One win in 12 games to start a season might cause one to speculate about how the team is developing over the course of time from the start to its current standing.
But first-year coach Luke Padezan said his Gateway baseball team, which sported that 1-11 record after a tough 11-0 loss in six innings to Plum on April 23, has seen considerable improvement throughout the spring, especially in the past few weeks with several close outcomes in and out of section play.
"One thing we’ve talked to the guys about is being able to grind out each day, each at-bat, and each pitch,” said Padezan, who came on as the new coach in February.
"The mentality they are embracing now is not really worrying about what is down the road or what happened in the past but focusing on the present and what they can do to be better baseball players than yesterday.”
Padezan said his team had chances to get on the board in the second game of the Section 1-5A series against Plum at Gateway.
"Earlier in this game (April 23), we were squaring up balls, but they were right at their guys in the outfield,” he said.
Seven of the first nine outs for Gateway were fly balls to the Plum outfield, including a couple which drove the Mustangs to the wall in center and left-center.
Gateway reached base five times with first baseman Grady Dunsmore doing it twice with a walk and a single. Ahmad Harris and Myles Beavin drew back-to-back walks to open the fifth, but they were left stranded at third and second, respectively.
Gateway had its back against the wall the night before under the lights at Plum as it fell behind 5-0 after five innings before rallying to tie the game with five runs in the top of the sixth.
However, Plum tallied two in the bottom of the sixth to pull out the win.
"We’ve definitely improved in a number of areas since we started out the season, and we’re hitting the ball much better,” Padezan said.
"Guys were fighting every at-bat to make things happen and get back in the game. It was a complete team effort to come back how they did. We had guys on in the top of the seventh and had chances to tie the game. It was that close at the end. It wasn’t just the rally in the sixth. We were one hit away in the seventh.”
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Shortstop Bucky Otterman had the big hit of the five-run sixth for Gateway with a bases-clearing double which plated Beavin, Dunsmore and Jon Saunders.
Two batters earlier, Saunders singled home Noah Colberg and Lucas Demchak to get the Gators on the board.
Gateway’s play caught the attention up close of Plum veteran coach Carl Vollmer.
"We know that Gateway is a talented team. Their record is not indicative of the type of team they have,” he said.
Of Gateway’s first 11 losses, five came by three runs or less, and three of them, games against Kiski Area, Franklin Regional and Latrobe, were one-run results.
Faced with an 0-9 overall mark, Gateway broke out in a big way at home against section foe Armstrong on April 16.
Gateway left no doubt with seven runs in the first inning before adding on with four runs in the fifth to put the 10-run mercy rule into effect.
Nine Gators hitters accounted for 12 hits. Demchak went 3 for 4 with a double and four RBIs, while Colberg added a 2-for-3 effort with a run driven in.
Senior Taili Thompson, a Division I North Carolina A&T baseball commit, drew three walks and added a single and scored two runs.
The run support was more than enough for Saunders, the starter, who gave up three hits and three walks while striking out five.
Thompson came on in the fifth to get the final two outs.
"The guys realize that they can play with these good teams,” Padezan said.
"I know it might not have reflected that in some of the scores, but the guys have always kept a positive attitude that they have the talent to match up in a lot of these games. I told the guys after the second Plum game that they need to keep playing for each other and be accountable for each other.”
Gateway was to challenge themselves Monday and Tuesday against section leader Penn-Trafford (11-1, 7-1) before capping the section slate with two against Penn Hills on May 6-7.
"It’s tough baseball in the section, but these guys want to play tough games,” Padezan said.
But before those series, the Gators were to play Seneca Valley at PNC Park on Saturday afternoon.
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"It’s cool that they can walk on that field and say they played a game were hall of famers played,” Padezan said.
"There was an all-star game here, and those playoff games here (from 2013-15). It’s pretty special to be able to take in the atmosphere of a Major League ballpark.”
Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.
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