Blackhawk’s depth delivers title
Blackhawk coach Bob Amalia was in a bit of a quandary when he set his lineup for the WPIAL Class 4A championship game.
He had his top pitcher, Andy McClymonds, rested and ready to take the mound against South Park, but instead opted for senior Jon Pence.
As it turned out, he made the right call as Pence went five shutout innings to pick up the win and McClymonds came on for a two-inning save as the Cougars won their first title since 2012 in a 3-0 victory against the Eagles Tuesday at Wild Things Park.
“We have four or five guys and it sometimes makes it more difficult because Pence was about done and you have McClymonds, who is 8-0, and you’ve got Mark Engel and Mike Turconi, who’s been our closer all year,” Amalia said. “You don’t want to get too cute. We probably should have taken Andy out and just brought Turk in to close and even Johnny Nixon, but we feel like we have five pitchers that we can use at any time.”
Having a stable of interchangeable arms is what has made Blackhawk (21-2) so dominant this season. The Cougars have posted 11 shutouts in their 23 games — several came in 10-run-rule abbreviated contests — but to have only allowed 30 runs indicates just how dominant the team’s five-man staff has been throughout the campaign.
Making the decision not to start McClymonds in the championship game even gave Pence a moment of pause.
“I was kind of shocked at first and it’s a surreal feeling because I’ve been dreaming about this since I began my high school career, being out there and helping the team win a game like this,” Pence said. “It’s a nice feeling for us, one through five, and we even have guys on the bench who can pitch and can come in and get it done.”
There was a method to Amalia’s madness that went far beyond just winning the WPIAL championship for the second time in six seasons. Because Blackhawk had already locked up a spot in the PIAA tournament, he wanted his starter ready to face the best in the state instead of reflecting back on his last start in the WPIAL finals.
“It’s a big benefit and, other than Pence, everyone should be fresh for Monday and, what I’ve found in the past in the states, the guy that comes out and pitches this game, he’s not good for a while,” Amalia said. “It’s hard to just go back and go in your normal routine, so he’s going to get more time off. It’s key, obviously, when you have pitching depth.”
Though Blackhawk has been a regular in the state tournament, the team has never played in a PIAA final. Having depth like this on the mound, though, makes the Cougars a formidable opponent when the playoffs open Monday against the District 10 runner-up.
Still, making the decision to start Pence over McClymonds wasn’t all about the state playoffs.
“I just felt that Pence matched up with what they do a little better than McClymonds did,” Amalia said. “I just felt like what he does, his style of pitching and the way he does things, matched up a little better against South Park.”