In the time it took Kaden Dennis’ pop-up to land in the glove of Burgettstown’s right fielder, to the end of Mike Porter’s postgame speech, the nucleus of the Johnsonburg baseball team — back-to-back District 9 Class 2A champions — was ready to move on.
On June 6, the Rams, a year after reaching the PIAA playoff quarterfinals, lost in the first round of the PIAA playoffs to Burgettstown, 6-5, in disappointing fashion.
But just four days later, famished as ever for wins, the Wilcox Post #467 team began to play again. And, propelled by the Rams’ core, they have got off to a blistering 6-0 start in the Pennsylvania American Legion Elk/McKean U19 Senior League.
“They are definitely hungry now to get to win Region 8, I know that they want to. They don’t want to end up like they did in the state qualifier,” Wilcox coach Scott Zimmerman said. “They are working hard.”
Wilcox has beaten its opponents by an average of 6.5 runs per game and its pitching has carved the way. Behind four different starting pitchers and a plethora of bullpen arms, Wilcox has surrendered 11 runs and 18 hits in six games.
“Our pitching is doing very well. That’s the main thing we are doing,” Zimmerman said. “We are working the long game and working on using a lot of different pitchers to get everybody into a solid rotation. We want to have more than just one or two solid starters. We’re trying to get everybody into good pitching shape.”
Zimmerman has leaned on the usual characters from the Rams, starting Aidan Zimmerman, Colin Porter and Dom Allegretto on the mound.
Aiden Zimmerman and Porter each threw no-hitters in the season’s first two games. Aidan Zimmerman struck out five over seven innings in a win, 5-0, against St. Marys and Porter punched out nine in six innings to defeat Kane, 10-0. Allegretto struck out 10 and surrendered two earned runs over 5.2 innings in a win over Bradford.
Fresh off a 20-game high school season, Coach Zimmerman has tried to limit his starters to no more than 80 pitches in hopes it creates consistent play and longevity for his rotation into the postseason.
“We’re switching pitchers after about 80 pitches every game,” Scott Zimmerman said. “So, we’re just trying to get more people pitching and trying to get all the arms fresh and able to rejuvenate for their next outing.”
Since his start on June 10, Aidan Zimmerman has pitched 4.1 innings. Porter had seven days of rest between starts and Allegretto has yet to appear in a game since starting on June 13.
Elk County Catholic’s Ben Paul — a welcomed addition for Wilcox — adds just another reliable arm to an already solid Johnsonburg-based core. Paul has struck out six of the 10 batters he has faced this season and has become Wilcox’s go-to reliever.
“Ben Paul, we found out lives in our district and he’s pitching for us, which has been a great addition,” Scott Zimmerman said. “He’s a young one, but he’s going to be a good pitcher to add to a pen this year and he is going to be really good in a couple of years.”
If its pitching was not enough to earn it a Region 8 championship come early July, Wilcox’s same veteran pitching core has also produced at the plate.
Hitting leadoff, Aiden Zimmerman has led the way with four hits, three RBI and seven runs scored in six starts. Allegretto has struck for nine hits and eight runs and Porter tacked on three RBI, five hits and two runs.
“Dom Allegretto has been leading off, hitting the ball and it has followed all the way around,” Scott Zimmerman said. “We’re getting a lot of production throughout and I really can’t center on one person.”
After a weekend break, Wilcox got back to work Monday with its sixth win of the season, 4-0, over St. Marys. Wilcox now holds a three-game lead in the loss column and one in wins.
In an opposite situation, and working through some youthful growing pains, has been Smethport Post #976.
Smethport has gotten off to a 3-5 start, in part to the lack of U19 experience on the roster. Among its 17 players, Smethport has carried one 14-year-old, two 15-year-olds and four 16-year-olds in a league that goes up to 19 years old.
Five of the team’s six 16 or under players split their time with the junior league that plays on the senior league’s off days — Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
“These kids are playing on our off days which is difficult for them, but our bats come alive and everything,” Smethport coach Brandon Ruffner said. “We’re pretty young, but the kids are slowly starting to catch up to the speed of the game. They haven’t seen anything like this. Our 14-year-old kid is just a deer in headlights.”
However, Ruffner has seen his squad begin to come around. After a 1-4 start, Smethport has won two of its last three, anchored by more consistent defense and improved plate discipline.
Garrett Kellert and Alex Ognen — mainstays in Coudersport and Smethport’s high school lineups for the last two seasons — continued to anchor this young group.
“Kellert and Ognen are both just studs and never take a day off. We hit the ball fairly well and the top of our order is very dependable,” Ruffner said. “But our defense has struggled, and times and we have put a big emphasis on defense, and it is starting to take control.”
With a forfeit win over Bradford Monday, Ruffner plans for the team to get back to .500 by the end of the week with a game at George Murray Park against Brockway at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and at Pitt-Bradford against Bradford at 6 p.m. Friday.
“We are definitely in a position to make a push towards the end of the season, and we are looking at this week as our chance to get back to .500,” Ruffner said. “That Wilcox team is probably the best team in our league, and we played them pretty competitively last week so we know we are capable.”
