Frahm, Young put brakes on Caravan

Font Size

Email

Bookmark

Black Text

White Text

Defending Class AA supersectional qualifier Whitney Young graduated their top six pitchers, putting the pressure on coach Chris Cassidy to uncover a new ace.

Joe Frahm put in a spectacular bid for the role.

The senior kept the hard-hitting No. 7 Caravan constantly off balance. The right-hander threw a complete game, yielding just five hits and recording four strikeouts in leading the Dolphins 3-2 at Mount Carmel’s Haggery Field Wednesday afternoon.

In a rematch of last year's Class AA sectional finale, Young administered the Caravan their first loss (5-1).

The cool, sunburned weather turned the game a pitchers’ duel between Frahm and Mount Carmel’s Jack Tangel (1-1).

“It’s just great to be out here,” said Frahm. “I came out ready to go. I was ready to take these guys down. I kept them off balance and did everything I could to keep them guessing. It worked.”

Young (4-3) jumped out a 1-0 lead in the third, despite not recording their first hit until the sixth inning. The Dolphins seized control with two outs in the sixth after Troy White broke the no-hitter on a sharp single. Shortstop Julian Kenner followed with a blistering hopper into right field.

Junior Adeniji Bowden blasted a two-run double that reached the right-field fence for a 3-0 Dolphin advantage.

“He threw a high, inside fast ball on the first pitch. He came back with the same pitch and I just drove it hard that time,” Adeniji said. “[Tangel] is a tough pitcher who mixed it up really nice with curveball, sliders, changeups and fastball.

“But that time he came back with two consecutive fast balls and that was a problem right now.”

Mount Carmel responded with two in bottom of the sixth on a Matt Mirabel double, a throwing error and Greg Galotta’s single. Strangely, Frahm preferred a tighter game.

“Honestly, it makes me a nervous pitching with more of a lead,” he said. “I like it when it’s close. It gives me a little edge and keeps me in it [mentally].”

The Caravan had one final chance in their half of the seventh inning. With two outs, Jordan Lynch reached on a bunt single and stole second. With Jordan running on the pitch, Chris Heaney smashed a high hopper and was thrown out at first on a bang-bang play.

“Both pitchers controlled the game,” said Mount Carmel coach Brian Hurry.

“It’s early in the spring, but I think both of those pitchers are going to do that to a lot of teams. I thought their pitcher was very tough. I thought he did a great job of changing speeds and keeping us off balance.”