By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Pat Sherron tossed and turned in bed Friday night.
With a rematch of last year’s Class AA final on Saturday, one might think the Rush-Henrietta Royal Comet experienced a case of butterflies. But his sleeplessness had everything to do with a basic need.
Two days after taking a pitch to the nose, Sherron found little comfort on his pillow.
“I woke up five times last night,” said Sherron who took a fastball to the face in R-H’s game on Wednesday. “I couldn’t breathe because I had a bunch of blood stuck in my nose. It’s hard to breathe with a messed-up nose.”
A broken nose and the subsequent lack of sleep didn’t stop the sophomore right-hander from hurling a masterpiece.
Sherron struck out the side in order in the first and finished with six punch outs on the day. He allowed one run on six hits and two walks for his first win of the season as R-H downed reigning Section V Class AA champion and NYS semifinalist McQuaid Jesuit, 6-1.
“Any time a sophomore goes out there and pitches against the kind of lineup we faced today and never backs down, that’s a special outing,” Rush-Henrietta coach Bill Rasmussen said. “His mentality was where his game started on the mound. He’s fearless. That’s not something you can coach in a kid.”
He threw 83 pitches (51 strikes), faced six batters over the limit and held McQuaid (7-2), which came into the game averaging 7.5 runs per game, to a season-low one run.
“He was pitching ahead in the count,” Rasmussen noted. “He was able to locate his breaking ball for a strike. He’s been working on throwing two different off-speed pitches, and he was able to do that today.”
Sherron retired six straight from the second to the fourth before allowing a run on a pair of hits. He erased a threat in the fifth with a pickoff at second. Then with two on in the sixth, the R-H starter induced an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.
“My fastball location was pretty good,” Sherron explained. “I was mixing my two curveballs. I have a fast and a slow one just trying to keep hitters off-balance all game.”
Despite the injury, there wasn’t much doubt as to whether Sherron would take the mound.
“He went to the ear, nose and throat doctor and they cleared him to play,” Rasmussen explained. “They said whatever is wrong with you ain’t going to get any worse.”
Raymond Specht gave R-H a lead in the first, and the Royal Comets never trailed. The senior shortstop knocked a two-out triple to right field and eventually scored on an error.
R-H sent nine to the plate and blew the game open in the fifth.
Knotted at one, Zach Bucci worked a one-out walk. Lukas Haefner reached on an error, and AJ Nestler connected on the first of three R-H hits in the stanza – an RBI double to right center.
“AJ Nestler, a senior, came up and he was the spark,” Rasmussen noted. “He was able to make something happen with runners on base. From there things just get contagious.”
AJ Nestler RBI double to right center gives @RHvbaseball a 2-1 lead in the 5th. pic.twitter.com/924YojATsn
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 21, 2018
Specht was intentionally walked, and Andrew Sanchez beat out a bases-loaded infield single to make it a 3-1 game. Sherron followed with a two-run single to left center.
“I was sitting fastball and got one down the middle, so I tried to drive it,” said Sherron who finished 2-for-3 at the plate on top of his pitching performance.
Daniel Tirabassi capped the inning with an RBI groundout.
“That’s where we’ve really struggled so far to this point,” Rasmussen noted. “Having those grinding at bats.”
Speech finished 2-for-2 with two runs scored on the day.
The victory was the second straight for the Royal Comets (2-2).
“That was a win that we needed,” Rasmussen added. “We’ve needed some things to go our way. We’ve played tough throughout the season. We’ve played good baseball, but we’ve come up short just because we’ve had things not quite go our way. Today they did.”
Noah Campanelli and Ryan O’Mara both finished with two hits on the day for McQuaid. The duo combined on a two-out rally to produce the Jesuit Knights only run of the game in the four inning. O’Mara doubled to right center, and Campanelli followed with a single through the right side.
Campanelli was 2-for-2 with a walk. The junior shortstop went a combined 5-for-6 with a walk, two doubles, six runs scored and an RBI in two McQuaid wins last week.
Rush-Henrietta plays at Gates-Chili on Monday. The same two teams will meet at McQuaid on Thursday. A 4:30 PM first pitch is scheduled.
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