Fort Cherry bests Cal in Game 1 of crucial section series
McDONALD – The Pittsburgh Pirates have started a phenomenon in Southwestern Pennsylvania by “hoisting the cone” after a positive play.
Fort Cherry’s baseball team is following suit.
Nestled beside the chain link fence in their dugout is a bright orange traffic cone with a Fort Cherry logo slapped on it.
“One of our guys, Hayden Legg, brought with him to the dugout one day and started raising it and the whole team started going crazy,” Fort Cherry center fielder Ryan Huey said. “It brought a lot of energy to us. It’s something we look forward to every game. Just raising that cone up after we score.”
Fort Cherry’s offense provided plenty of moments to hoist the cone Monday afternoon.
The Rangers belted 10 hits, including a two-run homer by Huey and got a three-hit shutout from pitcher Dylan Lueck on its way to a 9-0 win over California in a battle for first place in the Class 2A Section 1 standings.
Fort Cherry (9-0, 14-0) moved one game ahead of California (8-1, 8-5) and into sole possession of first place. The two teams meet again Tuesday to finish the series.
The Trojans had runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the first, but Lueck got Chase Shemansky to strike out swinging to stand them there. It was one of 10 punchouts for Lueck on the day.
Fort Cherry plated two runs on Huey’s homer in the bottom half and were off and running.
“That first inning was huge,” Rangers coach Bob Sawhill said. “Shutting them out and stranding two runners and then hitting the homer really got us going.”
Huey belted an offering by California starter Logan Hartley well over the fence in right-center. He got to trot around the bases and was greeted by his teammates, and of course the cone, at home plate.
“He threw me a curve ball early in the count and I was kind of sitting on that inside curve ball from there, but I ended up getting a high fastball and I hit every part of it,” Huey said.
Once he was spotted a lead Lueck went into cruise control on the mound.
He retired 13 batters in a row and had only one ball leave the infield in that span, a flyout to center field.
Lueck allowed three baserunners after the first inning and nobody for California got past second base.
“Being able to throw the curveball for a strike was huge,” Lueck said. “A lot of times hitters will look for the curve to fall out of the zone for a ball, but when you have to react to it and be able to hit it, then it really can shut them down. I feel like the curveball is a pitch I can always throw. I’m confident in all of my pitches.”
Lueck finished his complete game in 97 pitches.
Huey enjoyed watching Lueck work from his spot in center field.
“Dylan is great,” Huey said. “He does this day in and day out. He puts in the work every single day and honestly we expect it from him at this point, because he shows up and does his job every single day.”
Fort Cherry added three runs in the third and fourth innings.
Landon Trnavsky reached on an infield single, stole second base and scored on a double off the wall in right center by Colton Temple. Ben Demascal brought Temple in with a single down the third base line. Blake Sweder scored Demascal by roping a double to right.
In the fourth, walks and wild pitches aided the Rangers. Lueck led off with a single and was replaced at first by courtesy runner Ethan Weinbrenner, who stole second and third before scoring on a wild pitch.
Trnavsky and Temple walked with one out and eventually came around to score. Both stole a base and moved up on wild pitches. Demascal brought in Temple with an RBI groundout.
Fort Cherry scored its final run in the sixth. Lueck singled and again was replaced by Weinbrenner, who stole second and moved to third on a passed ball. He scored on an infield single by Nathan Wolfe.
The series shifts to California Today at 4:30 p.m.. Fort Cherry can strengthen its grip on a section title with a win, but California will try for a split to force a tie at the top with one more section series for each team next week.
“Getting the first one is great, but we have to come even more ready (Tuesday) to play, because we’re playing at their field,” Huey said. “I know they’re not going to give up. Their dugout stayed in it the whole game and they’re going to try to take it to us. I think (Tuesday) going to be harder than today.”