Efficient and effective, Raiders dispatch Blue Devils as part of two-win opening day

QUINCY — Theoretically, Quincy Notre Dame baseball coach Ryan Oden wouldn’t have wanted either of Saturday’s starting pitchers to throw more than 50 pitches in their first outings of the season.

Neither Alex Connoyer nor Jake Schisler exceeded that limit by much, but their ability to stay in the strike zone and work efficient innings allowed Oden to stretch them out a little further than originally intended.

“As long as they’re not laboring, we’re going to let them go out there,” Oden said.

Connoyer, the junior right-hander, threw 66 pitches over six scoreless innings, beating Quincy High School 8-1 in the final game of the QND Slam at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. Earlier in the day, Schisler, also a junior right-hander, threw 89 pitches over 5.2 innings as the Raiders beat Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin 7-1.

“I was feeling good,” Connoyer said. “I’ve been up to 60 (pitches) in some bullpens, and my arm feels good.”

The starters combined to strike out 13, walk two and allow eight hits without giving up an earned run.

“Jake works hard in the offseason, does Driveline and he’s been throwing (bullpens),” Oden said. “Alex is in the same boat. I know Alex has been throwing ’pens. The good thing about Jake and Alex is they are going to be off for a whole week.”

A little rest before the next start was well earned.

Facing the Blue Devils in the first of three crosstown meetings on the schedule, Connoyer worked around a two-out single in the first inning and a one-out single in the third before finding himself in a jam in the fourth.

Luke Mettemeyer singled with one out, and Raulin Zanger followed with a single up the middle, Logan Eaton drew a walk to load the bases, but Sam Skirvin grounded into an inning ending double play started by Raiders shortstop Jack Linenfelser.

“Last year, when something went wrong, we let it compound,” Oden said. “Our goal was to nip it in the bud and minimize it. It shows the character of this team we have right now.”

That kind of maturity is crucial.

“I liked our intensity and I liked how we came out swinging the bats,” Connoyer said. “And I liked that we made the routine plays.

“We learned from last year, and Coach Oden has said we’re a year more mature. I feel like we can keep going because we know what to expect now.”

The Raiders also have the offense to balance things out.

After grabbing a 1-0 lead in the second on Schisler’s RBI single, the Raiders gave Connoyer a five-run cushion after QND first baseman Dalton Miller crushed a three-run home run to right field and Brady Kindhart delivered a two-out RBI single in the third inning.

“We came out and really attacked the ball,” Oden said.

It helped Connoyer find his groove. He threw first-pitch strikes to 20 of the 22 batters he faced, while striking out four, walking one and allowing four hits.

“I could spot it, and my breaking ball and changeup were working pretty well,” Connoyer said. “I was keeping hitters off balance. I don’t throw the hardest. If I’m able to get ahead, I’m able to use my breaking stuff that moves and it gives me a tremendous advantage.”

Noah Harbin suffered the loss for the Blue Devils, allowing five runs and six hits over three innings. He struck out four and walked four. Kenny Taylor had two of the Blue Devils’ four hits.

Against Sacred Heart-Griffin, Schisler worked around a leadoff single in the top of the first and got all the run support he would need in the bottom of the frame.

Ben Kasparie led off with a walk, Tucker Tollerton was hit by a pitch and Miller smacked an RBI single to center field. After a groundout by Connoyer plated a run and Miller scored on a wild pitch, Harry Oden smacked a double to right field. Linenfelser delivered a two-out RBI single, and Kindhart followed with a run-scoring double for a 5-0 lead.

Schisler struck out nine, walked one and allowed four hits.

The Blue Devils also suffered a loss to SHG in the first game of the slam, falling 4-2 after surrendering three runs in the bottom of the first inning. 

The Cyclones used an error, a wild pitch and a single to plate their first run before R.J. Jimerson jacked a two-run home run for the 3-0 lead. With two on and two out in the third inning, Grayson Cook doubled to center field to score both runners and make it a 3-2 game.

SHG added a run in the bottom of the fourth as Zanger took the loss, allowing three hits and two earned runs in four innings. He struck out two and walked one. The Blue Devils were limited to four hits offensively.