Bellefonte's bats to be tested by Chartiers Valley

By Vinny Pezzimenti

Bellefonte has shown time and again that there may be no better hitting team — top to bottom of the lineup — in PIAA Class AAA baseball.

And since we’re making such claims, the team at Chartiers Valley might possess one of the state’s top collection of pitchers.

It all sets up for an intriguing meeting this afternoon between the hard-hitting Red Raiders and the strong-armed Colts, with a trip to the Class AAA title game on the line.

The PIAA semifinal is scheduled for noon at the same White Township Park field in Indiana where Bellefonte (19-6) got 11 hits from eight different players in a 7-2 quarterfinal win over Moon last Friday.

WPIAL runner-up Chartiers Valley (15-7), meanwhile, scored a 3-1 10-inning victory over Grove City in which right-hander Dan Colavincenzo pitched nine almost-flawless innings.

Those games sum up nicely each team’s methodology toward winning. The Red Raiders slam you, the Colts jam you.

“It’s nice knowing that you can go out there in the first inning and have a lead,” said Robert Gummo, who pitched seven innings in Bellefonte’s quarterfinal victory. “And after that they just keep getting runs for you.”

But Chartiers Valley hasn’t given up much. Backed by the tandem of Colavincenzo and lefty Ken Terpack, who the Red Raiders will face, the Colts have limited opponents to four runs or less 13 times this season. They’ve been even better in the postseason, allowing 13 runs in six games.

“It’s been everything,” Chartiers Valley coach Jim Jaskowski said of the team’s pitching. “You’re only as good as your next arm. We’ve been fortunate that our pitching has kept us in just about every game. We’ve only had one game this year that was kind of lopsided.

“It’s a real foundation for us and gives us a calmness. It’s just a nice security to have.”

Bellefonte has produced 10 or more runs in 14 games this season and boasts a team batting average close to .370. Though the pitching numbers aren’t as impressive, the Red Raiders have improved greatly since the start of the postseason.

Bellefonte has also only allowed 13 runs in six playoff games. Seth Tressler, who will pitch today, has given up six runs in 14 postseason innings. The senior is 5-0 on the season.

“He’s proven to us he wants the ball obviously,” Bellefonte coach Denny Leathers said. “He’s shown us over the last couple of games that he’s pitched that he certainly deserves the ball.”

Colavincenzo, who is 6-2 and Chartiers Valley’s ace, won’t be able to throw today.

Terpack is a solid second option. The junior is 3-3, has an ERA just over 3.00 and earned the win in the Colts’ 8-3 PIAA first-round victory over Punxsutawney.

“They’re both tough kids,” Jaskowski said. “They fight. They’re competitors and they’re very aggressive. That’s something that’s good for the playoffs. You need to be hungry, you need to be aggressive, you need to be tough. They’re all three of those things. When there’s more pressure, they rise to the occasion.”

Chartiers Valley split two regular season games with Moon and fell 3-2 to the Tigers in the WPIAL finals. Moon coach Dom Santeufemio likes Bellefonte’s chances against the Colts.

“They can beat Chartiers Valley, no doubt about it,” he said. “Chartiers Valley is a scrappy little team. Pitching-wise they get it done, but no one is really spectacular out there. I give them (the Red Raiders) a good shot to win the ballgame.”

If the Red Raiders prevail, it will be deepest the program has ever advanced in the PIAA playoffs. The 1987 team, which was ranked sixth nationally by USA Today at one point, went 23-2 and finished third in the state.

“It just feels good to get this far and know we have the team to do that,” Gummo said.

Chartiers Valley had never journeyed beyond the quarterfinal round of the WPIAL playoffs until this year. Jaskowski attributed the run to the presence of nine seniors, as well as to the rugged WPIAL schedule that helped prepare the team for the postseason.

Leathers was concerned the Colts, who played on Thursday, would gain an advantage by having coaches in Indiana on Friday to scout Bellefonte. Jaskowski said he wasn’t in attendance.

“We’re pretty much going into the game blind,” he said. “Obviously to be this far, you have to be talented. We’re kind of taking the approach that if we’re playing a team in the state semifinals, they have to be good. We’ll kind of rely on our eyes when we get there, and learn as much as we can and make the adjustments as we go.”

PIAA BASEBALL Class AAA

Semifinal Round at White Twp. Park, Indiana

Bellefonte (19-6) vs. Chartiers Valley (15-7)

Noon, today