Bethel Park wins 16U baseball championship
The Bethel Park Hawks defeated Penn-Trafford 5-1 at Haymaker Park in Murrysville to capture the Westmoreland County 16U Baseball League championship.
Bethel Park pitcher Josh Clunan dominated until being forced to exit the game with a back injury. He allowed two hits over four shutout innings.
Will Sokira came on in relief for the Hawks and scattered three hits and allowed one run over three innings.
Issac Solorzano had two hits and scored a run for the Hawks, while Ben Hudson drove in a pair of runs with two singles and Ray Altmeyer added two singles and three RBI.
Shortstop Evan Holewinski and Hudson, at second base, helped bring home the victory behind their pitchers.
“They had a couple of momentous double plays and we committed one error, one more than we’d like,” said BP manager Jake Svitek. “Our pitching was excellent and our No. 3 and No. 4 hitters did their job, driving in all of our runs with clutch hits.”
The Hawks finished 15-0 in what used to be called Super Colt or Junior American Legion league. There was no American Legion or Colt League competition in the South Hills area this summer because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Baldwin, Riverview, Murrysville and Smithfield also competed in the Westmoreland League.
“We enjoyed this league a lot,” Svitek said. “It required a little bit of travel, but there were great teams in the league.”
The team is in its second season and does welcome players from outside Bethel Park if a neighboring community does not sponsor a team.
Mt. Lebanon native Aiden McKenzie hit .364 over two season for Bethel Park and often filled a key roster spot as an extra hitter or right fielder.
“He was a great kid to have on the team,” Svitek said. “He was our biggest breakthrough performer by far.”
The Hawks defeated Riverview in the opening round of the tournament beofre knocking off Penn-Trafford in the semifinals and finals.
“We hung in there every game,” explained Svitek. “We had fantastic pitching and we showed huge improvement at the plate. Our bats came around this year. We limited errors because we had a couple of standouts on defense.”
Bethel Park was eliminated in the first round of the same tournament last summer, but Svitek said the maturation of his players put the Hawks over the top this time around.
“The was our second year together and we had some big additions. A few new names on the roster. The kids developed a lot,” he said. “They worked hard in practices, but they also had fun.”
Clunan posted a 0.93 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 20 innings for the Hawks. He also batted .509.
Hudson added a .500 average and two round home runs.
Nick Gasper batted .402 and had the most at bats behind only Sokira, who finished with a .385 average.
Sokira also led the team in stolen bases and played “lights out” in the outfield, Svitek said.
Max Rich hit .342 and third baseman Gianni Magnotti committed only one error. He started every game.
Hawks catcher Nick Calano minimized opponents’ stolen bases with a great glove, strong arm and handled the pitching staff well, calling every pitch, Svitek said.
Andrew Kvak excelled with two hits and a run-saving putout at the plate in the first-round playoff win against Riverview.
Altmeyer, Holewinski and Jack Edner joined the team late in the season. Newcomers to the team also included Hudson, Ed Counihan, Nathan Sokira and Anthony Morneo
Altmeyer batted .463. He hit a go-ahead home run in his first game with the Hawks and provided “stellar” defense filling in behind the plate and in right field, Svitek said.
“Ray showed an exceptional level of hustle and understanding of the game both on and off the field,” Svitek said.
Holewinski also provided key innings at shortstop and on the mound. He gave up one earned run in 10 innings and had key hits.
Edner was the “ultimate” utility guy, playing in the infield and outfield Svitek said. He also got a mound win over Murrysville in late-July.
Counihan had an errorless season in the outfield while Sokira was the ultimate team player.
Svitek’s assistant coaches were Bailey Fertig, Austin Carrozza and Dan Deleo.
“I can’t express how I have loved getting to know these players,” Svitek said. “It was a pleasure for myself and the other coaches. We gained more from this than the kids. It was a great learning experience.”
Jake Svitek recommends baseball as a panacea for the COVID-19 blues. The sport certainly helped him survive the summer of 2020. He managed the Bethel Park Junior Legion team to a championship in the Westmoreland County League.
The Bethel Park native noted that baseball has been a part of his life for almost 20 years. He played right field for the Black Hawks and American Legion for Post 760 before matriculation to Duquesne University in 2014 to pursue a degree in finance. Currently, he is employed by Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (JLL), an American commercial real estate firm.
“I have a great job. I like it a lot but like a lot of people I got caught up in the monotony of working from home. Sitting at home with nothing to do and not knowing when sports would come back,” said the 24-year-old Svitek. “If we couldn’t play baseball, I certainly would have missed it this year.
“As soon as I knew we could play, I was excited,” Svitek continued. “Baseball gave me an escape from all the madness and crazy times we are in.”
Baseball provided the same remedy for Svitek’s players. Most missed playing in the spring because scholastic sports were canceled. They also missed seeing friends because virtual school has been substituted for in-person learning during the coronavirus pandemic.
“From a developmental standpoint, playing baseball was very important for these kids. They were getting outside, practicing and playing, improving their skills. But they were also around their friends during a stressful time where adults they knew were losing their jobs and there’s been a lot of uncertainty. Their lives have been interrupted. So, it’s been a relief for them to play.”
No matter the requirements, the players were willing to do what it takes to get back on the field. The Hawks followed protocols and stuck to them. They adhered to social distancing practices and wore masks. They performed self screenings, checking for symptoms, so as not to expose anybody to the virus.
“Our team lucked out. No scares,” Svitek said. “One team did. It just as easily could have been us but we avoided situations with COVID-19.”
During the uncertainty whether a summer season was possible, the Hawks persisted. Svitek said his players did their best to get outside and work with teammates, siblings, neighbors and close friends without exceeding the numbers for large gatherings.
“We encouraged them to stay optimistic and flexible. That was the best advice we could give them,” Svitek said. “For the most part, we were just trying to be positive with them. We rolled with things as best we could. We were all flexible and figured things out during a very difficult time.”