Luke Macdonald of Oley Valley is UECU Pitcher of the Week
Jeff Pinder saw good things on the mound from Luke Macdonald early in the season but the Oley Valley baseball coach couldn’t have imagined what the senior right-hander was about to do.
McDonald has pitched three consecutive shutouts, the latest a three-hitter against Berks Catholic to earn Utilities Employees Credit Union Pitcher of the Week. Macdonald didn’t walk a batter and struck out five in the 8-0 win over the Saints last week.
“Coming out of the pen (early in the season), I knew the way he acted on the mound I was going to be able to rely on him and he was going to be able to throw strikes,” said Pinder, “and that’s he does. He’s not gonna blow anybody away, he just throws strikes and stays around the strike zone. He gets people out.”
In his first start Macdonald threw a one-hitter, striking out seven in a 6-0 win over eventual Berks IV champ Kutztown. In his outing before that, he pitched the final five innings of an 8-0 win over Brandywine Heights.
Macdonald has thrown 27 1/3 scoreless innings over his last five appearances.
“You don’t expect that,” said Pinder. “Especially a kid who doesn’t throw incredibly hard. Luke pounds the strike zone, and that’s something you want your pitchers to do. He pounds the strike zone and lets them put the ball in play, and trusts that our kids will make the plays. And our defense has.”
Overall, Macdonald is 4-0 with an 0.25 ERA. He has allowed one earned run in seven appearances, and just 11 hits over 28 1/3 innings. He’s struck out 29 and held opposing batters to a .109 average.
He’s been a big key in putting the Lynx over the top with a big stretch drive. After opening the season 1-3 and 4-5, the defending District 3 Class 2A champs have won seven of their last eight games. They’ve won four straight Berks III games to pull past Berks Catholic and Wyomissing to clinch a Berks League playoff spot. Over those four games they’ve outscored their opponents 28-5; over their last eight games they have allowed 11 runs, with four shutouts.
“We’ve been pretty solid behind our pitchers,” Pinder said. “I know when they hit a ground ball that we’re gonna field it. When they hit a fly ball, we’re gonna get close to getting it, if we don’t get it. I trust our defense pretty good, and I know Luke does. That’s why he just pitches to contact.”
Macdonald’s also been making contact as a hitter. He’s batting .298 with a team-leading 16 RBIs. He’s third on the team with a .446 slugging percentage and third with an .830 OPS.
Macdonald is the fifth Utilities Employees Credit Union Pitcher of the Week this season, and the first from Oley Valley. Players considered for UECU Union Pitcher of the Week honors are nominated by their coaches or byMikeDragoSports.com.
Also nominated for Utilities Employees Credit Union Pitcher of the Week:
- Chad Maggs, Brandywine Heights
- Devin Sheerin, Exeter
- Tyler Minick, Gov. Mifflin
- Grant Fitzgerald, Kutztown
- Dalton Follweiler, Muhlenberg
- Matt VanOstenbridge, Wilson
- Ryker Jones, Wyomssing
Previously selected as Utilities Employees Credit Union Pitcher of the Week:
- April 4: Tristan Baer, Hamburg
- April 11: Alexander Velez, Gov. Mifflin
- April 18: Cole Leaman, Wilson
- April 25: Tristan Baer, Hamburg
- May 2: Matt Kramer, Wyomissing
