Olsen Slams the Door on Highlanders

Pete Olsen, a tall senior righthander from Hale-Ray, was so dominant Monday at Portland that the Highlanders did not threaten to score in their Shoreline Conference game. To their credit, though, they did not allow Olsen, who improved to 3-2 on the season, to turn his three-hit victory into a Strikeout Fest.

The Little Noises (7-7) won their second game in a row by shutout, handing Portland (1-12) its sixth straight loss with a 9-0 win. Olsen struck out five and walked none. He gave up an infield single in the second inning to Matt Ryan, a single into right field in the fourth (Tyler Rose) and a single off the first baseman’s glove in the sixth (John Scovill), each after getting the first two Highlanders out.

Hale-Ray got two runs off John Clark, the first of three Portland pitchers, in the first inning and added three runs in the third, two in the fifth and one each in the sixth and seventh innings. The Highlanders, who failed to advance any baserunners to second base, cannot lose another game this season to qualify for the CIAC Class S state tournament.

“Pete was about as dominant as he can be,” said Hale-Ray assistant coach Jason Hendry, who took over once coach Rich Gable had to leave early. “He threw first-pitch strikes. He only threw 18 balls all game. He didn’t have his first 2-and-0 count until the first batter of the seventh inning. He was dominant from the first pitch to the last. They really couldn’t do anything against him at all.”

Olsen, who went 2-for-4, was so strong that he didn’t have to resort to his third most effective pitch, a change-up. He said three-quarters of his pitches were fastballs and that Monday’s game was his season-low for hits and his first game without a walk.

“This was my best start by far,” Olsen said. “And it was economical – I threw only 64 pitches, I think. My curveball was working real well. I had great control. I was able to put the ball where I wanted to. I didn’t need anything else other than my fastball and curve.”

Portland coach Rick Borg was impressed with how Olsen mixed in his curveballs.

“There was a big speed difference between his fastball and curveball,” Borg said. “If our batters were looking for one pitch and got the other pitch, they were in trouble.”

Borg continued to look toward the future by bringing in two freshman pitchers after Clark threw for four innings. Jason Staub made his varsity pitching debut in the fifth inning and gave up three runs on four hits. He walked none and recorded his first varsity strikeout. Hayden Manning, who started the game at first base, pitched the seventh, allowing a run on two hits. If the freshmen struggled to maintain their composure, they did not show it at all.

Borg liked what he saw from them.

Many innings pitched this season has left Clark without a fresh arm and Borg planned to use him for four innings only.

“He battled for four innings and picked off two runners – that was nice,” Borg said.

Clark gave up five runs on six hits and one walk with two strikeouts. Two of his innings were three-up, three-down.

Staub didn’t keep his curveball low enough in the zone. “He’s got to feel good about that first strikeout,” Borg said.

Manning, a lefty, pitched the seventh inning in his third varsity appearance and his fourth inning.

Borg’s emphasis on playing younger players is giving him hope for the future. Injuries to three catchers forced him to use freshman Michael Bordonaro, who did not play on Monday, for most of the season.

“He’s improved by leaps and bounds this year. It was a real baptism by fire.”

Healey started at catcher against Hale-Ray but began the year at shortstop, one of many position switches by Borg to fill in the holes from injuries. Scovill, a junior, who is batting over .300, is the lone player to stay in his main position (center field) throughout the season.

“We had to put our shortstop behind the plate. We’re not deep,” Borg said. “John Scovill has been quite reliable in center field.”