HAGERSTOWN – The North Hagerstown baseball team got into the construction business on Monday, April 21.
It was nothing major. It wasn’t a major renovation … just a minor facelift.
But it was needed. Starter Jackson Coulter built a little pitching character. First baseman Blake Custer erected his confidence. And along the way, the Hubs reenforced their momentum.
Coulter fired five innings of one-hit pitching, backed by Custer driving in three runs with a pair of doubles, to lead North to a 4-0 victory over Lingnore. And when the dust was clear, the Hubs found their winning foundation again.
Coulter and Custer were the cornerstones of a crisply played game for the Hubs, who have lost two of its last three games after a 9-0 start.
“We’ve hit a snag. That seems to be how it works in baseball. Everyone has one,” said North Coach Justin Lewis. “With three more games to play this week, this will give us some momentum.”
Coulter got tested almost from the start.
After opening the game with a strikeout of Linganore’s Collin Doyle, the right-hander got lost. He issued a pair walks around a Chase Perry single to load the bases with one out.
“I started strong, throwing strikes, but I had to find myself,” Coulter said. “I had to start pounding the fastball. The first inning was rough, but I got through it.”
Coulter snuffed out the threat by getting the Lancers’ starting pitcher Austin Pizer to pop to the catcher before striking out Adam Krystofiak to escape the threat unscathed.
“I don’t know what happened first inning, but in the first 15 pitches it looked like (Coulter) was still trying to get loose,” said Lewis. “He had to go out and find the strike zone. Then he got going and threw strikes. That’s the name of the game.”
Custer released any lingering pressure for North in the second inning.
He followed Grant Semler’s two-out single by ripping Pizer’s pitch for a double that fell just short of the center field fence. Semler scored from first for the 1-0 lead.
“I gained some confidence,” Custer said. “I’m a first-year player and have only had about 13 at-bats. We have been working on my swing because I had a hitch in it. We’ve been working on keeping my hands up.”
Custer, who hit ninth in the order on Monday, joined the starting lineup recently after an injury suffered by senior first baseman Shawn Saylor.
“He’s getting better,” Lewis said. “He played four straight games. The bottom of our lineup picked us up today. The eight and nine hitters (Semler and Custer) did their jobs.”
Custer added to his confidence by driving home two more runs to give the Hubs a 3-0 after three innings.
He laced another double down the left field line after Colt Tucker singled and Semler walked with two outs.
“I’m not a curve hitter,” Custer said. “The first time up, (Pizer) threw two in a row before I got the hit. I was expecting one to start the second time, but he came inside with a fastball. It surprised me, but I was able to get my hips around to hit it.
“I was able to barrel it. I had been struggling to barrel the ball, but I’ve been able to start getting used to the new swing.”
With the 3-0 lead, Coulter came on to take total control. He retired 12 of the last 15 hitters he faced, allowing three to reach base by walks. He finished with nine strikeouts, while striking out the side in the fourth.
“I figured out what was wrong,” Coulter said. “It took a few flexes and twitches. I got the fastball over and it allowed me to use my curve. I got on a hot streak.”
North added an insurance run in the fifth.
Ian Brown hit a liner that handcuffed center fielder Jardon Maxwell for a single before stealing second base. He took third on Matt Mallardi grounder to first and scored on Ian Kelley’s sacrifice fly to short center for the 4-0 lead.
Joey Dorsey came on to pitch the final two innings, allowing one hit while striking out three.
“All around, everyone did their jobs today,” Lewis said.
