Orford
Fukushima struck out 15 batters while giving up only three hits as Rivendell won, 4-0. The senior standout, who pitched a complete game, also contributed one of four hits for the Raptors (1-1).
“He tries to economize a lot,” Rivendell coach Eric Reichert said. “But when you throw that many strikeouts — I think he was a little over 80 pitches today — you should have a lot of pitches with 15 strikeouts. He’s just a real smart pitcher, he doesn’t get rattled and he’s fun to call pitches for.”
Sharon (0-1), which made the transition this year from club to varsity status, got its first hit from starting center fielder Aidan Trimble in the first inning. The visitors’ only other hits came in the fourth, when pitcher Kyle Hedgepeth led off with a single and Trimble followed with another single. A brief Rivendell mound conference ensued, and Fukushima responded by striking out the next three batters.
Rivendell’s first batter of the day, Zach Gould, led off with a single off Hedgepeth and went on to score. The sophomore center fielder took second base on a passed ball, then left the bag the same instant Dylan Ricker squared around for a bunt. Gould rounded third and scored as Sharon tried unsuccessfully to throw Ricker out at first.
Hedgepeth settled in after that, retiring three of the next four batters, two on strikeouts. The senior had a strong outing, giving up four hits and striking out 10 in five innings of work.
Rivendell got going again in the second with a leadoff single by Luke Streeter. Ryan Woodbeck followed with a grounder up the middle that Phoenix second baseman Sam Knoerlein stopped with a backhand for the defensive highlight of the game. Sharon attempted a double play after the out at second, but Woodbeck beat the throw to first. Designated hitter Sean Maddock followed with a walk before a series of infield snafus led to Rivendell’s second run.
Woodbeck led off second, drew a throw from Hedgepeth and bolted for third. The throw to third was too high, allowing Woodbeck to score. After Gould struck out, Ricker plated Maddock with an RBI single.
The Raptors padded their lead in the sixth off reliever Trimble and, once again, the leadoff batter was the culprit. Noah Martel walked, stole second, advanced to third on a dropped third strike and ultimately scored on a passed ball.
Trimble responded by striking out the next three Rivendell batters, an encouraging sign for the Phoenix and their coach, Mike Bissaillon.
“(It was) huge,” Bissaillon said of Trimble’s relief stint. “That’s why I wanted to get him out there for an inning because we have a doubleheader Saturday and he’ll probably start one of those two games. You know, get the nerves out of the way before Saturday’s game.”
The Phoenix, which began club play in 2015, features eight seniors whose advocacy helped the program advance to varsity status. The season-opening loss was slightly disappointing for Sharon, but that seemed to pale in comparison to the bigger picture.
“They know we played well, and we’re finally to where we want to be,” Bissaillon said. “It’s been a long process to get here to be a varsity team. This was a start, so that’s phenomenal.”
Reichert, now in his 24th year at RA, offered his take on Tuesday’s result.
“I think because we’re trying to move forward, I see more fault than I see good this early,” Reichert said. “We need to hit better than we hit today. Only four hits and a lot of just not even loading up and getting ready to hit. I’ve seen these guys — they’re a better hitting team than they were today — so we need to work on that. Seeing live pitching is something you can’t simulate in the gym.”
Fukushima, who struck out the side in the third, fifth and sixth innings, acknowledged his team’s hitting futility.
“We just need to get the bats going,” Fukushima said. “That will come with a little bit more time out on the field. We’ve only had a couple days of practice outside, and we’ve spent them on field cleanup. Once we get in the cage, we’ll be putting up more runs.”
Fukushima is one of just two returning seniors, along with Zack Peebles, for the Raptors.
“We’ve got a couple of freshmen coming in, which is pretty new for us; we’re more of an older team,” Fukushima said. “I think if the upperclassmen do their job, they can teach the young kids something and we’ll be going pretty good at the middle of the season.”
Rivendell hosts Thetford on Friday, and Sharon entertains South Royalton in a doubleheader on Saturday.