‘It’s heaven and Earth’

Calvary Christian’s Carter, Painter show off big-league potential

Calvary Christian coach Gil Morales handed the ball to star pitcher Irv Carter before Friday’s game against Bradenton IMG Academy, one of the best teams in the nation.

The Eagles got off to a fast start, going up, 5-0. Carter pitched two scoreless innings to start the game. But trouble brewed in the third.

IMG’s No. 9 hitter, Joseph Slattery, got the team’s first hit of the day and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Following him in the order were shortstop Drake Varnado, an Arkansas signee, center fielder Elijah Green, a Miami commit, and right fielder James Wood, a Mississippi State signee.

Carter struck out all three swinging, ending the threat.

“I’ve watched him do this multiple times this year,” Morales said. “He’ll get first [and] second, no outs, and then boom, boom, boom — strike out three guys in a row. It’s like he gets better. The closer guys get to third, he gets better.”

Carter pitched five innings against IMG, giving up two runs on four hits while striking out eight batters. Senior Andy Painter relieved him in the sixth inning, and he pitched two shutout innings to seal an 8-2 win. The duo of Carter and Painter have lifted the Eagles to a 10-1 record so far this year with their eyes set on a title. Not only that, but the two pitchers are poised to be top picks in this summer’s MLB draft.

“There’s no one-two; they’re one-one to me,” Morales said. “There’s not a one-two punch. It’s heaven and Earth. They both can beat anybody in the country.”

Carter and Painter held one of the deepest high school baseball teams in the nation in check on Friday, and they did it with several rows of professional scouts watching from behind home plate.

“You just block it out,” Painter said. “You know they’re there. You see them. But when you get out on the mound, it’s just you and the catcher and the batter.”

Carter and Painter have started to get used to the hype.

MLB.com ranks Painter as the No. 11 overall prospect, the No. 1 high school pitcher and No. 3 high school player eligible for this year’s draft. Carter is listed as the No. 79 overall prospect, No. 15 high school pitcher and No. 40 high school player.

Carter is 1-0 with a 0.66 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 21 ⅓ innings. Painter is 3-1 with a 0.88 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 16 innings. Combined, they have surrendered four runs in 37 ⅓ innings — a combined ERA of 0.75.

“I don’t think there’s any better one-two punch — maybe in the world,” Painter said.

LAUGHLIN/SUN SENTINEL MICHAEL Calvary Christian pitcher Irv Carter delivers a pitch against IMG Academy on Friday. Carter, along with Andy Painter, is part of a dominant one-two punch at the top of the Eagles’ rotation.