No. 1 Gorman holds off Faith Lutheran at Las Vegas Ballpark
Bishop Gorman has relied on pitching and defense this season, and the Gaels needed both of their top starters to get a win Thursday.
Kamdyn Perry and Kaden Soder stranded multiple runners on base to help the Gaels, ranked No. 1 in the Review-Journal’s Class 5A baseball rankings, hold on for a 4-2 win over Faith Lutheran at Las Vegas Ballpark.
“We did it again today. We pitched and played defense, and then we scored enough to win the game,” Gorman coach Chris Sheff said.
Perry pitched 5 ⅔ innings, allowing two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts on 90 pitches. Soder recorded the final four outs to help Gorman (24-2, 9-1 Class 5A Mountain League) earn its 13th straight win.
“We kind of know that every time our pitchers go out there, they’re going to handle business and they’re going to shut them down,” Gorman center fielder Aiden Pollock said. “We have to be out there backing them up, but we know they’re going to get it done.”
Pollock went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and first baseman Easton Shelton was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in a three-run fourth that proved to be all the offense Gorman needed to hold off Faith Lutheran (15-7, 6-3).
Perry escaped trouble in the fourth. With Gorman leading 4-0, Faith Lutheran designated hitter Zane Kelly’s two-out double scored second baseman Caden Richards.
After a walk put two runners on base, third baseman Brandon Swanson had a chance to tie the game. He almost did, but left fielder Marcus Matias made the catch in front of the wall.
“Those are key moments in every game,” Shelton said. “No matter the situation, our pitching being able to come in, throw strikes and do jobs, it’s phenomenal.”
Faith Lutheran threatened again with two outs in the sixth. Kelly singled, and shortstop George Holt loaded the bases after he was hit by a pitch.
Perry walked in a run, and Sheff brought in Soder. The right-hander stranded the bases loaded as Faith Lutheran sophomore left fielder Lucas Sideco’s fly ball to deep right found the glove of Gorman’s Nolan Eberwein.
“They’ve been our one and two all year, and we’re going to have to rely on them to do what we do this year and compete for a state title,” Sheff said of his pitchers. “It’s kind of what we expect out of them. We expect them to have good outings, and they did today.”
The Gaels struck first with three straight singles in the second. Eberwein’s single scored the game’s first run.
Their lead grew in the third. Junior shortstop Maddox Riske reached second base on a Faith Lutheran throwing error, and Pollock brought him home on an RBI single.
On Gorman’s next at-bat, Shelton made his presence felt. He hit a towering home run over the left-field wall that hit neighboring City National Arena.
“Right when I saw it go off the bat, I knew that ball was gone,” Pollock said. “I kind of just started putting my head down running the bases. That ball was one of the hardest ones I’ve seen him hit all year.”
Kelly finished 2-for-3 for the Crusaders.
Gorman sits in prime position to win the Mountain League and earn a No. 1 seed in the playoffs, which begin May 8. Sheff said he’d like to see the Gaels’ offense capitalize on more scoring opportunities.
“Offensively, I’d like to see us execute a little bit more,” Sheff said, “but our pitching and defense had been solid all year.”
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on Twitter.