No one likes to strike out. Elijah Smucker absolutely hates it. He can tell you exactly how often it has happened this season.<\/p>\n
Three times the Pequea Valley senior has taken the solemn turn back toward the dugout. If that sounds like a low total, it is. Smucker has 47 plate appearances. He has launched as many home runs as he has seen strike three.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s his secret? He says it\u2019s his mindset.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve gotta know what you\u2019re doing up there,\u201d Smucker said. \u201cDon\u2019t go up there thinking. You\u2019ve gotta relax, have some fun and you\u2019ll hit the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smucker batted five times Monday. He reached safely every time. The catcher led Pequea Valley past Lancaster Catholic 13-2 in a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 4 baseball game at Penn Medicine Park.<\/p>\n
The rest of Pequea Valley\u2019s team has heard Smucker constantly gripe about strikeouts. He brings it up every game.<\/p>\n
The truth is most players don\u2019t share the senior\u2019s bat-to-ball skills. Smucker can connect with a pitch anywhere in the zone. He\u2019s a line drive waiting to happen. That\u2019s the biggest reason he so rarely has a K next to his name.<\/p>\n
\u201cOut of all these guys here, he\u2019s the one I don\u2019t want to pitch against,\u201d Pequea Valley senior Logan Zynn said. \u201cHe puts the ball in play almost every time.\u201d<\/p>\n
A perfect game for a high school pitcher is 21 up, 21 down. A perfect game for a catcher is undefined. This might have been it.<\/p>\n
Smucker walked in the first inning, singled in the fourth, singled in the fifth, walked in the sixth and singled in the seventh. His final line was 3-for-3 with two RBIs.<\/p>\n
Pequea Valley needed that production. The Braves trailed 2-0 and were hitless heading into the fourth. After they tied it at 2, Smucker delivered the go-ahead single in the fifth. That was the afternoon\u2019s most pivotal hit.<\/p>\n
PV coach Kevin Zynn has coached Smucker since the youth levels. The skills we see today have been there from the start.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe goes into the box with a plan and he tries to execute,\u201d Zynn said. \u201cHe has a very high baseball IQ.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some of Smucker\u2019s contributions aren\u2019t evident in the box score. He brings leadership behind the plate and behind the scenes.<\/p>\n
Logan Zynn endured a rough first inning. Pequea Valley\u2019s ace allowed two runs and threw nearly 40 pitches with some shaky defense behind him.<\/p>\n
Smucker helped Zynn settle down and refocus. The right-hander made it through 4\u2154 innings and didn\u2019t allow another run.<\/p>\n
\u201cCatching Logan is amazing,\u201d Smucker said. \u201cHe throws hard and hits his spots.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zynn is a workhorse. He\u2019s 5-1 with a 0.36 ERA in 39\u2153 innings this season.<\/p>\n
Once Zynn reached his pitch limit, he took over at shortstop in support of reliever Adam Smucker. Zynn then made a dazzling play on a grounder in the hole.<\/p>\n
At that point, Catholic coach Steve Remley approached Kevin Zynn with a request. Remley has spent the past four springs watching these types of performances from the all-league standout.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you please get him off the field?\u201d Remley joked. \u201cI\u2019m so sick of him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pequea Valley (4-2 L-L, 8-6) took over sole possession of second place behind Northern Lebanon in Section 4. Catholic (3-3, 3-5) slipped into third. The Braves have the inside track to a league playoff spot.<\/p>\n
A bigger goal for the boys from Kinzers is a trip to the District 3 Class 3A tournament. They currently hold the sixth and final spot in the field.<\/p>\n
As Elijah Smucker was packing up his equipment, Kevin Zynn affectionately referred to his catcher as a \u201cdirtball.\u201d That\u2019s code for gamer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you look at his pants, they\u2019re dirty and we played on turf today,\u201d Zynn said. \u201cHe likes to be in the dirt and he likes to be involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
What Smucker really likes is reaching first base. He can\u2019t get there if he strikes out.<\/p>\n
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