R.L. Bynum
04-29-2008, 09:31 PM
Pelchy’s splitter baffles York
Grafton’s Kyle Pelchy hurls one-hit shutout against Falcons.
By MELINDA WALDROP | mwaldrop@dailypress.com | 247-4634
YORK — Kyle Pelchy’s newest weapon seems to work pretty well.
Relying often on the splitter that he added to his repertoire this season, Pelchy, Grafton’s senior right-hander, threw a one-hit shutout as the host Clippers beat York 5-0 Tuesday.
“We thought he dominated pretty well from the first pitch,” Grafton coach John Hammonds said. “He was on fire. He was on. When he gets into his grooves, he’s a tough, tough pitcher.”
Grafton improved to 10-3-1 overall and in the Bay Rivers District, while York fell to 9-5.
Hammonds said Pelchy has been tinkering with a split-finger fastball for years. After throwing the pitch in practice and while warming up, Pelchy debuted it in game situations this year.
“I never really had a strong changeup, so it’s turned into my offspeed (pitch),” Pelchy said. “(Hammonds) had been saying, ‘What counts do you want to throw it in?’ I was like two strikes, nobody on, definitely give it a shot, and we just kind of went from there. I kind of just kept throwing it enough, even with people on base. I’d say it’s my No. 1 out pitch now.”
York’s only hit on Tuesday came with two outs in the second inning, when first baseman Jordan Kelley lined a ball past a diving Robbie Brownschidle at first base. But after giving up a walk, Pelchy (2-2) came back to get the third of his seven strikeouts and end the Falcons’ only threat.
“We’ve hit the ball better, but you’ve got to give (Pelchy) credit,” York coach Bob Pearce said. “He threw the ball well. He’s experienced. He’s got some good skills there and you’ve got make some things happen someway, and we didn’t just get it done today.”
Pelchy got all the support he would need on RBI singles from Matt Dent and Brownschidle in the bottom of the first inning. Catcher Tristan Maldonado doubled the lead with a two-run homer to left-center in the third and just missed a solo shot in the fifth, ripping a pitch foul over the left-field fence.
John Bayse singled in Grafton’s final run in the fifth.
In York’s final at-bat, second baseman Chase Emerson drilled a pitch to right-center, but Patrick Bergman, just into the game as a defensive replacement and shaded by his coaches toward the gap, ran the ball down at the fence. Pelchy then got a popup to end the game.
GRAFTON 5, YORK 0
York 000 000 0 — 0 1 0
Grafton202 010 x — 5 7 0
WP — Pelchy (2-2). LP — McCarthy (4-3). Standouts — York, Kelley 1-3; Grafton, Rodriguez 2-4; Maldonado 1-3, 2 RBI (home run). Records — York 9-5, 9-5 Bay Rivers; Grafton 10-3-1, 10-3-1.
Grafton’s Kyle Pelchy hurls one-hit shutout against Falcons.
By MELINDA WALDROP | mwaldrop@dailypress.com | 247-4634
YORK — Kyle Pelchy’s newest weapon seems to work pretty well.
Relying often on the splitter that he added to his repertoire this season, Pelchy, Grafton’s senior right-hander, threw a one-hit shutout as the host Clippers beat York 5-0 Tuesday.
“We thought he dominated pretty well from the first pitch,” Grafton coach John Hammonds said. “He was on fire. He was on. When he gets into his grooves, he’s a tough, tough pitcher.”
Grafton improved to 10-3-1 overall and in the Bay Rivers District, while York fell to 9-5.
Hammonds said Pelchy has been tinkering with a split-finger fastball for years. After throwing the pitch in practice and while warming up, Pelchy debuted it in game situations this year.
“I never really had a strong changeup, so it’s turned into my offspeed (pitch),” Pelchy said. “(Hammonds) had been saying, ‘What counts do you want to throw it in?’ I was like two strikes, nobody on, definitely give it a shot, and we just kind of went from there. I kind of just kept throwing it enough, even with people on base. I’d say it’s my No. 1 out pitch now.”
York’s only hit on Tuesday came with two outs in the second inning, when first baseman Jordan Kelley lined a ball past a diving Robbie Brownschidle at first base. But after giving up a walk, Pelchy (2-2) came back to get the third of his seven strikeouts and end the Falcons’ only threat.
“We’ve hit the ball better, but you’ve got to give (Pelchy) credit,” York coach Bob Pearce said. “He threw the ball well. He’s experienced. He’s got some good skills there and you’ve got make some things happen someway, and we didn’t just get it done today.”
Pelchy got all the support he would need on RBI singles from Matt Dent and Brownschidle in the bottom of the first inning. Catcher Tristan Maldonado doubled the lead with a two-run homer to left-center in the third and just missed a solo shot in the fifth, ripping a pitch foul over the left-field fence.
John Bayse singled in Grafton’s final run in the fifth.
In York’s final at-bat, second baseman Chase Emerson drilled a pitch to right-center, but Patrick Bergman, just into the game as a defensive replacement and shaded by his coaches toward the gap, ran the ball down at the fence. Pelchy then got a popup to end the game.
GRAFTON 5, YORK 0
York 000 000 0 — 0 1 0
Grafton202 010 x — 5 7 0
WP — Pelchy (2-2). LP — McCarthy (4-3). Standouts — York, Kelley 1-3; Grafton, Rodriguez 2-4; Maldonado 1-3, 2 RBI (home run). Records — York 9-5, 9-5 Bay Rivers; Grafton 10-3-1, 10-3-1.