SCOTTIES SHUT OUT STREAKS
Michael Poirier earns three-hit shutout Route 50 rivalry win
Ballston Spa senior pitcher Michael Poirier had a lot of help from his friends Tuesday afternoon and a big hit from sophomore Chance Checca leading to a shutout of Saratoga Springs, the third straight for the Scotties.
“We can score a lot of runs, we can also get guys over and get them in,” Ballston Spa manager Curtis Nobles said. “Our common denominator is always good pitching and good defense, when we put that out, those days that we’re not running around like a merry-goround on the bases, we know how to get a guy over, we know how to get him in.”
Tuesday was not only circled for the Route 50 rivalry match-up but also a slate that included Poirier and the Scotties facing Holy Cross-bound right-hander Nate Chudy.
“I think anybody that likes high school baseball would love to see those two kids battle,” Nobles said. “The Henderson kid was awesome too when he came in. It was a pitcher’s
duel, but we got the right hits at the right time and that’s what they say in the game it’s all about timely hitting.”
Saratoga (7-2) mustered just three hits off Poirier and couldn’t take advantage of the four walks he gave up, including two in the top of the seventh inning before turning the ball over to reliever Jayden Williamson.
“I just stay focused on the hitters, knew what they have and who not to pitch to and know where to pitch to guys to get weak contact or strikeouts, swings and misses.”
Poirier turned the ball over to Nobles and then Williamson for the save, exiting after 84 pitches.
“I would have liked to (finish), you get tired after a while and it’s hard to keep it together.
I was exhausted; you don’t want to be selfish either. If someone is going to come in and finish it for you why not let someone finish the game if you’re not doing your job anymore.”
Williamson was assisted by the second double play of the afternoon by the Scotties, a line drive to shortstop Luke Gold who snared the shot and immediately fired over to first to Donovan Rhoden to double off the runner.
After walking the next batter, putting two runners on base once again, Williamson struck out the final batter to secure the win.
Ballston Spa opened up the first inning with a run after leadoff batter Luke Gold was hit by a Chudy pitch and then stole second base. He scored on Jake Manderson’s RBI double to stake a one-run lead for Poirier.
The Scotties tacked on two more runs as Poirier reached on a walk and raced home on Checca’s two-out RBI double to centerfield.
“He knew they were throwing him away and he just went with the pitch rather than trying to pull it like he’s done in the past,” Nobles said. “He’s a young, talented player and he’s starting to figure it out, he’s going to strengthen up that bottom of that line-up.”
With two runners on base a sacrifice bunt attempt went awry, popped to Chudy who fired to first to double-off the lead runner putting even more pressure on Checca.
“After they got on, we missed a bunt, so O.K. I just went up and it was a fastball, first pitch and Michael (Poirier) had a great approach before me. That was very nice.”
Checca had little time to rest at second, scoring on Williamson’s RBI single to center for another insurance run for Poirier and eventually himself.
Chudy went four innings for the Blue Streaks, giving up three earned runs on four hits, two walks and striking out four batters. Henderson was lights out, pitching two scoreless innings, walking two and striking out five in relief.
The win, early in a short spring season continued to lift the hopes of the Ballston Spa seniors and last year’s Section 2 finalists.
“We love to beat schools like Saratoga, Shen, CBA, the bigger schools that everyone thinks, the great schools,” Poirier said. “It just puts us on the map because we never used to be that team that could beat schools like that and we worked our hardest and we got there. That’s the awesome thing about it.”