Ty Lohsen, Methacton shut out Upper Merion

WORCESTER >> Methacton’s Ty Lohsen didn’t know he was pitching until an hour before Friday afternoon’s game against Upper Merion. Watching the junior cruise through the Vikings lineup for seven innings, you would think he had been preparing for days.

Lohsen threw a complete game, three-hit shutout. He struck out four batters to one walk and finished the Warriors 6-0 Pioneer Athletic Conference crossover win with only 65 pitches. 

“The three-hit shutout in itself is a great accomplishment,” Methacton coach Paul Spiewak said, “but the number of pitches – I had to keep checking with our guys to make sure we didn’t make a mistake because I don’t know that I’ve seen that. Seventy-five, 80 is miraculous to me for seven innings, but to be down in the low 60s is incredible. It shoots to our philosophy – no matter who you’re playing, if you can minimize the errors, minimize the walks and keep your pitch count down you’re going to give your team a chance and he did a phenomenal job of that today.”

The right-hander started the game with two perfect innings. After allowing a leadoff single in the top of the third, he recorded an out and started a double play to get through three inning while facing the minimum nine batters. 

“They just hit it right back to me and I saw the double play working there,” Lohsen, who credited his curveball for his successful outing, said. “I threw it to (shortstop) Michael (Christian) and double play.”

The fourth inning started with a walk and a single, but a fielder’s choice and fly ball to center field kept the situation manageable. Catcher Mike Lamalfa threw out a runner stealing to end the threat. The other baserunner was the only one the Vikings left on base all game.

Lohsen allowed a leadoff single in the top of the fifth, but picked that runner off after fly balls to center and right field. 

“He was stealing on that pitch,” Lohsen anticipated, “so might as well throw over and see what he does.”

Lohsen hit a batter with one out in the top of the sixth before starting another double play to get out of the inning. He finished the game with a perfect top of the seventh.

“The double plays to second at the high school level are not an easy play,” Spiewak said. “With the shortstop moving – I would say you see that not successful more often than you see it successful and he kept his composure, took his time. We always preach, ‘Make sure of one’ and he did that. We were fortunate to turn two. He did a great job. He fielded his position well. He did all the little things you need to do to help yourself out.”

The Warriors (5-0, 3-0 PAC) gave Lohsen plenty of run support early, scoring four runs in the bottom of the second inning. No. 6 hitter Lamalfa reached with a one-out single before Jake Chapman got on with a bunt base hit. Those two stole second and third and Lamalfa scored on a Tommy Kratz single. Chapman was thrown out at home by Upper Merion (2-2, 1-2 PAC) centerfielder Gus Costello. 

Nine hitter Grant Baker had a two-out RBI single to turn the lineup over before Mike Christian and Tyler Weil-Kaspar added RBI singles to make it a 4-0 game.

“To this point it’s been very equal up and down the lineup,” Spiewak said. “We have a deep lineup. We have a couple guys that didn’t start today that are good varsity hitters as well. The deeper you can be in your lineup, obviously the advantage is there’s no let up. I think that showed today.”

“We had two outs in that inning and an opportunity to get out of it,” Upper Merion coach Matt Mitchell said. “It was a turning point for sure. We played very poorly defensively in our previous game against Pottsgrove, so we felt better coming out here today and competing, but that’s an inning where a play here or there changes the complexion of the game for sure.”

Weil-Kaspar made it 5-0 with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth inning to score Nolan McCloskey, who went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two stolen bases.

Will Gottheardt finished off the scoring in the bottom of the fifth when he pinch hit and plated Chapman with an RBI single. 

Quentin Sarne started on the mound for Upper Merion and took the loss. In three innings he allowed five runs on six hits while striking out one batter and walking one. He had to leave the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when he tweaked his knee fielding a bunt. 

Andrew Prendergast and Sean Prendergast threw the rest of the game for Upper Merion. Andrew allowed one run on three hits across two innings while Sean allowed one hit and struck out two batters in one scoreless inning.

Jimmy Good, Costello and Sean Prendergast accounted for Upper Merion’s three hits.

“We’ve been hitting the ball decently,” Mitchell said. “(Lohsen) did a heck of a job. He was commanding the zone, hitting his spots, good velocity, mixing up pitches when he needed to. Tip of the hat to him. I still feel confident with us hitting the ball. I like that we’re not going down looking. Up until this point we’ve been putting the ball in play, hitting it hard. Sometimes you get unlucky, but still confident in us offensively as a squad.”

Methacton 6, Upper Merion 0 

Upper Merion 000 000 0 – 0

Methacton 040 110 x – 6

WP: Ty Lohsen 7 IP 4 K  1 BB 3 H 0 R

LP: Quentin Sarne 3 IP 1 K 1 BB 8 H 5 R