PA Shockers thorough in Mid-Summer Classic

By DN WRITING STAFF | July 18, 2022

PA Shockers pitcher Grayson Weikel deals in Sunday evening’s game.

By Will Harrigan

There’s nothing more of a coach’s dream than an efficient performance that leads to a comfortable victory.

That being said, PA Shockers coach Joe Molettiere may have been in dreamland throughout the whole tournament.

A nine run third inning put a quick game to bed not long after it started, as the Shockers took a 10-0 victory over ASBA Futures-White in the Mid-Summer Classic at Diamond Nation.

In four innings of work, Shockers pitchers Grayson Weikel and Dustin McGuinness combined to toss a one-hitter.

No one in the entire event’s field dominated more than the shockers, who won their three games by a combined 33-0 score. ASBA finished their tournament 2-1.

“We have been getting a lot of big innings lately, and we were lucky enough to get a bigger than usual inning in the third there. That kind of put it away for us early,” said Molettiere. “Our lineup did its job and hit the ball hard. Good things happened.”

Start with the building block of all 

The decisive rally started with one man out and the bottom of the order up.

Josiah Williams – batting 11th – drew a walk to get aboard. Back at the top, Matt Atchley would chase the walk with an infield single to put two men aboard. With the bases loaded after McGuiness was struck by a pitch, Matt Fattore singled to drive in two runs.

ASBA Futures White’s Mike Cianei leads off first base. Cianei had his team’s only hit.

Two batters later, John DiGregorio would strike a dagger into ASBA’s hopes, lacing a bases clearing triple into the right center-field gap to boost the lead to 6-0. Three walks and two hit batsmen went a long way.

Later in the inning, Weikel’s fly ball led to a bases-clearing error by ASBA Futures, one that elevated the lead to 10-0. Two batters earlier, Gill St. Bernard’s standout Zach Wendell doubled in a run by lacing a ball into left-center.

The run support was much more than enough for Weikel, who  surrendered a single hit while fanning seven ASBA batters.

“Grayson has wanted to hone his focus on getting ahead in counts and throwing more strikes efficiently,” Molettiere explained. “He did a good job getting after them tonight.”

Two batters later, John DiGregorio would strike a dagger into ASBA’s hopes, lacing a bases clearing triple into the right center-field gap to boost the lead to 6-0. Three walks and two hit batsmen went a long way.

Later in the inning, Weikel’s fly ball led to a bases-clearing error by ASBA Futures, one that elevated the lead to 10-0. Two batters earlier, Gill St. Bernard’s standout Zach Wendell doubled in a run by lacing a ball into left-center.

The run support was much more than enough for Weikel, who  surrendered a single hit while fanning seven ASBA batters.

“Grayson has wanted to hone his focus on getting ahead in counts and throwing more strikes efficiently,” Molettiere explained. “He did a good job getting after them tonight.”

The lone ASBA hit came off of Mike Cianei’s bat with two outs to go in the third.

Back in the first, the Shockers would strike for a single run after Atchley got aboard on a leadoff walk. Following a stolen base and two recorded outs, Cooper Natisin’s seeing-eye single up the middle was good enough to score Natisin and get the winners on the scoreboard.

The lone ASBA hit came off of Mike Cianei’s bat with two outs to go in the third.

Back in the first, the Shockers would strike for a single run after Atchley got aboard on a leadoff walk. Following a stolen base and two recorded outs, Cooper Natisin’s seeing-eye single up the middle was good enough to score Natisin and get the winners on the scoreboard.

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