Pack encouraged by Sat. performance against Mesa
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It may be the first sin of athletics to call any loss a "moral victory," but the ThunderWolves' performance in a 4-2 loss to Mesa State Saturday provided something much easier to accept - encouragement.
The ThunderWolves, deeply mired in one of the toughest down streaks in the program's history, had all the reason in the world in the roll over and play dead following three blowout losses to an archrival Mesa State team that is playing ball worthy of earning notice in the nation's national polls. Baby steps were taken in Saturday's late game, in which the Pack did its best to not let the Mavericks run away again, losing 19-15 in a shootout.
Saturday, embattled pitcher Jesus Hernandez took to the hill for the Pack, and pitched what was for all intents and purposes, an absolute gem. Hernandez hurled a complete game six-hitter, the first complete game tossed by a Pack pitcher this season, and was only hurt by a big first inning by Mesa State. In that inning, a would-be lineout trickled just millimeters away from the reach of Pack second baseman, Nick McLaughlin, resulting a two-run single that gave the Mavericks an important step up to start off the game. Following the three-run first, though, Hernandez' following eight innings was perhaps the finest performance a Pack pitcher had put up all season long.
Hernandez' performance is all the more impressive when you factor in his struggles in 2008, which includes his unceremonious demotion from the closer role following two blown saves to begin the season. Too good of an arm to keep off the mound, as he peaks in the low 90s, Hernandez was given a chance to start, and never made it later than the fourth inning in his two previous starts, a big reason he came in with a 21.38 ERA.
All that was seemingly blinked out Saturday, as a young pitcher got a fresh start and renewed the confidence and respect from his teammates and his coaches.
"Jesus went from being a power pitcher to being a pitcher," Pack coach Stan Sanchez said, remarking Hernandez' transformation into perhaps a pinpoint hurler. "He found his changeup today and was using that instead of just trying to overthrow guys with his fastball. He was absolutely cutting guys up, and they couldn't sit on anything."
The only thing that kept the Pack from a victory was the continued red hot streak of the Mesa State team, which carried through to its number-four pitcher, Freddie Hampe. Hampe pitched seven lights out innings, only allowing two runs on four hits. Relievers Jason Enewold and Brent Lamastar kept it up, keeping the Pack hitless in the eighth and ninth innings.
Though cold days at the plate will happen from time to time, the day's biggest story was Hernandez' performance and the Pack's play in the field, going errorless, marking 16 innings without an error, a big accomplishment for a team that made seven gaffes in the field Thursday.
"From Thursday to Saturday, we grew as a team," Sanchez said. "It's a confidence builder that we could get solid pitching and fielding in a game, so now our hitters know that they can just swing away and make things happen."
The Pack will return to the field Friday with a road trip to Denver to take a red hot Metro State team, which is off to an impressive 16-0 start in conference play, getting them to a ranking of 15th nationally in the latest NCBWA Division II poll. Just two weeks ago, the Pack split a non-conference doubleheader with the Roadrunners in Pueblo.
"We believe we can beat them," Sanchez said. "We'll use [today's game] to build on and try to take them out."
