Mike Mastovich
mmastovich@tribdem.com
JOHNSTOWN —
Delweld opened defense of its AAABA League playoff title in dominating fashion on Wednesday night at Point Stadium.
Right-handed pitcher Carter Lehman tossed a seven-hit shutout as Delweld won 10-0 over regular-season champion Martella’s Pharmacy in Game 1 of a best-of-5 series. The abbreviated game went seven innings due to the mercy rule.
“Carter doesn’t disappoint,” Delweld manager Chris DelSignore said of the co-Pete Vuckovich Award winner. “He goes out there and throws strikes. He throws a heavy ball. He goes out there and gets the hitters out.”
Lehman struck out three batters and walked one while improving to 9-0 overall this season. He retired Martella’s in order twice and faced only three batters in the first inning when a strikeout-batter’s interference call resulted in an unusual “double play.”
While Lehman shined on the mound, his teammates collected eight hits and plated three in the third and four in the sixth inning while gradually pulling away.
“We played a pretty near flawless game outside the error that we had,” DelSignore said. “We had excellent at-bats. We went deep in counts. We had guys on base and good situational at-bats to get guys across the plate.”
Martella’s made an uncharacteristic three errors and also squandered potential scoring opportunities in the third, fifth and sixth innings.
Martella’s manager Chris Pfeil was blunt when speaking about his team’s task in Game 2 tonight (7 p.m.).
“It’s about being a man,” Pfeil said. “We came out and we embarrassed ourselves. We embarrassed our sponsor. We played a game that we haven’t played that bad in three years in this league. It’s about having pride (tonight) and coming back and playing. If not we’ll get pounded again.”
Matt Cornetti had a two-run double in the sixth for Delweld. Austin Urban walked twice, reached on an error and had an infield single while scoring three runs. George Roberts, singled, walked twice and scored a pair. Aaron Kovach and Tyler Uphouse each drove in two runs.
“I couldn’t do anything without the team behind me,” said Lehman, who threw 94 pitches. “They hit great. They hit the other pitching award winner, which is great.”
Martella’s starter Scott Dixon shared the Vuckovich Award with Lehman.
Dixon went five-plus innings and allowed only three earned runs. Unofficially he threw 92 pitches, including five strikeouts, five walks and two hit batsmen.
Lehman needed 17 pitches to get out of the first inning, but bounced back with a four-pitch second.
“You’ve got to work around the corners with this team,” Lehman said.
“They’ve got the MVP (Sam Watkins).
“They’ve got the batting champion (Mike LeViseur). You’ve got to try to hit the corners which was a little tough but we got through it.”
Steve Bills and Dixon each had two hits for Martella’s.
“This game is behind us,” Lehman said. “We’ve got to come back and do exactly the same thing.”
DelSignore agreed.
“This game is already forgotten,” the veteran manager said.
“It’s in the rearview mirror.
“We’ve got to get focused for (tonight). This is a race to three. We’ve got to continue playing the way we’ve been playing.”
Pfeil said he will not file an official protest with the league based on the first-inning play that occurred when Watkins struck out swinging with one out. His momentum carried him into catcher Cornetti, who didn’t throw to second as Kyle Bowser – who had singled – successfully stole a base. The play was ruled a strikeout-interference out.
Delweld led 1-0 at the time, and Pfeil used his option to verbally protest the game.
He later withdrew the protest.
