PIAA baseball: Seneca Valley uses all-around game to bounce McDowell in first round
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Seneca Valley’s Andrew Malichky pitches against McDowell in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley first baseman Micah Olayer (26) tries to tag out McDowell in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley outfielder Danny Drennan catches the ball to help secure Seneca’s win against McDowell in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley players celebrate a home run hit by Brandon Godleski (2) in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated McDowell 7-1 in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated McDowell 7-1 in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated McDowell 7-1 in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated McDowell 7-1 in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated McDowell 7-1 in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated McDowell 7-1 in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated McDowell 7-1 in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated McDowell 7-1 in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated McDowell 7-1 in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated McDowell 7-1 in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated McDowell 7-1 in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated McDowell 7-1 in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated McDowell 7-1 in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated McDowell 7-1 in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated McDowell 7-1 in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated McDowell 7-1 in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley’s Ryan Piekutoski rounds third base to score a run in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated McDowell 7-1 in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley’s Andrew Malichky pitches against McDowell in a Class 6A first round PIAA baseball tournament game at Seneca Valley on Monday, June 2, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
JACKSON TWP — Pitch well, make contact, hit for power, field flawlessly ... Such are the goals of any baseball team.
Seneca Valley did it all while posting a 7-1 PIAA Class 6A baseball tournament victory over McDowell on Monday at Raider Field.
“Throw strikes, field the ball, make contact, good things are gonna happen,” SV coach Eric Semega said.
Senior pitcher Andrew Malichky tossed a complete game, allowing four hits and throwing 61 of his 86 pitches for strikes. Ryan Piekutoski drilled a solo homer and had three hits while Brandon Godleski added a two-run shot.
Seneca Valley (18-6) stranded only one baserunner and did not commit an error. The Raiders have woin 10 straight games and will face District 3 runner-up Cedar Cliff (18-6) — a 1-0 winner over Pennsbury — in the second round of the tournament Thursday at a site and time to be determined.
“We play as a team and don’t care about indvidual statistics,” Piekutoski said. “We’ve developed a winning culture that way.”
Malichky was staked to a 2 -0 lead in the first inning as David Drennan walked, stole second and scored on Piekutoski’s double down the left field lind. Piekutoski scored on Wes Conville’s single to left.
The lead expanded to 5-0 in the fourth when Piekutoski homered down the left field line — his fourth of the season, all at home — and Godleski followed a walk to Micah Olayer with a towering homer to left.
The round-trippers were the first allowed by McDowell pitcher Evan Stranko all spring. Stranko entered the game with a 1.39 earned run average and 57 strikeouts in 40 innings.
The Raiders struck out only twice in Stranko’s four innings of work Monday.
“That’s the best lineup we’ve seen all year and we’ve played some pretty good teams,” McDowell coach Rick Iacobucci said. “Evan’s slider was working early, then No. 12 (Piekutoski) hooked one of them down the line for a double.
“We threw him a fastball inside and he got the barrel on it and hit it out. That kid is a great player.”
McDowell (17-6) had a five-game winning streak snapped with the loss.
Olayer had a run-scoring double off the right field fence in the seventh for SV. Conville singled during the inning and scored on Ryan Rebholz’ infield out.
“I’m not surprised we hit the ball as well as we did today,” Semega said. “I’m talking about today, because our hitters have been locked in lately. We’re putting together a lot of quality at bats.”
McDowell scored its lone run in the fifth as Max Orsefskie reached on an infield hit and eventually scored on an infield out. But the Trojans could mount little offense against Malichny, who allowed only two other runners to reach third base all day.
Malichky improved his mound record to 6-1 with the win.
“I threw more fastballs today than I nornally do,” Malichky said. “I had good command of it today. Getting the early lead helps. I could settle in and just pitch.”
Semega said he does not have an ace pitcher on the staff.
“I feel like we have 3 1A’s,” the coach said. “When one falters, the next guy can pick him up. But we haven’t needed that next guy lately. Everyone’s pitching well.”
McDowell entered the game with a .299 team batting average.
“This is the state tournament. There are no cream puffs out there,” Iacobucci said. “At this time of year, you face great lineup after great lineup.
“Their lineup got us today.”
McDowell 000 010 0 - 1 4 0
Seneca Valley 200 302 x - 7 7 0
WP: Andrew Malichky 7IP (4so, 2bb). LP: Evan Stranko 4IP (2so, 2bb).
McDowell (17-6): Quentin Orlando 1B, Max Orsefskie 2-1B, Calvin Hiltabidel 2B, Brady Kramer RBI.
Seneca Valley (18-6): Ryan Piekutoski 2B HR 1B 2-RBI 3-R, Wes Conville 2-1B RBI, Micah Olayer 2B RBI, Brandon Godleski HR 2-RBI, Ryan Rebholz RBI.
Thursday: PIAA 6A Tournament-Seneca Valley vs. Cedar Cliff, site and time TBA
