By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — With rain in the forecast for early Tuesday evening, it was decided to move up first pitch 30 minutes for the game at ESL Ballpark from 4:30 PM to the top of the hour.
Swift adjustments were needed for the teams from Wayland-Cohocton and Pavilion/York making the hour commute.
The schedule change fit the former well, especially Paetyn Michaud, the Wayland-Cohocton starter.
Michaud hurled his first complete game of the season as the Eagles (9-4) topped Pavilion/York (7-5), 9-1 in Livingston County Athletic Association action.
“He’s gotten back to throwing strikes, mixing speeds, and just mixing up arm angles,” said Wayland-Cohocton head coach, Steve Wager. “And that’s been huge for him.”
Making his third start of the year, the senior right-hander scattered six hits and three walks while striking out six to improve to 2-2.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM STEVEN TWARDZIK.
“Early in the year, we didn’t think he was taking enough speed off of his slider,” Wager said. “So he’s kind of gotten back to that, and his last couple outings have been what you saw today.”
Michaud left a runner aboard in both the first and second innings then escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the third when he induced a ground for a 4-6-3 inning-ending double play.
“We turned two double plays last night in our game,” Wager said. “And we have to, because our pitching is not going to strike out a lot of hitters. Most teams have a guy that they can send out there who is going to strike out a dozen guys. We don’t have that. So we rely on guys having to play good defense. And yeah, we have been. So, you know, I’m proud of the guys for that.”
Wayland-Cohocton third baseman Kam Lantz completed a 5-3 double play in the fifth when he got the force at third base before firing across the diamond to complete the twin killing. Lantz ended the game when he grabbed a line drive off the bat of Zach Bauer and doubled off a runner at third.
“Those plays were awesome,” Michaud said of the glove work behind him. “It’s the best feeling ever when the guys get a double play.”
Alex Fedorchuk led the offense going 2-for-3 with three runs scored. The junior centerfielder led the bottom of the first with a flare to center. He stole second and scored on a Orion Walker base hit.
Wayland-Cohocton added two runs in the third with Walker and Ethan Loop coming around to score. Fedorchuk drew a walk in the fourth and eventually scored on a balk.
The Eagles put the game out of reach in the fifth with five more runs. Fedorchuk drove in one and later scored. Lantz also had an RBI in the frame.
Michaud did not allow a ball out of the infield until a two-out single in the fourth. His performance arrives on time for a Wayland-Cohocton staff that lost its ace, Hayden Wolfanger, earlier in the season due to an injury.
Pavilion/York scored its lone run in the seventh when Kadyn Skinner led with a single, and Lincoln Mitrano followed with an RBI double.
Walker reached base all four times he came to the plate. The junior stole four bases. Ethan Bauer was 1-3 with a walk and a run scored. Lantz singled, drove in two and scored once. Quinn Dixon walked twice and crossed home once.
Pavilion/York’s Skinner finished 2-2.
Competitors on the diamond, the two programs train together during Spring Break in Myrtle Beach.
“The last few years, we go down there, and we usually scrimmage two or three times with them,” Wager said. “We do, like, joint practices with them. We consider them our friends, so we were pretty excited to get them to come up and play this game.”
Wayland-Cohocton is scheduled to play at Dansville on Wednesday. A 4:30 PM first pitch is scheduled.
Pavilion/York hosts Geneseo for a 5:00 start on Wednesday.
Leave a Reply