By PAUL GOTHAM
WEBSTER, N.Y. — McQuaid’s Will Taylor continued his dominance on the mound Tuesday evening.
One week after hurling a no-hitter, the senior left-hander struck out 18 in a 5-0 Jesuit Knights’ victory over host Webster Schroeder.
“He was incredible against Fairport and then incredible here,” said McQuaid head coach Tony Fuller referring to last week’s outing at Frontier Field. “He’s been incredible all year.”
Taylor retired the first 11 batters he faced without allowing a ball out of the infield on Tuesday.
For the second time today, Will Taylor fans the side in order. @WoffordBaseball commit has 7 Ks on the day. Heading to the 4th: @McQuaidBaseball 3 @BaseballWebster 0 pic.twitter.com/ZBzHcOlWbR
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) May 17, 2022
“It was just the change of speeds and locating the fastball,” he said of his performance.
With the seven shutout innings, the Wofford College commit ran his personal scoreless streak to 32.2 consecutive innings.
“He was throwing everything for a strike today – curveball, fastball, change-up,” commented McQuaid catcher CJ Phelps. “Just mixing it up and keeping hitters off-balance. Obviously, he did a great job of locating the zone and painting the corners.”
Taylor struck out the side in order on three separate occasions including the sixth inning when he caught all three batters looking at his breaking ball.
Will Taylor has 15 strike outs through 6 innings. @McQuaidBaseball 5-0 pic.twitter.com/QnyBbj8faM
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) May 17, 2022
“We’ve been really working on his curveball,” Phelps noted. “Making sure he’s really throwing it, getting on top. He’s got great movement, great stuff. It’s a matter of trusting his stuff and being confident, going out there and competing.”
Taylor improved to 4-1 on the season. In 37.2 innings of work, the southpaw has struck out 54 and walked three. He has allowed three runs (two earned) on 13 hits.
“CJ called a great game,” Taylor said deferring credit to his battery mate. “He always does. We’ve been playing together for four years. I’ve shaken him off maybe twice. Props to him. I just hit my spots.”
The Jesuit Knights had all the runs they needed in the first inning. Aiden Stewart led the game with a single through the right side of the infield and stole a pair of bases before coming home on a Luca Ciaramitaro double.
Ciaramitaro doubled and scored on a Tanner DeGrazia infield single in the third. Daniel McAliney brought home DeGrazia with a base hit.
Taylor connected on a one-out solo shot in the fifth, and Zach Allen followed with a home run in the sixth for the margin of victory.
Luca Ciaramitaro legs out a leadoff double, moves to third on a passed ball and scores on this Tanner DeGrazia infield single. @McQuaidBaseball 2-0. pic.twitter.com/t03f1uxQBF
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) May 17, 2022
DeGrazia and McAliney both finished 3-for-4 in the game.
“It was great,” Taylor said of the victory. “We came here today ready to play, just got dialed in.”
The 18 strike outs is the most recorded in a Section V Baseball game since Hammondsport’s Ryan Eckel fanned 21 on April 21st, 2013. Victor’s Nate Kuchta holds the Section V seven-inning record with a 22-strike out performance in 2000. Arkport’s Dean Piatt holds the overall record with 25 strikeouts in an 11-inning outing in 1953.
Taylor has not allowed a run since April 6th when the Jesuit Knights lost 3-1 to Huntington Beach (Cal.) in USA Baseball’s National High School Invitational. He has thrown four consecutive complete-game shutouts. The lefty tossed four scoreless against Rush-Henrietta on April 13th, but a lightning delay cut short that outing. Former Jesuit Knight standout Hunter Walsh threw 33 consecutive scoreless innings in 2019 McQuaid went on to win the NYS Class AA title.
Schroeder (13-5) came into the game having won four of five and averaging better than 10 runs scored per game during that recent stretch.
“He’s obviously the pitcher we’ve faced all year, and we’ve faced some pretty good pitchers,” said Schroeder head coach Matt Knight. “He can locate his fastball and his curveball kept us off-balance.”
Schroeder’s Tyler Stack connected on two-out double in the fourth for the Warriors’ first hit of the day. Luke Kelly and Kaleb Juliano got aboard with two-out singles in the fifth but were left stranded.
The same two teams meet on Thursday at McQuaid.
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