DiFelice, who pitches for Nashville, the Triple A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, won his first game for the Sounds last night, pitching 7 scoreless innings and allowing four hits, striking out eight and walking one in a 6-1 win over the Fresno Grizzlies. He has pitched 19 innings at Nashville with a 1.42 earned run average.
Before being promoted, he was 6-1 with a 1.62 ERA in 26 games at Double A Huntsville.
"It's kind of left a huge thorn in my side because I know I can get there," Mark DiFelice said. "It sort of drives me a little bit more to make it."
That will also is fueled by Matt. Born only 16 months apart, they were star pitchers at Haverford High. As a junior in 1993, Mark went 9-2 with a 1.58 earned run average in leading his school to the Central League title. The following season, as some pro scouts began to eye him, he went 8-1 with an 0.83 ERA, capturing another league title.
Matt, who earned MVP honors in the Central League in 1993, received a partial scholarship to Penn State. After redshirting his freshman season at PSU, he decided to transfer and join Mark at Western Carolina. Matt says after the transfer his interest in baseball was no longer there. Matt noticed how much more dedicated Mark was in his approach to the game and knew his brother would be the one to make it.
"It has nothing to do with me now, this is all about him," said Matt, who lives in Garnet Valley and works as an analytical salesman. "In a sense we are kind of living this dream together but at the end of the day he made this possible. I just want him to get there."
