Freeman, SV blank Butler, 2-0
JACKSON TWP — Butler pitcher Carson Bish allowed only four hits — but one big one.
Seneca Valley pitcher Zyler Freedman made it stand up for a 2-0 Section 1-6A baseball win over the Golden Tornado on Monday at Seneca Valley High School.
The lone runs on the day were plated in the third inning. Creed Erdos was hit by a pitch to begin the frame, Luke Anderton walked and Mike Delduca drilled a two-run double to deep left-center. Bish escaped the inning with no further damage.
But enough damage was done.
While Bish allowed four hits, he also walked four and hit three others.
“Carson pitched a great game, probably his best game of the season,” Butler coach Josh Forbes said. “But when you allow extra runners on base, it gives the other team more chances to score runs.
“He gave us a chance to win, kept us in this game for seven innings. We can’t ask for more than that.”
Freedman, a senior, walked no one and scattered six singles. Butler (6-9, 4-6) never got a runner as far as third base in having its three-game winning streak snapped.
Freedman threw 86 pitches — 58 for strikes.
“He fills the zone,” SV coach Eric Semega said. “That’s not an expectation we have with Zy, it’s just reality. He gives us a chance to win every time he takes the mound.”
The Raiders (8-7, 5-5) turned double plays in the first two innings, The second — with a runner at first and one out — occurred when Trent Best took off for second and Bish lined out to the second baseman for an easy twin-killing. Ryan Peth singled with one out in the fifth and was cut down trying to steal.
“Our defense is a biog part of what I do,” Freedman said. “Those guys make the plays behind me. We got the double plays early and our catcher (Erdos) is one of the best in the WPIAL. I don’t mind at all when teams try running on him.
“The zero walks are what I’m most happy about. There’s no defense for a free pass. If hitters get on base against me, I want to make them earn it.”
Forbes pointed out that the line-drive double play was “a run-and-hit we put on to try to make something happen. The result was one of those things. It just wasn’t our day today.”
Best and Peth both had a pair of singles for the Tornado. Delduca had a single to go with his two-run double for the Raiders.
Semega shrugged off the thought that this week’s Butler-SV series could play into the WPIAL playoff seeding. Both teams have already clinched berths.
“Seeding is seeding,” the coach said. “You’re probably going to face an ace pitcher in the first round no matter who you play. I’m happy we were able to win a close game today. We haven’t been winning games like this over the past two weeks.”
Butler 000 000 0 — 0 6 0
S.Valley 002 000 x — 2 4 0
WP: Zyler Freedman 7IP (4so, 0bb). LP: Carson Bish 6IP (3so,4bb).
Butler (6-9, 4-6): Noah Kollinger 1B, Tent Best 2-1B, Andrew Lucas 1B, Regan Peth 2-1B
Seneca Valley (9-7-1, 5-5): Creed Erdos, Mike Delduca 1B 2B 2-RBI, Kallen Durbin 1B.
Tuesday: Seneca Valley at Butler, 7 p.m.
