Penn Hills baseball looking to shake struggles at plate

By: Josh Rizzo
Saturday, April 23, 2022 | 9:01 AM

The beginning of the 2022 baseball season has been more than unkind to Penn Hills.

Offensively, the Indians have stagnated. Through 10 games, Penn Hills hit .217 as a team and suffered nine losses.

While there is plenty of time to get on track, Penn Hills coach Rodney Stubbs knows everyone is frustrated with the team’s performance thus far.

“It’s been a rough start, to say the least,” Stubbs said. “We’re focusing on batting. It’s been a rocky road. It’s been tough and the batting says everything so far.”

Senior Dallen Banks leads the team by hitting .333 and has driven in two runs. Jordan Sullivan, who is hitting .310 and leads the team with five RBIs, and Dom Sullivan (.308) are also over .300.

Penn Hills (1-9, 0-5) opened the season in Myrtle Beach, S.C., where it collected its only victory, a 10-7 slugfest with Deer Lakes on March 26. The Indians’ games in the section have been especially tough, with Penn Hills getting outscored 54-2.

What Stubbs would like to see from his team is a little more selectivity at the plate.

“All this week we’ve worked on being patient,” Stubbs said. “We have guys that are trying too hard to rip the ball over the fence. That’s not what baseball is about. It’s all about contact.”

Penn Hills had 11 extra-base hits this season but no home runs. Sullivan leads the team with three triples, while Philmore Austin has two.

Stubbs has been happy with the development of his pitching staff. Sullivan leads the team with 17 strikeouts in 9.1 innings pitched, while Brandon Tierney is second with 11 in 12.1 innings.

Vito Pizzonia has the staff’s lowest ERA and has pitched 9.1 innings so far this season.

“We have to get these guys focused,” Stubbs said. “We have a lot of sophomores on this team and we have to get all the guys to understand what it takes to play varsity baseball.”

While the Indians are primarily locked into intense section battles down the stretch, Penn Hills will have several opportunities to get looks at nonsection games. Penn Hills will have opportunities to fine-tune their skills with matchups against St. Joseph, Gateway and Knoch ahead.

Tags: Penn Hills