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Ursuline’s victory via Vito
Petrillo’s one-hitter gets Weymer first UHS win
By StevE WiLAJ
STRUTHERS
Maybe a younger pitcher wouldn’t be able to handle it.
But when Ursuline’s Vito Petrillo was faced with adversity time and again on Wednesday against Crestview, the senior starter held up each time.
Battling through four Fighting Irish errors, Petrillo took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, tossed a complete-game shutout and allowed just one hit as Ursuline downed the Rebels, 2-0, at Cene Park.
“That’s a lot of experience there,” said Irish coach Matt Weymer, who earned his first career win at Ursuline (1-1). “He threw a lot of strikes, pounded the zone and made them hit the ball.
“The four errors, he did a good job not getting rattled with that. He just did a great job of getting ahead and throwing a ton of strikes — we really preach that.”
Petrillo threw just 78 pitches over seven innings, striking out seven and walking two for an Ursuline team that dropped its season opener to Austintown Fitch earlier in the week.
“We were pretty hungry to come out today and get a win,” Petrillo said. “I was really just working on hitting my spots and my defense made a lot of plays for me.”
After Ursuline jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning, Crestview (2-1) — with the help of Irish errors — threatened in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, but left runners in scoring position each time. Joel Fitzsimmons was tagged out trying to steal home in the fourth, Caleb Hill was stranded in the fifth and Fitzsimmons — after notching the Rebels’ first hit earlier in the frame — was left on third base in the sixth.
“[Petrillo] was very effective early in the count and we took too many pitches,” Crestview coach Dan Hill said. “I think sometimes we’re a little bit too fine with our pitch selection.
“We were telling our kids to go in and get good swings early in the count. When we did, we were putting the ball in play, but obviously we weren’t getting hits.”
Ursuline notched three hits in the first inning to grab its early lead.
Petrillo singled and later scored on Logan Pullin’s RBI groundout, while Drew Potesta also singled and came around to score on Gianni Quattro’s RBI double.
“We struggled with guys in scoring position against Fitch, so we came out in the first inning and did a real nice job of getting it all started,” Weymer said. “But then we went dormant again. ... But the swings were a lot better tonight.”
The Irish did their damage against Crestview starter Dylan Dickey, who settled after the first and allowed two runs on six hits in four innings. The Rebels escaped a no-out, bases-loaded jam in the second inning, keyed by right fielder Jeff Feo cutting down Ursuline’s Brice Bokesch after Petrillo’s flyout.
“It was a very gutty performance,” Hill said of Dickey’s outing. “Once we got things settled in and were ready to play the game, we shut them down after that first inning.
“Nobody’s surprised we’re in a game like this — we’re gonna be in games like this all year. And there are no moral victories. We’re out here to get better everyday and get wins.”
Crestview returns to Cene Park today to play Cardinal Mooney, while Ursuline hosts Walsh Jesuit for a doubleheader on Saturday.
“Everyone’s making a big deal out of my first win,” Weymer said. “But the most important thing is we got to a record of 1-1 — and with Walsh Jesuit coming in on Saturday — you’re running into one of the best programs in Ohio. So it was important to get a win today.”