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Seneca Valley vs. Plum |
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| Raiders' cold opening
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| Game Photos |
By Derek Pyda
Eagle Staff Writer
JACKSON TWP — Defending its state title from a year ago undoubtedly will be a difficult task for the Seneca Valley baseball team.
On Tuesday, the Raiders battled not only a formidable Plum squad, but poor weather conditions as well to open the 2008 season.
SV received an RBI-sacrifice fly from Ken Walrond in the bottom of the fifth inning for its first lead of the game and senior right-hander Cory Mazzoni pitched three shutout innings of relief in a 4-1 win at Raider Field.
Falling temperatures during the game were accompanied by strong gusts of wind.
"It was pretty much what I expected, considering it was 35 degrees and windy," said Raiders coach Eric Semega. "I was very pleased with all three of our pitchers."
The trio of starter Shaine Patsilevas and relievers Kyle Helisek and Mazzoni combined to give up one run on three hits, striking out nine and walking one.
Mazzoni appeared overpowering at times, despite the weather.
The North Carolina State recruit struck out the side in the fifth inning and retired the Mustangs in order in the sixth and seventh to pick up the win.
"Pitchers always have an advantage in cold weather," Semega said. "I wasn't surprised at all at (Mazzoni's) performance."
Patsilevas surrendered one run in the top of the first and the Raiders were unable to tie the game until the bottom of the fourth.
SV designated hitter Andrew Fornadel reached on an error, moved to second base on Tyler Bream's groundout and scored on Dan Jergel's base hit.
The run came off of Plum reliever Tyler Collins, who ended up shouldering the loss after pitching 1 1/3 innings in relief of starter Dave Weifenbaugh.
Following Walrond's flyout that scored Mike Eonta the following inning for a 2-1 edge, the Raiders tallied two more in the sixth when Derek Peluso and Bream scored on the Mustangs' fourth error of the game.
All four of the Raiders' runs were unearned.
"I thought our pitchers did a great job," said Plum coach Carl Vollmer. "But we just didn't make the routine plays and Seneca did."
Patsilevas pitched the first two innings for SV, striking out two and walking none and giving up the one run on three hits.
Helisek was on the mound for the third and fourth innings and struck out three and walked none.
Plum was one of only two teams to defeat the Raiders last season. Bethel Park was the other.
The Raiders defeated the Mustangs in the WPIAL consolation game, which earned SV a spot in the state playoffs.
"Our road to defending the state title began with the first day of conditioning back in January," said Semega. "We're just looking to keep improving every game and make the WPIAL playoffs."
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W: Cory Mazzoni 3 IP (4 K, 1 BB). L: Tyler Collins 1Z\c IP (0 K, 0 BB).
Plum (0-1): Jim Carr R, Anthony DeFabio 2B RBI, Clint White 1B, Kyle Simmons 1B
Seneca Valley (1-0): Ken Walrond RBI, Cory Mazzoni 1B, Andrew Fornadel R, Tyler Bream 1B R SB, Dan Jergel 1B RBI, Mike Eonta 1B R, Derek Peluso R |
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