By PATRICK WALSH
It hasn’t been too long since Reid VanScoter was dicing up Section V hitters.
The former Livonia Bulldog southpaw picked up his first professional victory for the Seattle Mariners’ High-A affiliate, Everett AquaSox, striking three and allowing two runs on three hits over six strong innings in a 9-2 victory over the Hillsboro Hops.
After allowing back-to-back sacrifice flies in the third, VanScoter retired the last 10 batters he faced with only one ball leaving the infield over those 3.1 innings, that being a line out to the left fielder in the sixth. For the game, 12 of the 18 outs he recorded came via groundout.
VanScoter has appeared in two games this season for the AquaSox. In his two starts, he has thrown 10 innings and allowed two earned runs. Batters have posted a .147 batting average alongside a .225 on-base percentage against him.
VanScoter was selected in the fifth round (156th overall) in the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft by the Seattle Mariners. He had spent the last two years of college at Coastal Carolina University, posting an ERA of 3.90 and 109 strikeouts in 120 innings. He racked up second-team All-American and Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year honors during his redshirt senior campaign.
During his high school career, VanScoter compiled a record of 31-1 with an ERA of 0.40 and struck out 396 batters over 210.2 innings, an impressive 13.2 strikeouts per seven innings. During his tenure, Livonia won back-to-back state titles in 2016 and 2017, alongside first-team all-state selections during those two seasons.
In his senior year, VanScoter had a perfect 11-0 record in 12 starts and an ERA of 0.50. Of his 12 starts, nine were complete games and three shutouts. The southpaw earned 2017 New York State Class B Player of the Year honors en route to the back end of state titles. He hurled two no-hitters during his final year against Hornell and Wayland-Cohocton. In the no-hitter against Hornell, VanScoter fanned 21 batters, tied for second-most for a seven-inning game in Section V history.
Everett opens a six-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays affiliate, the Vancouver Canadians on Tuesday.
Leave a Reply