BY CONOR FOLEY
Times-Shamrock Writer
Chris Lee pitched the entire game for Montrose in their first playoff game against Carbondale on Friday. The Meteors defeated the Chargers 15-0. PHOTO BY HEIDI ZENEFSKI
Jake Decker went a few weeks without starting a game on the mound.
Blue Ridge’s junior ace was nursing an injury, so he took things easy for a bit after a stellar start to the season.
Last Monday, he picked up where he left off.
Decker struck out nine in a complete game and also doubled in a run as Blue Ridge beat Forest City, 3-1, in a Lackawanna League Division IV game.
“I knew it was going to be a tough game, and it was,” Decker said. “We played the best ball we’ve played all year.”
Decker walked one and allowed six hits to outduel Mitchell Blake in a rematch of last season’s District 2 Class A championship game. Blake also tossed a complete game, walking none and striking out five.
Decker hadn’t made a start since May 7, when he lasted only one out against Mountain View. He pitched eight innings in relief against
After touching the bag for the out, Hunter Traver throws to first to secure the double play for the Meteors. PHOTO BY HEIDI ZENEFSKI
Montrose on April 25, but the last time he started and made it more than an out into the game was April 21.
Decker walked the first batter he faced Monday, and the runner eventually moved to third on an error and a groundout.
That’s when he settled in.
He struck out the following five batters and nine of the next 14, forgoing his curveball for a fastball-heavy outing. He threw 96 pitches, 70 for strikes and of the 81 fastballs he threw, Forest City hitters swung and missed 22 percent of the time.
“I was leaning on the fastball,” said Decker, who recorded eight strikeouts on fastballs. “I thought I was going to throw a knuckleball today, but it didn’t end up happening. I threw a curveball a couple times, but I needed to really get the rotation on the ball, really snap it.
“I was 100 percent confident in (the fastball).”
Decker recorded career strikeout No. 200 on the final out of the third inning. He has now struck out 67 batters in 35 innings this year.
Blue Ridge (7-7 overall, 7-5 Division IV) gave their starter a lead to work with in the fourth inning, when Jordan Goff led off with a single and came around to score on a one-out groundout by Evan Aldrich.
Forest City (8-5, 8-3) put together its best chance for offense the next inning, when it loaded the bases with no outs. Decker induced a fly ball to center that held up in the wind. Goff settled under it, made the catch and unleashed a throw home to nab the runner trying to tag up by several strides.
“I got the chills, to be honest,” Goff said. “It was awesome to see that throw go home and get him out.”
Blue Ridge added two runs in the sixth, one on Decker’s double and another on an infield single by Aldrich.
Forest City put together a two-out rally in the seventh, when R.J. Kuruts singled home the Foresters’ only run.
“These guys are pretty good at doing (putting this game behind them), they really are,” Forest City coach Bill O’Dell said. “They know where we made our mistakes. Even this game here, we made some mistakes that lost the game for us, even though we didn’t hit the ball well.”
Forest City held a one-game lead over Blue Ridge for the top seed in the District 2 Class A tournament going into their second game with each other last week.
At Blue Ridge on Tuesday, Jordan Goff threw five shutout innings to lead the Raiders to a Division IV win, 4-2, over the Foresters.
Derek Stento doubled and drove in a run for Blue Ridge.
Dylan O’Dell had two hits, including a double, and an RBI for Forest City.
On Monday in the first round of the Class A playoffs, winning pitcher Zack Groover had two hits and two RBIs to lead No. 5 Elk Lake, 11-8 over Lackwanna Trail.
Blake Chew had two hits, including a double, two runs and an RBI for the Warriors, who will play top-seeded Blue Ridge in the semifinals on Wednesday. Blue Ridge had a bye in the first round.
Montrose clinches
Div IV title
In last week’s play action at Montrose, Hunter Traver tripled and drove in three runs as the Meteors clinched the Division IV title with a 13-1 win over Susuqehanna.
Zach Collins singled and scored a run for Susquehanna.
Holy Cross took an 11-1 win over Elk Lake in a Division III-IV crossover game.
Brandon Traver had two hits for Elk Lake.
At Lackawanna Trail, Matthew Lavin and Tim Ord each had a single, a run scored and an RBI to lead Mountain View, 6-4, over Trail.
Alex Showalter scored two runs for the Eagles.
At Susquehanna, R.J. Arnold allowed two runs in six innings to lead Montrose to a 6-2 win over the Sabers.
Arnold also had two hits and an RBI for the Meteors and Hunter Traver and Bryden Jerauld each had a single, a run scored and an RBI.
Zach Collins doubled and scored a run for Susquehanna and Evan Haley had two hits, a run scored and an RBI.
At Elk Lake, Holy Cross scored a 7-2 Division III-IV crossover win over the Warriors.
Griffin Arnold singled and drove in a run for Elk Lake.
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