Reason to Smile(y)
Uniontown junior pitcher earns victory over cross-town rival
With his surname, Uniontown’s Lane Smiley is tasked with increasing position vibes.
While his teammates are most likely ribbing the junior when they urge him to demonstratively display optimism, Smiley’s pitching performance on Tuesday against cross-town rival Laurel Highlands was enough for all who were wearing maroon and white to display happiness on their faces.
Smiley didn’t yield a run on two hits over four innings, while striking out seven without issuing a walk. The left-hander threw 65 pitches (45 strikes) in helping lead the Red Raiders to a 9-6 victory in Section 2-4A play.
“I came in throwing fastballs and curve balls,” Smiley said. “I wanted to come in and do my best to shut everything done and help my team with this win. They always have my back, so I am very happy to get the result for them, too.”
Uniontown improved to 4-6 in section play and 8-7 overall. The Red Raiders remain in contention for a playoff spot, but would need to sweep their two-game series with Elizabeth Forward (9-1, 11-4), and hope the Mustangs (2-8, 4-11) can take both games from Ringgold (5-5, 8-8). Both series will be contested next Monday and Tuesday.
“Lane (Smiley) rose to the occasion,” Uniontown coach Dennis Martin said. “He is an amazing kid and a competitor. You never know with pitching. Some days kids are on, and some days they are off, and Lane was dealing today.
“We are going to go at EF, if nothing else, to run out the season, and carry it into next season. You never know what could happen. These guys are starting to believe they are a decent team, and next year, we have 90% of our players coming back.”
Regardless of what happens when it comes to the playoffs, Martin was pleased with his team’s effort against Laurel Highlands, who is a team that has had Uniontown’s number in recent years. The Mustangs swept the Red Raiders last season.
“It is a good feeling to beat Laurel Highlands twice this year,” Martin said. “We also beat Albert Gallatin in both games, which is something we were glad to do, and we hope to continue that next year, but we have respect for both programs. We had a little bit of a tough game with Connellsville, but they are always a good team. We play Brownsville in a non-section home game on Friday before our series with EF, which should be fun.”
While the year hasn’t been what LH is used to in regards to wins and losses, head coach Mike Smith is encouraged by what his team will bring to the table in the future, as he is only losing three seniors.
“We have three seniors in Sevi (Vecciolla), Jack (Johns) and Noah (Lion), and it is tough to win consistently when you are young,” Smith said. “Those kids just aren’t used to it. It is a grind during the season. Those kids’ bodies are tired, but that’s my job, and I have to make them better. Give credit to Uniontown. They are young like us, and Dennis (Martin) does a great job with them.”
There was plenty of scoring in the first three innings on Tuesday, as 14 of the contest’s 15 runs were scored in the early frames, but the final four innings only produced one run for both teams.
Uniontown scored five runs in the top of the first inning before Laurel Highlands countered with three in the bottom of the frame and two in the second to tie the game at 5-5.
The visitors added three runs in their half of the third before the home team scored once in the bottom half of the inning. The Red Raiders added an insurance run in the seventh.
“I’m proud of the boys for battling back,” Smith said. “They could have just hung their heads, but they didn’t. They came back and made it an even ball game.
“Our bats just went silent towards the end when they brought (Lane) Smiley in. He did a great job. He came in and was right around the plate. He didn’t do anything special. He had a little curve ball that kept them off balance a little bit. I think it was just a different look from the left side. He has a funky delivery, but you have to adjust. They saw it a couple of times.”
Martin wasn’t comfortable until the final out was recorded, as he knew Smith’s squad wouldn’t lay down despite the score.
“We took a couple of chances today,” Martin said. “Sometimes they work out and sometimes they don’t, but we knew we had to keep the pressure on them.”
Uniontown scored its five runs in the first inning of four hits, drew two walks and also benefited from an error.
Ethan White walked and scored on Elim Martin’s single to center field for a 1-0 lead. Martin and Shane Kelly crossed home plate on Brayden Hinzy’s double to right field, and Hinzy scored on Luke Gresh’s base hit to right for a 4-0 advantage. Dominic Petrovich’s single to right plated Gresh for a five-run lead.
The Mustangs’ three runs in the bottom of the first cut the deficit to 5-3. Laurel Highlands had three singles in the frame. It drew a walk, hit-by-pitch and Braylon Schoch hustled to second base on an error.
Nick Crouch and Schoch scored on Lion’s base hit to left.
Lion crossed home plate on Ramaree Morgan’s single. Johns had a base hit, but Morgan was thrown out at the plate, as Connor Hebda made the tag.
The Mustangs tied the game in the second when Vecchiolla doubled home Crouch and Lion, who had singled and walked.
The Red Raiders added their three runs in the third when Petrovich, Adam Cramer and White drew three straight walks, and Petrovich scored on Chandler Myers’ groundout. Cramer and White crossed home plate when Martin was safe at first following an error.
Laurel Highlands answered in the bottom of the third when Andrew Gallick advanced to third base on an error and scored on Johns’ sacrifice flyout to left.
Hinzy scored Uniontown’s final run when he singled to shortstop, advanced to second on an error, stole third and raced home on Petrovich’s flyout to center.