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Winning Form
Woodstock Academy pitcher Kaden Murphy shows his winning form April 7 against Ellis Tech. He allowed only four hits and struck out eight in a 6-2 victory over the Eagles. Photo by Woodstock Academy senior Bryson Gould.
Woodstock Academy baseball coach Brian Murphy has the answer for it. “I don’t think we’re a cold weather team,” Murphy said with a laugh.
Both of its games last week were played in less than balmy conditions and on both occasions, as it was in the opener on a frigid day in Waterford the previous Saturday, the bats took a while to warm up.
The Centaurs waited until the seventh inning to forge ahead of NFA early last week to post a 9-5 victory over the Wildcats in Norwich.
The formula held true April 7 where the Centaurs were handcuffed by Ellis Tech starter Cam L’Hereaux for the first five innings before breaking out in the sixth against the Eagles bullpen to win 6-2.
The wins raised Woodstock’s record to 2-1 on the year. “That was a good team and their pitcher, Cam L’Hereaux, is, in my opinion, one of the best pitchers in the area. We knew we were going to be up against it and I’m proud of the guys. They fought back, had heart, had life and we won,” Murphy said.
Fortunately, his son, Kaden, was also up to the task.
After a rough start against Waterford in the season opener, the right hander pitched six strong innings for the Centaurs. He gave up just one unearned run and four hits and struck out eight.
Kaden Murphy said he had worked on his mechanics and had the mindset that he just wanted to pound the zone and throw strikes against the Eagles.
He did his job but the offense took a while to come around. Woodstock trailed 1-0 until the top of the fourth inning.
Zach Roethlein reached on an error, went to second on a Marcus McGregor single and scored when Jon Smith reached on an error.
The Centaurs broke the tie in the fifth. Eric Mathewson singled and Carter Morissette walked. Mathewson was tagged out at the plate on a fielder’s choice by Hamilton Barnes but Morissette was able to come around to score. Barnes later came home on a dropped third strike to give Woodstock the 3-1 lead.
The Centaurs opened the game up in the sixth when McGregor walked and stole second and came home on a triple by senior Ethan Davis.
Davis scored on an error to make it 5-1 and Morissette delivered the coup de gras, a home run to left field.
It was the first high school hit for the junior. Morissette had to weather the pandemic as a freshman when baseball was cancelled and had further disappointment as a sophomore when Tommy John surgery meant he could not play.
“That was my first-ever hit in high school so that felt really great,” Morissette said. “It felt good but I didn’t know it was gone because the wind was blowing in, but it got over.”
Did he ever anticipate that his first high school hit would be a homer? “I hoped it would be,” Morissette said. “Obviously, at our school it’s really hard with it being 430 (feet) to left-center where I hit it. Luckily, we’re playing away and it went out.”
Morissette still is dealing with some after-effects of the surgery. “I’m feeling great, still on a limited pitch count, but it feels nice just to be back on the mound, able to relieve and help the team anyway I can,” Morissette said.
The Centaurs opened the week with the win over the Wildcats. But it was hardly easy.
They went into the top of the seventh and final inning trailing, 5-4, but put together a five-run, two-out rally to pull out the victory.
McGregor (2-for-3, 3 runs scored) and Smith (2-3, 1 RBI) singled to open the seventh for Woodstock. But a strikeout and a fielder’s choice left them with runners on first and third and two outs.
Davis’ second hit of the game, a single to left, tied the game as it plated McGregor. Two consecutive walks, including a bases-loaded one to Barnes, put the Centaurs ahead.
Jackson Goetz then added an RBI single before Zach Roethlein (4-5, 3 RBIs) sealed it with a two-run double. It continued Roethlein’s early hot streak as he went 6-for-9 in the first two games for Woodstock.
“Zach is another young man who has been with me for seven or eight years and he just works so hard at his trade. He’s a great contact hitter and is the guy we want in big spots. He’s the man. We’re starting to swing the bats, starting to come around a little bit and we should get better. Zach has been leading that charge,” Brian Murphy said.
Eric Mathewson picked up the win on the mound, throwing only eight pitches in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the Woodstock win.
“Resiliency and competitiveness are a big part of this team and a win over NFA is big for us, let’s face it,” Brian Murphy said.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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