Potent offense, freshman’s pitching lift Gorman to baseball title
Nick Day didn’t need a scouting report to prepare for the championship game of the Bishop Gorman Desert Classic.
The Gorman baseball coach needed only to recall the first two innings of the Gaels’ previous game with Vauxhall (Canada) to formulate a plan.
“They jumped all over our fastball and scored nine runs in the first two innings,” Day said of the Wednesday matchup that ended in a 10-10 tie. “It seemed like they were dead-red fastball hitters.”
So on Saturday, the Gaels changed speeds, and their offense shifted into top gear.
Jack Little tossed a 58-pitch two-hitter, and Cole Krzmarzick drove in four runs as Gorman rolled to a 13-0 victory over the Jets in five innings.
“I really tried to keep them off-balanced with the off-speed and keeping the ball down,” Little said. “I went out there and tried to get the first three outs, then the offense worked for me. That seven-run lead we got out to in the first inning really made me settle down.”
The freshman right-hander, making his third varsity start on the mound, struck out five and walked one. Consistently hitting the corners with an effective splitter and change-up, Little set down 14 of the final 16 batters he faced.
“Jack’s very mature and well beyond his years,” Day said. “He doesn’t pitch like a freshman. He understands how to pitch. He has great command of all of his pitches and locates really well for not only a freshman but for any high school pitcher.”
While Little kept the Jets’ bats at bay, the Gaels’ offense totaled 13 hits.
Gorman (12-3-1) scored seven runs in the first inning, including three with two outs. Krzmarzick highlighted the barrage by launching a 2-and-1 fastball over the fence in left-center with a runner on second. Jerrel Latham, Bronson Bowe, Willie Jumper and Cadyn Grenier all had run-scoring singles in the inning as the Gaels sent 11 batters to the plate.
“We were just seeing the ball well in the first inning,” Krzmarzick said. “Usually, if we get out there early and score some runs, it provides a pace for the rest of the game.”
Nick Gates scored from third on a wild pitch in the second inning to put Gorman up 8-0, and the Gaels added four runs in the third. Krzmarzick had a two-run, stand-up triple in the inning before Gates knocked him in with a hard-hit single into left field.
Gates finished 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs.
“I stressed to the guys the importance of putting teams away because we haven’t done that early this season,” Day said. “They definitely answered the call.”
In Gorman’s semifinal, Latham smacked a two-run homer over the right-field fence in the sixth inning to secure the Gaels’ 6-3 victory over Mountain Vista (Colo.). Latham finished with four RBIs and two runs, and teammate Kenny Meimerstorf went 3-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and a run.
Contact reporter John W. Scafetta at jscafetta@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0430.
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SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
SOFTBALL
■ Pahrump Valley’s Whitney Roderick tossed a six-inning two-hitter in an 11-1 win over Valley, then struck out 11 to help the Trojans top Cheyenne 15-5 in six innings in the Spring Jamboree at Majestic Park.
■ Centennial’s Taylor Huntly went 4-for-5 with two home runs, two doubles and seven RBIs as the Bulldogs topped Fernley 14-2 in five innings and Port of Los Angeles 6-2 in the Spring Jamboree at Majestic Park.
■ Green Valley’s Maggie Manwarren went 8-for-8 as the Gators downed Garfield (Calif.) 14-5 in six innings and Maranatha (Calif.) 10-6 in the Spring Jamboree at Majestic Park.
■ Palo Verde’s Melissa Lacro was 4-for-4 with a double and three RBIs and tossed a five-inning five-hitter to help the Panthers beat Schurr (Calif.) 12-1 in the Spring Jamboree at Majestic Park.
