GNALBL: Ryan McDonnell makes it happen for JP Mascaro
WORCESTER >> JP Mascaro can’t ask for much more from Ryan McDonnell at the top of the batting order.
The recent La Salle College High School graduate is batting .372 this season from the leadoff spot and leads the team in hits (16), runs (15) and stolen bases (six).
“A lot of energy,” JP Mascaro coach Lucas Denczi said of McDonnell’s game. “He gets on base a lot. He’s a heck of a bunter, too, so that always helps. He’s good at hitting deep in the count as well. A lot of guys at this age they get down two strikes and they kind of get their head out of it, but he seems to have a good head on his shoulders where he can drive the ball with two strikes and hit it to all fields.”
In Thursday night’s 9-1 win over Whitemarsh, McDonnell went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI.
While he has no home runs this year, McDonnell does have some power. In the third inning Thursday he crushed a ball just foul that landed at the top of the hill beyond Methacton High School’s left field fence. A couple pitches later he hit an RBI double.
“I got it a little on the end of the bat,” McDonnell said. “I was out a little bit in front of it. If I got all of that it probably would have gone over. It was just tailing a little bit at the end, caught a little bit out in front.
“To start the game the most important thing is I’ve just been focusing on putting the ball in play, trying to get it started early. Then later in the game if I get a pitch, just try to crank it — put some more power into it — because I have the power in there, just have to find it on my pitch.”
He will be attending Bloomsburg University this fall and plans to try to walk-on to the team or play club baseball.
Getting offensive
Mascaro’s offense is getting hot at the right time. The group is averaging 9.33 runs over its last six games.
The Haulers posted games of 16 runs, 11 runs twice and nine runs while going 4-2.
“I think it just comes with how much we’re playing,” Denczi said. “We played Saturday, Sunday. This is the third — Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. The more pitches you see, you’re going to heat up more. Coming off school ball I think they were a little tired, but they got that week off with Senior Week and they came back firing.”
McDonnell has been right at the top of it. He’s on a five-game hitting streak and batting .500 during the stretch.
Everyone has been contributing. In Thursday’s win over Whitemarsh, the team totaled 13 hits and all nine players either had a hit or an RBI.
“We’re more loose in the dugout,” McDonnell said of the recent success, “staying hot, going off of each other. Starts at the top, goes to the bottom. We’ve all been hitting well. The most important thing we’ve noticed is jump on them quick, get them down and just throw our defense at them and we’re golden.”
At the top of the lineup, McDonnell and Michael Daddazio each went 3-for-4 Thursday. Chad Evans had three RBI from the cleanup spot and Morgan Heckler had an RBI and scored a run from the nine-hole.
On the season, the Haulers are right behind Chadwicks for the league lead in scoring with six runs per game.
Bye-bye
After Thursday night’s win over Whitemarsh, JP Mascaro has all but guaranteed a top-2 finish in the league and the accompanying first-round bye. With two games remaining they hold a 2.5-game lead over third-place Whitemarsh, which has three games left.
A first-round bye would give the Haulers a break from their regular season finale on Sunday July 1 until the second round of the playoffs on Saturday July 7.
“We still have Sunday (against Whitemarsh) to worry about,” Denczi said of clinching the bye. “Depending on how things shake out that could matter a lot, but it’s huge to get that two seed, especially this long week just saving arms and maybe get a practice or two in before playoffs start. Two seed is big.”
The Haulers (11-5) sit one game behind first-place Chadwicks (12-4-1). The two teams meet Saturday. Chadwicks won both prior meetings this season, 3-0 on May 29 and 15-11 on June 23.
Chadwicks rolling
Chadwicks pitcher John Houser threw a no-hitter Tuesday night against Mt. Carmel.
Houser was efficient, throwing 79 pitches before first-place Chadwicks finished off the Mounties, 10-0, in six innings. He struck out five batters to one walk.
Jeremiah Levine paced the defending champs with four RBI on a 3-for-3 day at the plate.
