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Consistent pitching carries Cougars into season’s second half

By Bob Madison - For the Chronicle | Apr 21, 2023

SHENANDOAH JUNCTION — Adages and long-accepted sayings abound in baseball. Most of those sayings are based in facts and at least tinged in realism.

“Baseball is 75-percent pitching” the conservatives voice. “Baseball is 90 percent pitching” say those associated with dominant strike throwers who don’t beat themselves.

When Jefferson returned from its annual Myrtle Beach, week-long trip of seeing teams from all over the map, it had a 10-4 overall record after going 3-1 in games at the beach.

Steady and very reliable pitching has been the usual signature of this team.

Five starters have been the mainstays of the season to date.

Caleb Fletcher, Daquan Shipe, Ryan Kelly, Riley Morgan and Ryan Hefner have at times been dominant enough that the Cougar offense has needed to produce only a scant few runs for the team to win.

Even in its few losses the Cougars had well-pitched games. Jefferson has lost 1-0, 3-1 and 3-2 verdicts as well as winning by scores of 1-0, 3-1 and 3-2.

The team’s offense has also had its moments to shine when the team won games 16-0, 10-1, 15-0, 10-3, 15-2 and 11-1.

In South Carolina, Jefferson began its week with a 3-1 win over Monsignor McClancy from New York. Then came a 15-2 victory over Waccamaw (South Carolina), a team that has beaten Jefferson in past visits to the tournament.

The lone loss of the week was a 1-0 pitcher’s duel effort against High Point (North Carolina). In its last game — a reshuffled finale against McClancy again — the Cougars found a Saturday date against a team that had stayed around even after Friday’s games were rained out.

When runs have come more easily the team leaders on offense have been Cole Lewis (14-for-32) at .438, Caleb Fletcher (12-for-36) at .333, JJ Polvinale (12-for-39) at .308, Ryan Kelly (10-for-34) at .294 and Riley Norgan (8-for-29) at .276.

Morgan has hit the team’s only home run in the first 14 games.

Shipe (0.55) and Fletcher (0.89) have the two lowest ERAs. In only 15.2 innings of work, Fletcher has fanned 24 batters. Morgan (17.1 innings) has struck out 22 batters. The original schedule has changed some with a make-up game with Moorefield at home added. Other additions or subtractions to the original schedule are likely to be made.

Pitching, pitching and more pitching are the usual factors in winning or losing high school games. And Jefferson has cemented that fact in many people’s minds, here in the 2023 season.