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Blackshaw spins six-hitter to deny D&M’s Stars and Stripes title hopes
By BRIAN MILLER For Sun-Times Media
They might be a one-trick pony, but the No. 9 Bar of Appleton men’s fastpitch softball team doesn’t seem to care since its one trick, ace pitcher Andy Blackshaw, is pretty darn good.
Blackshaw shut out the No. 12 Shamrocks over seven innings, allowing just six hits and walking none, while striking out 10 as Appleton picked up a 6-0 win in the championship game of the Stars and Stripes Tournament held Sunday at the Stuart Sports Complex in Aurora.
“He’s getting into his groove now,” Appleton catcher Jesse Delorit said. “This is the time to do that. No walks today, walks kill you.”
“He’s just a good young pitcher,” Dolan & Murphy coach Robin Reder said. “But he’s the type of pitcher we need to face for the upcoming tournaments.”
Blackshaw, who walked five batters and struck out seven in a 5-2 win over the Shamrocks on Saturday, dominated and at one point retired 10 straight batters to become the unofficial MVP of the tournament.
“It’s just how the day went,” Reder said. “We’ve had good at-bats for the most part this year. Again, he’s a tough pitcher so you’re not going square the ball up.”
The Shamrocks gave up two runs in each of the second, third and fourth innings — a hole far too big to dig themselves out of with Blackshaw on the rubber.
“With Andy on the mound, yes, you should win, (with a lead),” Delorit said. “If we get four or five runs like we did, we should capitalize and win the ballgame.”
A little luck helped Appleton in the second, when with bases loaded and two outs, Mike Armitage’s soft looper to the grass behind second base could not be caught by Shamrocks’ shortstop Dave Perkins.
“That hurt,” Reder said. “That gets the momentum down because you can’t get behind a pitcher like that. It’s awful tough to come back.”
Said Perkins: “Even though it’s a 6-0 final, if it’s zero-zero going to the third, mentally it’s a different game for everyone. … The ball was just spinning and when I got to it, I didn’t get my throwing hand on top of it to cover it up.”
The Shamrocks had a chance to push across runs in the top of the third, but ended up leaving the bases loaded despite three hits in the inning.
“Guys have to step up and just be happy putting the ball in play in that situation,” said Perkins, who singled in the inning and finished 2 for 4. “We’re thinking too much about driving in runs. We just have to put a bat on the ball and not strikeout with guys in scoring position.”
Appleton broke open the game in the bottom half of the next two innings with a two-run single by Delorit in the third, and a two-run single by cousin Chris Delorit in the bottom of the fourth.
Perkins led the Shamrocks at the plate, while Jim Pecoraro, Mike Glock, Mark Kleffner and Cooper Carson all picked up hits.
Appleton heads back to Wisconsin a winner, again, happy to have enjoyed success over the holiday weekend.
“We love coming down here,” Delorit said. “Aurora always puts on a good show. It was fun playing in Elgin at the (Chicago Bandits) stadium in front of the women’s fans. It was nice to come down.”
And get a win, Appleton’s fourth weekend tournament victory in a row.
“We’re on a roll,” he added. “Just gotta keep rolling.”