Paris Perfect as Mounties Advance

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – Derek Paris was a last-minute pitching decision for the Mount Greylock baseball team on Monday.

 

The Mounties should spring such decisions on him more often.

 

Paris struck out eight and walked none in throwing a perfect game on Monday as the Mounties beat Franklin Tech, 7-0, in the quarter-finals of the Western Massachusetts Class C tournament.

 

“We had some good defensive plays behind him, but Derek was throwing well and started to get his offspeed for a strike, and that’s when he becomes dangerous as a pitcher,” said Mount Greylock coach – and Derek’s dad – Rick Paris.

 

“We also had some luck go our way. Early on Franklin Tech hit a major league infield fly which Derek called up in front of the mound, but you could see it had lots of spin and was drifting back toward right and [first baseman Dylen Harrison], who was 10 feet behind Derek called him off and still had to jump backwards to make the play as he fell to the ground. Alex Axt also made a nice running catch over his shoulder at second to catch a short fly ball.”

 

Harrison hit a triple, a double and drove in two runs. Chase Doyle hit a three-run home run for his first career round-tripper.

 

Anthony Welch went 3-for-3.

 

Derek Paris was pressed into service when Rick Paris learned that the Mounties’ potential semi-final would be Wednesday, and he chose to save Jack Cangelosi for that contest, which he now knows will be against Smith Vocational, a 7-0 winner over McCann Tech in the quarter-finals on Monday.

 

The top-seeded Mounties improved to 15-4 with the win.

 

“During the game, the plan was to have [Derek] come out if we got a large lead,” Rick Paris said. “The game moved real fast, and we never really pulled away, and before I knew it we were into the 6th inning, and I think Derek hadn’t even hit 60 pitches so I stayed with him.

 

“Every player on the team was doing whatever necessary to make a play. They all knew [about the perfect game] but it was weird cause nobody even said a peep.  I’m not sure if Greylock has had a perfect before, but either way it’s a very special moment for him and his teammates. They can all say they were a part of perfection for one day.”