BUCKTOWN - Owen J. Roberts High School third basemen Robbie Patete’s off first inning solo home run got things started for Norchester American Legion as coach Rick Harrison’s Bulldogs derailed the Express 10-0 in a mercy rule, shortened five-inning game on Sunday.
Patete's crushing Westtown starter Nick Miller’s fast ball over the wall in felt center was the first of five extra base hits in a ten hit outburst by the Bulldogs.
“We expect to hit the ball,” said Patete. “That’s what we do. We want to set the tone all season and play every team as if they were Spring-Ford or us and to do that we need to hit the ball and score runs. It felt good to get the win but it’s only one game and we have a lot of work ahead of us when we start playing a lot of games in a row.”
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Tim Ponto followed up Patete’s round tripper by bouncing a ball halfway up the wall in dead center, scoring Dave Raifsnider and Dave Vining, who had each drawn a walk, to post the Dogs to a 3-0 lead after one.
“We are on a mission this year,” said Ponto. “This is our last hoorah as a group, we didn’t like the way last year’s legion season ended and really wanted to be still playing for the high school. We are hosting the regional here this year and we want to come into as the league champion and continue on.”
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Norchester, which improved to 4-1 in league play, got a solid start from Sean Miscovitch as the big right hander allowed just three hits, while fanning seven and walking two in four innings of work, before Patete got some live game practice in his new role as the closer for the Dawgs, slamming the door in the fifth by striking out the side.
“I am looking forward to it,” said Patete of his closer status. “That’s what they told me my role was going to be pitching this year and I really like it. My slider was definitely working today, my fast ball’s okay but my out pitch will always be my slider especially when it’s dropping down like today.”
The Bulldogs, who started the third by loading the bases on back-to-back bunt singles by Miscovitch and Dan Brady, batted around, posting five runs on a sac fly by Brad Solomon and a two-run double by Jeff Evans to put the game out of reach.
“I love to play legion ball,” said Patete. “It is so much more relaxed that high school ball, we all have played together so long, it’s like second nature. Coach Harrison is great. He takes a more 'let us handle ourselves, do our own thing approach' and it works. He expects and we expect ourselves to perform and we know our job we have to do.”
Had it not been for two inning ending double plays turned by the Westtown infield, the damage on the scoreboard could have been much more in favor of the home squad, who won 27 games in a row last year before suffering their first setback.
“I had great run support today,” said Miscovitch. “It’s obviously easier to pitch with a lead - my job is to throw strikes and make them put the ball in play, which I was able to do today and felt pretty good overall.”
“We have one loss so far,” said Ponto. “We sure aren’t going to let that bother us at all. We have big games coming up with Conestoga, Downingtown and Spring-Ford and we have to be ready to care of business.”
“I am very happy with the way Sean pitched ahead in the count today,” said Bulldogs manager Rick Harrison.
“It’s important that he gets into good habits like that now as we will be really depending on him when the games start coming ten days in a row. We have a light week coming up, but after next week we will be playing every day and we will need every arm. We are fortunate to be deep in pitching, but you never (know) what to expect throughout a long season.”
“I am glad to see the guys have the right mindset coming into this season,” said Harrison. “Coming into this program especially, there is always the expectation of winning, from myself, the fans and the players themselves and we want to host the regional here as a team that has earned it’s way there.”
The late game Saturday with Conestoga was rescheduled for a later date as the Pioneers are still in the PIAA state high school class AAAA tournament. Next up for Norchester is a match Tuesday night with West Chester at Owen J. Roberts High School at 6 p.m.
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Westtown
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
1
Norchester
3
2
5
0
X
10
10
1
Westown Express
AB
R
H
RBI
Norchester Bulldogs
AB
R
H
RBI
Gregory cf
3
0
0
0
Kochu lf
3
1
1
1
Miller p cf
1
0
0
0
Evans ss
3
2
1
2
Catanacci lf.ss
3
0
1
0
Patete 3b p
3
2
2
2
Dougherty 1b
3
0
0
0
Raifsnyder
2
1
1
1
Roach 3b
2
0
0
0
Diving rf
2
1
0
0
Fithian lf p
2
0
0
0
Ponto 1b
2
0
2
2
Raith 2b
2
0
1
0
Miscovitch p
1
1
1
0
Ianieri c
1
0
1
0
Brady 2b
2
1
2
0
Nelson ss p
1
0
0
0
Solomon cf
1
0
0
1
Fritz ph
1
0
0
0
Boehmer ph 1b
1
0
0
0
Hoch ph 3b
0
0
0
0
Pinnelli ph 2b
1
0
0
0
Bennett ph cf
1
0
0
0
Totals
19
0
3
0
Totals
22
10
10
9
IP
R
ER
H
SO
BB
Miller (L)
2
6
5
5
1
4
Fithian
1
4
3
5
0
0
Nelson
1
0
0
0
0
1
Miscovitch (W)
4
0
0
2
7
2
Patete
1
0
0
1
3
0
2B-Patete, Ponto (2), Evans 3B-none HR- Patete LOB- West-7 NOR-5
time of the game 1:28 game temp 81 degrees
