Baseball - Penn-Trafford vs Plum

Penn-Trafford battles back with 5 in the 4th, but can't hang on in 7-5 loss to Plum baseball

Penn-Trafford battled back from a 5-run early deficit, tying the game with a 5-run rally of their own in the 4th, but couldn't hang on as the Plum Mustangs scored twice in the seventh to beat the Warriors in a rare Sunday game played on the turf at Seton Hill University. 

Plum ace lefty Ryan Kircher retired 9 of the first 11 batters he faced and seemed to be in control as the Mustangs chased Penn-Trafford starter Christian Pfrogner after 1-1/3 innings. The Mustangs opened the second inning with Dom Carlisano doubling and taking third on a wild pitch, then Will Rumcik brought him home with a single to center field for the game's first run. Rumcik stole second and scored on Pete Zullo's double to right field to put the Mustangs up by two. Brenden Tuite moved Zullo to third with his bunt single before Markus Cestra drove both in with a 2-RBI double. Maclean Maund replace Pfrogner on the mound and gave up a walk before retiring the next two batters to end the inning with Plum up 4-0. Maund had a rough stretch in the 3rd inning, facing bases loaded with one out before retiring Tuite on an infield fly. Rumcik scored from third to make it 5-0 when Mario Disso had trouble handling Cestra's hard hit grounder, but the inning ended when Jackson Rogers was thrown out at the plate trying to score in the aftermath. 

As Maund found his groove on the hill for the Warriors, retiring 9 of the next 10 batters, the Penn-Trafford bats came to life in the bottom of the 4th. Cade Patterson opened with a single and became the Warrior's first run when Josh Spiegel tripled. After Kircher gave up a walk to Zach Mancz, courtesy runner Anthony Sherwin scored on Tyler Chrise's bunt. An error in the infield loaded the bases before Kircher walked Connor Bannias to force in the Warriors third run. Kircher struck out Jordan Sabol for the inning's first out, but hit next batter Jon Peduzzi to force another run across the plate. Tyler Horvat scored the tying run as Mario Disso grounded into a fielder's choice, retiring Peduzzi, before Kircher got a groundout to end the Penn-Trafford rally.   

Neither team scored in the fifth or sixth inning, with Jackson Rogers relieving Kircher to open the sixth. Plum broke the tie in the seventh as Tanner Froelich doubled to lead off, followed by Evan Sante reaching on an error, as courtesy runner Tanner Conklin moved to third. Conklin scored on Rumcik's sacrifice fly to center, then Sante scored on a single by Jackson Rogers to give Plum a 7-5 lead before Maund retired the side. After retiring the first two Penn-Trafford batters in the seventh, and Rogers hitting Spiegel with a pitch, the Mustangs closed it out as Markus Cestra made a leaping catch of Zach Mancz's fly ball in foul territory. 

Rogers picked up the win for Plum, with Maund taking the loss for PT. Kircher struck out 7 in his 5 innings on the mound for Plum. Rogers and Cestra had two hits for Plum, with Sabol having a 2-hit day for the Warriors.    

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