By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Connor Hong allowed one run on one hit over four innings, and the Gates-Chili Spartans went on to defeat the Bloomfield Bombers, 6-2 in non-league action Monday.
Hong struck out five and walked two. Returning after Tommy John surgery in 2015, the senior right-hander retired seven of the first eight he faced.
“It felt great,” Hong said. “It was a good win for us.”
The senior right-hander allowed just one ball out of the infield through the first three innings.
“He’s a little timid yet, has a little soreness after he throws which is normal for not using those muscles,” Gates-Chili coach John Unson said referring to Hong’s surgery. “We came into this saying anywhere between 40 and 60 (pitches). We’re going to keep an eye on things. He walked a few early; that got his pitch count up. He had some 3-2 counts in there. I would have gone another inning if the pitch count hadn’t gotten up there.”
Bloomfield’s David Fischer reached on an error to start the fourth. After a swinging bunt moved the runner 90 feet, Thomas Beikirch connected on a two-out RBI single. Hong ended the inning with a strike out looking – one of two on the day.
“I started off each one with the change up,” Hong said of the two called strike outs. “Once I knew they couldn’t handle, I blew it by them.”
“We’re still working on 0-2, 1-2 pitches which have been kind of an annoyance for us in terms of giving up hits there,” Unson noted. “The strike outs looking, we hope he doesn’t get too enamored with that simply because we’re throwing some fat pitches when we’re ahead in the count. The one run that they scored was 0-2 pitch with a man at second base. We’re trying to have the kids be a little bit more selective with what they’re throwing in those situations.”
At the plate, Hong finished 1-for-3 and doubled home Ian Unson with the Spartans first run in the first inning.
Unson reached base three times with two walks, stole two bases and scored three runs for the afternoon. He led the fifth with a hit and scored the eventual game-winning run on a Jon Preston sacrifice fly.
Tyler Carpenter and Angelina Torres collected two hits apiece to pace the Gates-Chili offense. Hitting out of the seven hole, Torres stole three bases and scored twice.
“I moved him down in the order,” the elder Unson said of Torres, a sophomore second baseman. “We did have him up in the leadoff spot because he can fill that role for us. Five games in we’re still feeling out where things are. He came through very nicely for us today.”
Michael Firnstein came out of the bullpen and allowed one run in two innings of work for the Spartans. The junior right-hander retired all three batters he faced in the fifth.
Tyler Carpenter hurled a scoreless ninth.
Bloomfield’s Trevor Robinson struck out four and walked three in a complete-game effort.
Beikirch finished 1-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base.
Ben Brocklebank walked, stole two bases and scored in the sixth to make it a 3-2 game.
Bloomfield left the bases loaded in the seventh.
Gates-Chili improved to 2-3 with the win.
“Luckily in the bottom of the sixth we were able to put up a few more, so that the last inning didn’t as scary as it could have,” Unson said. “We’re a team that had no wins at JV level last year, so we’re scrapping for anything we can get this year. We’re gaining experience on the fly. I’m pleased that we’re sitting at 2-3. That’s not bad right now.”
Gates-Chili hosts Webster-Thomas for a noon start on Tuesday.
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