Paul Gotham
Greater Rochester Area

Connor Ewing (No. 141 New York State 2016 - No. 41 at position) retired the first 16 he faced and finished with a 4-hitter as the Fairport Red Raiders handed the Webster Schroeder Warriors their first league loss of the season, 3-2.

Dialed In

With a fastball in the low 80s, the 6-foot, 185 pound Ewing retired half of the first 16 batters he faced on ground balls.  He set down another four on strikes. He set down four in the fifth when a batter reached on a dropped third strike. Ewing's 17 of 28 first-pitch strikes for the game looks average but factor in that the first time through the lineup he pitched ahead to nearly every batter. He worked in his breaking ball later in the game to keep a potent Schroeder lineup off-balance. The intermittent showers affected his accuracy with the breaking ball  in a couple of situations. In the later innings, Ewing was able to go up top to strike out a couple of Webster's best hitters. 

The rain wasn't the only distraction for Ewing. He pitched the game with a split upper lip after getting hit with a ball during batting practice. There was also a "jewelry delay" with one out in the fourth. After a 90-plus second delay ("He's going to have to cut it if he can't unlatch it" was overheard), Ewing retired the batter on a weak infield pop up. There was also a play at second with bases loaded and two outs in the seventh that looked like Fairport had the game-ending out only to have the runner ruled safe. Ewing's teammate, Chad Riorden, was injured on the play and have to be removed from the game (left under his own power). After a more than five-minute delay, Ewing ended the game, with the go-ahead run in scoring position, on a routine infield pop up. 

Who Needs Rest

Pitching on three days' rest Ewing's counterpart, Nick Lawlor, allowed three runs on seven hits. The senior right-hander went the distance and surrendered just three hits in Schroeder's 5-0 win over Churchville-Chili on Monday. On Friday, Lawlor fanned three and allowed seven hits. It was Lawlor who took responsibility for breaking up Ewing's no-hit bid with a lead off double in the sixth. He also loaded the bases in the seventh with a two-out single. Lawlor also showed the difference between being quick and being fast. He won't draw any comparisons to Usain Bolt, but on two occasions the 5-foot-10 hurler scampered off the mound and made barehanded pickups and throws to first getting speedy runners. 

Not To Be Overlooked

Playing in a lineup with all seniors, Fairport's Mike Sabatine continues to impress with his defensive work in right field. Sabatine's diving catch on a sinking line drive to lead the seventh drew plenty of applause, but it is the other subtle plays the fleet-footed sophomore makes which are note-worthy. Sabatine routinely runs down balls in the gap. His athleticism allows for a quick conversion from glove to throwing hand.  He finished 1-for-3 at the plate with a run scored. A savvy baserunner, Sabatine has plenty of upside.