WEBSTER, N.Y. — Hunter Walsh put in the time earlier this season, and it’s paying dividends on the mound.
Throwing his breaking ball for a strike in any count, the senior right-hander hurled six shutout innings in a 9-0 McQuaid Jesuit win Tuesday night.
“I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with it,” Walsh said of his breaking ball. “Accuracy helps me out a lot with that curveball. I’ve been able to locate it pretty much anywhere I want to.”
He struck out 12 and walked two in the outing. After allowing a pair of singles in the first inning, Walsh retired the next 14 batters. He needed 13 pitches to strike out the side in order in the fourth. That was part of a stretch where he fanned five in a row and six of seven.
“He was locating everything,” battery mate Ben Beauchamp said. “He was locating his fastball really well. It took him a minute to find his curveball, but that thing is pretty tight. That’s going to get a lot of kids to swing even if it’s not in the zone. He worked in a lot of stuff and he was hitting his spots.”
Once he was locked in, Walsh kept opposing hitters off-balance throwing the curve for first-pitch strikes and using it for his out-pitch when needed. Little more than a month ago, he wasn’t as comfortable with the secondary pitch.
Hunter Walsh has the feel on his breaking ball tonight. Fans the side in order in the 4th. Has 7 K on the night. No score @RHvbaseball and @McQuaidBaseball pic.twitter.com/lIBRR3EofF
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) May 8, 2019
“Early on in the season, his curveball wasn’t working,” head coach Tony Fuller said. “He had a couple bullpen sessions with Coach Soja (assistant coach Jeff). Early in the year, he was relying mainly on the fastball and beating guys with the fastball. Now, he’s added that (curveball). It’s just a different layer. That’s a testament to him and taking his bullpens very seriously.”
In his first outing of the season, Walsh threw five innings in a win over Pittsford Sutherland. He struck out seven and allowed two runs on four hits. He faced 21 batters that night and threw 86 pitches. On Tuesday, Walsh faced one more batter while throwing another inning. He worked ahead to 15 of the 22 opposing batters he faced.
“It’s just getting the foot down earlier and really just snapping my wrist after I get my foot down,” Walsh said of the adjustment from earlier this season. “It’s helped me get more rotation on the ball. I’m able to locate it a lot better. I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with it.”
Walsh improved to 5-o on the season. Over his last three outings, he has struck out 32 and walked four in 20 innings of work. He has held opposing teams scoreless on four hits. Overall he has allowed two runs on 12 hits over 30.1 innings of work this season.
“When he gets locked in, he’s almost untouchable,” Beauchamp stated. “There are not a lot of teams that can put a good licking on him this year. He’s got good velocity, too. He upped his velocity since last year a lot. When you add velocity and location, a lot is going to work out.”
As a sophomore, Walsh allowed six runs in the first inning of a sectional semifinal game before recovering to hurl five scoreless to help the Knights advance to the finals. That same composure was on display Tuesday night after McQuaid put an eight-spot on the board in the fifth.
“He’s a four-year guy,” Fuller said. “Can’t say enough about him. He’s a seasoned vet. He’s on whole different level this year. For me, it’s special to watch. For the guys, we have a lot of confidence when he’s taking the ball.”
With temperatures hovering in the low 50s, McQuaid sent 13 batters to the plate in a half-inning that lasted the better part of half an hour.
Patrick Xander led with a triple and started the scoring when he scampered home on a wild pitch. Noah Campanelli plated a pair of runs with a single. Tyler Griggs and Drew Bailey followed with back-to-back RBI doubles.
Walsh took the mound after the outburst and set down the first batter he faced on strikes.
“It’s exciting to see the team to really get that many runs,” Walsh said. “We were struggling the first four innings. Watching them get some hits. It was exciting. It motivated me to keep going, to keep throwing strikes up there. Nothing better than seeing that.”
Beauchamp finished 2-for-4 on the night with a double and a run scored. Bailey was 3-for-4. Charlie Merkley went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Ryan O’Mara walked three times and scored a run. Zach Lee doubled, drove in a run and scored another.
Pat Sherron gets the lead runner with first and second and no outs. pic.twitter.com/WxgcanbvI7
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) May 8, 2019
Pat Sherron started and hurled four shutout innings for Rush-Henrietta before running into trouble in the fifth. Dan Tirabassi and Bobby Sellers collected a hit apiece for the Royal Comets.
McQuaid improved to 13-ow with the win. Last week they were No. 3 NYSSWA Class AA and a unanimous choice as the top team in this week’s Pickin’ Splinters poll.
“It’s a good feeling,” Walsh said of the current record and recognition. “I could say this for all the guys on the team I really don’t think that’s going to mean anything unless we accomplish our final goal which is a sectional championship and then hopefully to move on after that.”
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