USC Blanks Baldwin 7-0

Baseball can be a funny game. One moment it can be a close game with every pitch vital. A big inning later you can be begging for outs to get the game over with.

Upper St. Clair's 7-0 win over Baldwin Friday afternoon at Wallace Field in Whitehall was one of those such games.

Five innings of nail biting baseball followed by a six-run Panther outburst that made the final two innings a mission to stay warm long enough to get back to the car.

Temperatures never reached 50 degrees and with the wind howling I have to repeat: Baseball can be a funny game.

The Panthers have weaved their way through a difficult season weather-wise.  Postponements and games in tough conditions like Friday have been not just the norm, but a prerequisite.

The USC pitching staff should be commended for dealing with conditions adverse to creating good habits. Based on difficult scheduling, and make-up games, Coach Malarkey often doesn't know who will pitch the next day.

Friday afternoon was Matt Fraudin's turn on the hill and he didn't disappoint.

Scoreless in the third inning Fraudin was caught up in a pitching duel with Baldwin's Nick Bernick. It looked like a game that had the earmarks of a 1-0 nail-biter.

In the top of the third inning the Panthers put pressure on the base paths in order to force a mistake. With two on and two out, Mike Wilcox took off for second base with Troy Schoeppner already on third. Baldwin catcher Mark Tripson took the bait and bounced the ball into center-field allowing Schoeppner to score a big run giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead.

Still scoreless in the bottom of the fifth inning  USC catcher Alex Bell threw Tripson out trying to steal second. Baldwin's mistake by their catcher forced in a run. A brilliant throw by USC's catcher helped prevent a run. In what looked like it would be a 1-0 game the play of the catchers seemed to be what would determine the outcome. You never know what's going to be the difference. Baseball's a funny game.

In the top of the fifth inning the Panthers erased any idea of a pitching duel being the storyline. Six straight hits including a picture perfect bunt single by Schoeppner in a situation everybody was expecting the bunt really set up the inning. Jack Elliott's three-run homer put an exclamation point on the inning and the game.

The Panthers took a 7-0 lead with the six-run fifth inning and never looked back. Matt Fraudin went the first 5 1/3 innings striking out seven and walking none.  He threw 66 pitches then made way for Steve Krolczyk who finished out the final 1 2/3 innings to combine for the complete game shutout.

The Panthers moved to 8-4 overall, and 6-2 in the conference. That's good for second place, two games behind Peters Township. The 7-0 shutout completes the regular season series sweep against Baldwin. USC won 5-3 on April 21. Due to scheduling issues, both games were played at Wallace Field, home to Baldwin.

The Panthers have the weekend off and then visit McKeesport Monday, if the weather cooperates. That's never given anymore. Neither is a win over the Tigers who are winless in conference. Always respect your opponent. Baseball can be a funny game.