NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton baseball team used seven runs spread out across the first three innings and a complete-game two-hitter from Ethan Salem to defeat West Springfield, 9-2, Tuesday.
Salem no-hit the Terriers (0-5) through the first four innings before allowing a lead-off single to start the fifth. The lefty struck out five and walked none while surrendering one earned run on 80 pitches.
“For the most part, I always rely on my fastball to get me through batters. I was just working on locating fastballs and making them hard to hit,” Salem said.
The Blue Devils (5-2) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Devin Kellogg ripped a two-out single past diving shortstop Ian Alves. RJ Safron followed and hit a grounder to Alves, who bobbled the ball and threw it away trying to go to first. The error allowed Kellogg to score from first and Andy Grygorcewicz followed with a towering two-run home run that cleared the left field fence to give Northampton a three-run lead.
“Andy absolutely crushed that ball,” Blue Devils coach Mark Baldwin said. “He just stayed back and that was the perfect swing.”
Northampton extended the lead in the third. Kellogg reached on an infield single to start the frame, then Safron was hit by a pitch. Grygorcewicz hit a grounder to third baseman Zach Culver, who got the out at second to set up runners on first and third for Noah Brink. He hit a liner up the middle that deflected off the glove of West Springfield starter Andrew Corley. Brink reached first and Kellogg scored for a 4-0 lead.
Passed balls advanced both runners 90 feet, setting up two men in scoring position for Dillon Diemand. The junior singled to score Safron from third. A batter later, freshman Jack Power cleared the bases with a two-run double to give the Blue Devils a 7-0 lead going into the fourth inning.
“That was his first hit and he absolutely crushed that,” Baldwin said. “That’s the kind of thing that moving forward, he’s got confidence now and a kid who hasn’t had a lot of at-bats hit the ball hard every time up, so that’s really good.”
Salem surrendered his lone earned run in the fifth inning when West Springfield singled and doubled to put runners on second and third with no outs. The runner on third came home via a sacrifice fly a couple batters later. The runner from second crossed home on an error by Kellogg throwing to first.
“I could definitely feel my arm starting to get tired and walked a few kids,” Salem said. “After that, I really had to force my whole body to get into every throw just to keep up with the speed.”
Northampton plated two runs in the sixth and Salem retired the last six batters in order to go the distance. Kellogg finished 4-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Tristan Swazlawski went 2-for-3, while Power was 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Grygorcewicz finished with three RBIs.
“(Ethan’s) ball was really moving today,” Baldwin said. “We threw strike one, we caught the balls we’re supposed to, and attacked fastballs early in the game and had good success.”