoffs. The guys have such positive attitudes towards this season, and it is contagious.”

Plum led 3-2 after six innings, but Fox Chapel tied it in the seventh.

The game-winning run scored in the bottom of the eighth with the bases loaded and one out. Connor Wilson made contact, and the Fox Chapel defense forced Ryan Lafferty, who doubled earlier in the inning, out at the plate.

But an error after the force out allowed Dom Beyer, who had reached base on a single after the Lafferty double, to score the game winner.

Carter Sciullo started and pitched into the sixth. He gave up two earned runs, struck out three and walked three.

“Carter really pitched his butt off,” Macioce said.

Ryan Lafferty and Aedan Yusko also pitched in relief. Macioce said the pitching staff, which includes Carson Pettyjohn, Michael Tedrick and Logan Walker, has developed into a strong unit through the first half of the season.

“They all have logged some good inning for us. The three games that we lost, it came down to the fact that we just didn’t hit. It wasn’t that we weren’t pitching well. We’ve also played really well defensively.”

Plum kicked off the season May 21 with a doubleheader sweep of Murrysville at Plum High School. It won the first game in close fashion, 6-5, before cruising to a 7-1 win in Game 2.

Plum made it 3-0 on the season with a 14-2 rout of Hempfield East. Plum had nine hits in the game, and Wilson led the way with a single, a double and four runs batted in. He fronted the team in RBIs through seven games.

Daniel Macioce added a 2-for-3 effort at the plate with three RBIs.

Sciullo, Walker and Tedrick all pitched and combined to limit Hempfield East to two hits.

As coach Macioce noted, in the three-game losing streak — the two setbacks to Fox Chapel combined with a loss to Penn-Trafford — Plum managed a total of just three runs.

A third division game against Murrysville, scheduled for June 7, was postponed because of rain.

Plum was slated to rematch with Penn-Trafford, the defending state champion, Thursday at Penn-Trafford.

Games against Yough and 2021 state finalist Connellsville from the South Division remain, plus three against Monroeville.

Plum and Monroeville are scheduled to conclude the regular season June 30 with the playoffs to begin the following week.

Coach Macioce said this year’s Plum team is a nice mix of youth and experience with 10 players age 15 and 16, along with a pair of 14-year-old players. Seven 13-year olds also are making their Junior Legion debuts.

He said he likes the way each player, including Ryan Grimm, Anthony Jump, Brady Linhart, Dom Miller, Andrew Monaco, John Nonnenberg, Kevin Poulos, Brennan Ryan, Tim Ruggiero, Andrew Verrengia and Max Vollmer is working hard to contribute to the team’s goal of a league playoff spot.

“The level of talent in this league is so strong, and we’re seeing that, especially in the pitching game in and game out,” coach Macioce said.

“It’s good for these kids, especially the younger ones, to see that and get that experience. We’re using wood bats, so it makes it a little tougher. I am happy with the way we are pitching, too.”