Austin Prep’s Blanco blanks Milton
UVA commit wins in duel with Walker
The preseason chatter surrounding Evan Blanco was verified Saturday morning in Reading.
In a pitcher’s duel that lived up to the hype, the senior left-hander fired a complete game shutout, striking out to 11 to lead Austin Prep to a 1-0 win over Milton in a battle between two of the top teams in Massachusetts.
Blanco’s counterpart, Milton’s Charlie Walker, was impressive in his own right as the ace went five innings without surrendering an
earned run while allowing just two hits and striking out eight.
“I just wanted to stick to the game plan we talked
about all week as we knew we were going up against a good lineup and (Charlie Walker),” Blanco said. “I’d be lying if I said I was not
nervous today but overall I was just pumped.”
Blanco consistently showcased a hard slider before putting hitters away with elevated fastballs that hovered around 89 miles per hour. The University of Virginia-bound hurler threw 85 pitches.
Walker provided a towering presence while locating his fastball on both sides of the plate to go with a sharp curveball and changeup. The Northeastern commit allowed just one hit out of the infield, a Nick Saunders double in the bottom of the sixth inning.
“Those are two high-octane arms that locked horns right there,” Austin Prep coach Jonathan Pollard said. “For Evan there is not much not to like about his stuff. His demeanor today was professional stuff. I don’t think you can be better.”
The lone run of the game came in the bottom of the third inning. Cougars’ sophomore Jake Zawatsky reached on an error, advanced to second when a pickoff throw was dropped, moved over to third on a Brendan Walsh bunt, and then came home to score when Ernie Little beat out an infield single with two outs.
Milton’s best opportunity to score came in the visitors half of the third as with one out Jimmy Fallon doubled and then scampered to third on a wild pitch. Blanco, however, induced a weak tapper back to the mound and picked up a strikeout on three straight sliders to escape trouble unscathed.
The Wildcats (0-1) had one final chance in the top of the seventh to even the score when it placed a runner in scoring position with two outs, but Blanco got his 21st out of the day courtesy of a ground out to finish off the complete game and seal the 1-0 win.