Baseball: Perfect Picone bounces back as Garnet Valley rolls

MIDDLETOWN >> Dom Picone’s most recent start on the mound prior to Friday is one he would like to forget. “He hit a few guys and lost his composure a little. It was very unlike him, too,” Garnet Valley coach Rudy Schiller said. “I know he was feeling down on himself after that start and was looking forward to get back out there.”

The 5-10 junior right-hander lasted only one inning and gave up two runs against Lower Merion on April 9. Friday afternoon at Penncrest, Picone was ready to redeem himself.

“We know what he is capable of,” said senior Mason Miller, the Jags’ All-Delco center fielder. “He’s got great stuff … and had it today.”

Picone was masterful in a five-inning Central League contest Friday. He authored a perfect game, striking out 11 of the 15 batters he faced, as Garnet Valley cruised to victory, 14-0. Of the 62 pitches Picone threw, 47 went for strikes. He had an eight-pitch third inning and struck out the side on 10 pitches in the fourth.

“It feels good,” Picone said. “I’ve thrown a no-hitter before, but I never threw a perfect game.”

Picone used a three-pitch mix to keep the Lions guessing: Fastball, curveball and change. But what made Picone really stand out was his fast pace. Needless to say, he is a get-the-ball-and-go pitcher. He trusts catcher Steve Caruso, with help from his coaches on the bench, to call the best pitch in any situation.

“I’ve always done that, working fast,” Picone said. “I’m anxious to get the next pitch, and I like for us to go quick.”

When the Lions were lucky to make contact, they grounded out three times weakly and hit a soft liner to second baseman Reece Malek.

“He is usually very quick to the plate and has a (good idea) of where to pitch,” Schiller said. “The kids were right behind him 100 percent. That is great to see.”

Picone’s teammates appreciate how quickly he works, especially during a season plagued by cold temperatures.

“It’s definitely great as a fielder,” Miller said. “He’s always in the zone with his pitches and likes to work fast. You have to always be ready.”

It didn’t hurt Picone’s cause that Garnet Valley’s lineup was blistering the ball all afternoon, either. Penncrest starter Dylan Bittle will have better days, too. He began the game by plunking leadoff hitter Cole Palis, who scored on the first of Miller’s three base knocks, an RBI triple smoked to the left-center gap. Braydon Morandini, the son of Phillies legend Mickey Morandini, hit a bomb to center field for an RBI double to give GV a 2-0 cushion.

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Garnet Valley’s Dom Picone delivers a pitch against Penncrest Friday afternoon. Picone retired all 15 batters he faced in a perfect game, a 14-0 win for the Jaguars.