By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Pittsford-Mendon coach Jeff Amoroso worried about Thursday’s non-league matchup against Churchville-Chili. Coming off four games in four days against divisional opponents the opportunity was there to take the foot off the pedal.
Amoroso’s Vikings didn’t give into temptation.
Mendon put crooked numbers on the scoreboard in five different innings on the way to their fourth straight victory and fifth in the last six games.
“We just talk about winning the day,” Amoroso said after Mendon’s 14-2 victory at Towers Field on the University of Rochester campus. “We had a good practice yesterday – short and sweet. We’ve been in the gym so much that we’re trying to make it really efficient. So we hit, lifted and got out. We got here today and it was beautiful, and we got a job done.”
George Gines improved to 3-2 on the season with a workmanlike effort. The senior right-hander struck out eight and walked none over five innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits.
“Start of the game I was trying to find the zone,” Gines said. “They started hitting me around. I changed up my pitches tried to keep it going, throw strikes and let the fielders do the work.”
He threw 82 pitches – 56 for strikes and lowered his ERA to 2.62 on the season.
“We’re just trying to get a rhythm for our pitching staff,” Amoroso noted. “We’ve had so many stops and starts in the season. It’s hard to get any type of a rhythm with the pitching staff. I’m trying not to overuse our guys.”
Gines finished 2-for-4 at the plate including a 2-run shot in the fourth inning that all but put the game out of reach.
“I was sitting dead red fastball,” he said. “Got what I wanted. Tried to put a good swing on it.”
The ball got out in a hurry clearing the fence in left center field.
“I didn’t think it was out,” Gines admitted. “I was sprinting around the bases. I was trying to get to three when I saw the ump signal going around second.”
Mendon led 8-2.
“As soon as he swung, it was a missile,” Amoroso noted. “It was just a matter of it was going to stay up high enough over the wall.”
Billy Dalton jump started the Mendon offense with a 2-run triple in the second.
“I was looking for a nice pitch to drive, and I got it,” Dalton said. “It felt right coming off the bat.”
Dalton went 3-for-3 and added a double. The shortstop drove in four and scored three more.
The Vikings pushed across three runs in the third before Gines added his two next inning. They finished the game with 10 hits.
“We had 19 hits on Tuesday against Athena and our outs in the game we’re very hard hit balls,” the sixth-year coach said. “The kids are swinging it really well right now. It’s carrying over day to day. I just want it to continue. Keep our confidence high, put hitters in the box and let it rip.”
Jake Ring walked twice and scored twice. Hudson Bockmier received three free passes and cross home on three occasions. Tim Mariani and Ryan Marin collected two RBI apiece. Nick Halstead walked twice and drove in a run with a single. Jared Petrichick had a triple and scored.
Bockmier pitched a scoreless sixth with two struck outs.
Petrichick fanned one in a scoreless seventh.
Mendon improved to 7-3 on the season.
“We got a really tight squad this year,” Dalton said. “We just got a lot of chemistry. It’s proving on the field. It’s really nice.”
Churchville-Chili’s Mike Mule went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Ethan Putney collected two hits in three at bats. Wes Colucci singled and scored a run. John Ferris had a tripe for the Saints.
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