Tatro Pitches McCann Tech Past Franklin Tech
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- Dalton Tatro came up a little short of giving the McCann Tech baseball team its second no-hitter of the young season.
But he was right on the money in keeping the Hornets undefeated with a 4-1 win over Franklin Tech on Wednesday afternoon.
Tatro struck out 11 and went 5-2/3 before allowing his first hit. He ended up with a complete-game two-hitter in his first outing of the season as McCann Tech went to 3-0.
Coupled with Robert Matte III, who threw his no-no on Friday, Tatro gives the Hornets a solid front end of the rotation.
“I’m typically a two-pitcher coach, but because the season is so backed up, we have probably seven games in 10 days,” McCann Tech coach Pat Ryan said. “But we do have some go-to arms who can throw. I’m hoping to keep my 1 and 2 against the tougher teams and see what we get from the younger guys.”
Tatro Wednesday got all his run support in the first two innings.
McCann Tech got on the board in the first when Caleb Rondeau hit a one-out triple to right field and scored on a Logan Tower single up the middle.
Tower moved up on a couple of passed balls and scored on an error off the bat of Jacob Field.
The two-run rally could have been even bigger, but Franklin Tech pitcher Sam Bobala (seven Ks) picked off leadoff man Michael Ferrara at first after he drew a walk to start the inning.
“It's always nice to see Mike, who is speedy, on the bases, and when he does get picked off, it can be disheartening, but it was only the first inning,” Ryan said. “He did come back. We did recuperate from that. He got on base himself. So that's good.”
Ferrara drew another walk in the bottom of the second, when McCann Tech scored a pair on a two-out double by Tower.
Meanwhile, Tatro was untouchable in the early innings, striking out nine men in the first three innings.
The Eagles finally made contact with a fly ball to center in the top of the fourth. In the fifth, Franklin Tech capitalized on three McCann Tech errors to cut the deficit to three runs.
“Fielding-wise, the field conditions are OK,” Ryan said. “It looks good, but the infield grass is tough to play here. This is where we practice, and the kids know that, so it affects them mentally knowing the hops can be bad. But, overall, I was very pleased.”
In the sixth, the Eagles’ leadoff man was hit by a pitch, but he was retired on a fielder’s choice. A one-out walk an a popup put runners at first and second with two out for Franklin Tech’s Dakota Deane. He hit a ball to the left side of the infield and reached, but when the runner on second rounded and headed for home, the Hornets got him in a pickle and Ferrara tagged him out to end the inning.
In the seventh, Franklin Tech got a leadoff single. But the next man grounded to second baseman James Hamilton, who made the scoop, stepped on second and fired to Rondeau at first for the double play. Tatro gave up his seventh walk of the game with two out but got the final out swinging.
The Hornets look to make it four in a row to start the season when they go to Sci-Tech on Friday.