Despite a strong showing in its first two games of the season, Upper Perkiomen baseball lost 4-1 to Pope John Paul II on Monday in the Pioneer Athletic Conference.

          The Indians' offense managed just three hits in the game, and the defense committed three errors to contribute to the loss.

          "We certainly expect to do more offensively," Livingston said after the loss at Bonekemper Field.

          In the first two games of the season, Nolan Graver and Trey Livingstone established themselves as effective starting pitchers for Upper Perkiomen's baseball team, and the defense was "phenomenal," head coach Frank Mercon said.

          However, on Monday, PJP scored single runs in each of the initial three innings. The team took advantage of two throwing errors by Upper Perkiomen starting pitcher Bryan Pijanowski to post unearned runs in the first and second innings  Ryan Schwab's sacrifice fly in the third inning put the team ahead 3-0. In four innings, Pijanowski allowed five hits and registered five strikeouts.

          Logan Mabry allowed just two hits and two walks over six shutout innings to earn the mound win for the Panthers.

          The Indians scored their only run in the bottom of the seventh on a bases-loaded walk to Ben Tryon.

According to Mercon, the Indians (1-2 PAC) must learn to push homeruns by executing bunts and delivering more productive at-bats because most conference games will be decided by one run.

           "We got to barrel up more pitches, string together more quality plate appearances," said Mercon, whose team is averaging just four hits per game. "Every team in this league has quality pitching."

          Last week, Graver and Livingstone provided the Upper Perkiomen with dominant pitching performances. In its season-opening game against Upper Merion on March 30, Graver struck out five and permitted just one earned run.

          The Indians scored twice in the fifth inning to go ahead 3-2. However, Michael Hutchinson's two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted Vikings to a 4-3 victory.

          The next day, Livingstone allowed just one hit in seven shutout innings in a 1-0 victory over Phoenixville.  He pitched with incredible efficiency, according to Mercon.

          "It wasn't what I was expecting from Trey in his first start of the season," the coach said of Livingstone, who finished with 83 pitches.

          The pitcher started several Phantoms hitters with first pitch strikes, then got them out early in the count with multiple off-speed pitches.

          "My first-pitch fastball was key," Livingstone said. "I surprised myself a little bit."

          Livingstone drove in the game's only run on a two-strike suicide squeeze in the bottom of the sixth inning. He said the call by Mercon from the third base coach's box surprised him. Pijanowski, the runner on third, was also caught off-guard by the call. Pijanowski led off the sixth inning with a walk, moved to second on a single by Brandon Reil, and advanced to third on a sacrifice by Graver.

          "It was a gutsy call," Mercon said.  "You just have to hope the players execute."

          Livingstone, who finished with two hits to pace the Indians' seven-hit attack, relied on proper bunting technique to execute the play.

          "We had to do something to push a run across," he said.