Seneca Valley’s Durbin, Parrotto shine on Senior Day
JACKSON TWP — For Seneca Valley to come back, it needed Kallen Durbin to be back and Nick Parrotto to back him up.
After falling behind in the top and pulling even in the bottom of the seventh inning against North Allegheny on Tuesday, the latter approached the batter’s box with the former in scoring position in the eighth.
“Going up there — tie game, extras — luckily Durbin did his job (and) got on second,” said Parrotto, whose hard-hit single down the right field line put the stamp on an 8-7 Senior Day baseball win. “I was just looking for something, went down, (then a) 1-1 count. ... He was working away, so I kind of just sat back a little longer (and) put it in play.
“Perfect timing on that one.”
For a lineup which has labored lately in favorable circumstances, the walk-off knock was a purifier of sorts.
“Our team, with runners in scoring position, we haven’t had someone step up in a big situation (lately),” Seneca Valley coach Eric Semega said. “Today, we struggled a little bit also. He (Parrotto) stepped up and got the game-winner.”
Up 6-3, the Raiders couldn’t tack an insurance run on the scoreboard with two on and one gone in their half of the sixth. After building a four-run lead in the first inning, they left a runner in scoring position in the second and fifth frames.
The shortcomings left the window open for the Tigers to climb back and take the lead with a three-run seventh.
“Our hitting has definitely lacked,” Parrotto said. “It’s very frustrating for the team, the players. It can be tough to handle. When you approach a game like this against North Allegheny, a simple walk-off like this completely changes the mindset moving forward.”
Durbin’s performance — a 4-for-4, three-RBI, two-run effort — put to bed any stressing caused by what he called his worst stretch as a high school player.
“I’ve been in a big slump to start the season,” Durbin admitted. “I hit a home run against Allderdice and that’s when it started — I was back. ... I lost it for a little bit and then today came back.”
Durbin’s two-run double down the left field line opened the scoring in the initial frame. He later moved to third base on Parrotto’s RBI ground out. During the first three pitches of Tyler McNany’s at-bat, Durbin noticed North Allegheny starting pitcher Greg Schmidt’s focus was off.
The afflicted hurler, who’d already walked three and hit another, was walking behind the rubber and taking a deep breath after every offering.
“The catcher was not really looking at me,” Durbin explained. “He was throwing the ball back hard to the pitcher, but he wasn’t looking at me. So I timed him up and as soon as I saw the catcher go into his throwing motion, I broke.”
With a headfirst slide, Durbin swiped home. He was initially called out, but the umpire realized Tigers backstop Mike Hershberger dropped the ball before tagging him.
When asked if he’d ever stolen home in a prep game, Durbin’s answer was quick.
“No way,” he said. “No way.”
Semega said that the exciting play was solely of Durbin’s doing.
“He had a big day in more ways than one,” Semega said. “He’s an individual that understands — in terms of baseball — he’s here having fun. ... He plays the game like it’s in his backyard.”
Durbin has found the key going forward. The Raiders play the rubber match of the three-game bill at North Allegheny tonight at 7 p.m.
“If I could say anything to every high school player, it’s just to have fun,” Durbin said. “As soon as you get away from that, that’s when bad things start to happen.”
