Diehl pitches Unionville over WC east
WEST GOSHEN>> In the resumption of a suspended game from last week due to a rainstorm in the bottom of the fourth inning, Unionville pitcher Nick Diehl picked up right where he left off against West Chester East.
Diehl was granted a two run lead in the bottom of the fourth inning heading into Tuesday’s resumption of play.
The Longhorns ace made it stand up as he was brilliant, striking out 16 Vikings batters and allowing the Vikings just two measly hits as the Longhorns downed the host Vikings 3-0, in a Ches-Mont League game at Price Field.
“My fastball was real good today and my changeup was my go to pitch,” Diehl said. “Then, about the sixth inning I started to work in my off speed stuff and my slider was the strikeout pitch. I really did not think about going into the game with a lead. I try to just attack the strike zone and do my thing and today things worked out well.”
Unionville (7-4 Ches-Mont, 8-4 overall) held a 2-0 lead before the rains came last week and the Longhorns touched the Vikings for single runs in the third and fourth innings before the rains came.
Luca Urdaneta ripped an RBI single for one of the Longhorns runs in the top of the third inning and he continued his hot hitting Tuesday.
With the Longhorns holding the 2-0 lead heading to the top of the seventh inning, Urdaneta came though again.
West Chester East (9-5, 10-5) pitcher John Ubele who started the game for the Vikings on Tuesday had held the fort down for the Vikings hoping his mates could score some runs against Diehl.
But, Diehl was masterful as he struck out 16 of the 21 batters he faced and in the top of the seventh inning the Longhorns piled on another run as insurance just in case Diehl falters.
Ubele got the first two Longhorns out but he walked Diehl on five pitches. Pinch runner Chase Parise stole second base and then came around to score when Urdaneta stroked an RBI single to right field for a commanding 3-0 Longhorns lead.
“It is nice to know as a team that you do not have to score that many runs when Nick is on the mound,” Urdaneta said. “I was seeing the ball well and today their pitcher had good off speed stuff but I took a curve ball to right field and it dropped in for a run.”
The Vikings seemed to have some life in the bottom of the seventh inning as leadoff hitter Dante Wright reached first base on an infield error.
But the day belonged to Diehl, as he fanned Walker Holman, Sam Riotto and Josh Houston to end the game in style and give the Longhorns a tidy 3-0 victory.
“Nick’s mindset all season has been to attack and attack,” Unionville coach Chris Valis said. “And he has worked so hard and has been so selfless. When he is at the plate he has such good at bats. I think he has over 20 walks so far this year. He is all about team baseball and he has set the tone for the rest of the guys.”
Unionville 3, WC East 0
Unionville 001 100 1-3
WC East 000 000 0-0
2B-Sammaritano.
WP-Diehl. LP-Rostock
