By PAUL GOTHAM
WEBSTER, N.Y. — Webster Schroeder built a six-run lead and held on to beat Churchville-Chili, 7-6 in Monroe County Baseball action, Saturday.
Johnny Maier pitched 4.1 innings to pick up the win. The right-hander struck out four and retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced.
“Johnny hits his spots, and he changes speeds,” Schroeder head coach Matt Knight said. “He pitches to contact. He’s not a guy that’s going to try and blow it by you. He pitches to contact and we have a pretty good defense.”
Maier helped his own cause with a two-out bloop single that capped a three-run Schroeder fourth. With teammates Jason Leonardo and Jonathan McCaffrey aboard, Maier connected on a second-pitch fastball that fell among a trio of Churchville fielders in shallow right field.
“I got under it a little bit and it just dropped in the right spot down the right field line,” the senior said. “I was thinking ‘I don’t know if he’s going to catch this.’ I tore out of the box and I just started turning it up.”
Jonathan Maier gets the ground ball, and Jonathan McCaffrey takes it from there for the third out in the top of the fourth. @BaseballWebster 2 @cccsdbaseball 0 pic.twitter.com/XhAgwawK3O
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 9, 2022
When the ball was misplayed, both Leonardo and McCaffrey came around to score for a 5-0 Schroeder lead.
The following inning, Kaleb Juliano’s RBI single along with a balk that allowed a run to score pushed the Schroeder to 7-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth.
With the win, Schroeder (3-1) rebounded from an extra-inning loss to Penfield and handed Churchville (3-1) its first loss of the season.
Luke Pagano’s 2-out flare makes it 6-1 @BaseballWebster with 2 outs in the fifth. pic.twitter.com/HWNJ89rD6j
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 9, 2022
“We just treated it like any other game,” Maier said. “Just got to go out and there and put or best foot forward. Came out on top today. Churchville’s a great team, got a lot of good guys.”
Korbin Juliano came on with bases loaded and one out in the fifth. The senior left-hander struck out the first batter he faced only to have Cooper Romich bring in a run on an infield single. Justin Meister drove in two more with a sun-aided double to left field. Anthony Shortino cut the deficit to one with a two-run single before Juliano ended the threat with his second strike out of the inning.
“It was my first game in almost two years,” said Juliano who did not play in 2021. “To be on the mound with the adrenaline rush especially in that situation, that was big. I know I have a good defense behind me, so I was just trying to let them put it in play and gotta K with it.”
Juliano went on to retire seven of the last eight batters he faced.
“Korbin’s off-speed was working pretty well,” Schroeder catcher Zach Touloupas said. “He locates perfect. He finds a way to get it done.”
Kaleb Juliano and Lukas Kelly both finished 2-for-3 with a walk on the day. Kelly scored a run. McCaffrey walked twice and scored twice. Jack Cannon doubled and scored a run. Peyton Sanfilippo crossed home twice. Luke Pagano drove in a run with a single.
Kaleb Juliano plates Jack Cannon with a one-out single. Two in for @BaseballWebster pic.twitter.com/h8RFAbcZQK
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 9, 2022
Churchville’s Meister finished 2-for-4 with a run scored. Shortino was 2-for-2 with a walk. Josh Campbell went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Romich scored twice. Zach Miner walked and scored a run for the Saints.
Romich threw out a pair of runners from behind the plate – one on a steal attempt and another picked off at second.
Cooper Romich comes up throwing to end the third. @BaseballWebster 2 @cccsdbaseball 0 pic.twitter.com/LT0BKjAnOW
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 9, 2022
Schroeder’s Tyler Stack had four putouts in centerfield.
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