Molinaro superb in one-hit shutout
REPUBLIC – Left-handed pitcher Jeremy Molinaro and Pasta Lorenzo manager Dan Kupets agreed there was no pressure in Friday’s do-or-die playoff game against visiting G.K. Realty. Molinaro calmly threw a one-hit shutout and struck out 11 batters to lead Pasta Lorenzo to a 4-0 win that evened the teams’ Fayette County Baseball League series at one game apiece. The deciding game will be played at 7 p.m. today at the Hutchinson Sportsmen’s diamond in Hopwood.
“I told them that pressure is having four kids and being unable to pay the bills,” Kupets said. “We’re playing baseball. There’s no pressure. We just came to play today. As a manager, you can see that.”
Molinaro pitched for Penn State Fayette this year, and said Friday’s performance was his best of the year. “I threw a three-hitter against Pitt-Greensburg with 12 strikeouts. But as far as hits go, this was my best game.”
Bobby Madison’s leadoff single in the fourth inning was the only hit off Molinaro, who retired the side in order in the first and seventh innings. Five other batters reached base on four walks and a hit batsman, but PL’s defense was perfect on 10 fielding chances.
Pasta Lorenzo (6-17-3) scored the only run Molinaro needed in the bottom of the first when Ken Musko’s double drove in Todd Chisler.
The hosts added an unearned run in the second on consecutive infield errors. With one out, Molinaro reached base on an error, stole second, and scored on an error on a ball hit by Eric Palmer.
J.C. Myers relieved GK starting pitcher Ryan Craft with one out in the PL second, and held the hosts at bay through the fourth inning.
But in the fifth, PL scored a pair of insurance runs when Jim Cales doubled to drive in Musko and Jo Jo Maldonado.
GK (13-11-2) had only one base runner in scoring position after Madison walked with one out in the sixth and moved to second on a wild pitch. But Molinaro got consecutive fly outs to keep the visitors off the scoreboard.
G.K. Realty manager Steve Kezmarsky tipped his hat to Molinaro. “We had one hit, and our other batters couldn’t hit him. Tonight, we took things for granted that Pasta Lorenzo was going to roll over. Coach Kup’s team is the last that would roll over. On Sunday, we’ll see who wants it the most. It’s down to one game.”
Kupets said PL “had (GK) down 3-2 in game one and might have won if not for our defense. You can’t take any game for granted because you never know what will happen.”