Hernandez’s gem helps Hampshire upset rival Rockets

Updated: May 27, 2011 11:25PM

No one is likely to mess with Hampshire pitcher Shane Hernandez’s delivery ever again.

The sophomore, who throws three-quarters to sidearm, says he frequently must put up with do-gooders trying to get him to throw over the top. On Friday in the Hampshire Class 3A Regional, he was in complete control despite his delivery as his four-hit, 2-0 shutout of Burlington Central’s powerful attack ended the Rockets’ season and put the Whip-Purs in Saturday’s 1 p.m. championship game against Marmion Academy.

“I guess it’s called short-arming it,” Hernandez said of his delivery. “I’ve been doing it ever since I was little. Everyone, they try to get me to change it, but I just lose all velocity and it doesn’t work for me.”

Hernandez (1-1) had been up with the varsity part of his freshman season, and he came back up this year just past the mid-point. Coach Steve Ream planned to pitch him part of the game, then bring in Luke Wians and finally Tyler Crater to finish.

“I thought I would keep them off-balance and they won’t be able to zone in on a pitcher,” Ream said.

So much for that.

“Obviously Shane was throwing so well, we said, ‘Give him another inning, give him another inning.’” Ream said. “He just did a great job against what is a very good hitting team.”

The triumph marked a milestone for Ream, who notched his 200th career victory. Ream, who is stepping down after the season, owns a 200-185 record in 13 years at the helm.

Hernandez struck out five, including the entire side in the second after leadoff hitter Joey Lange reached on an error and stole second.

In the sixth, he benefited from a spectacular double play. With two on and one out, second baseman Dylan Nihells slid in the dirt to get Luke Fleming’s ground ball, turned and whipped it to shortstop Dan Grzywa, and the relay to first baseman Daniel Guerrero just got Fleming to end the inning.

“It was one of those days,” Central coach Kyle Nelson said. “It seemed like when we hit the ball hard, we just hit it right at someone or things just didn’t go our way.

“You’ve got to, at times, find other ways to score runs. We didn’t today.”

Hernandez wouldn’t let them. He never walked a batter, and got Sam Klein to hit into a force at second to end the game after Zach Ranney’s two-out single in the seventh. Central (22-9) never got more than a single, and had a runner as far as third only in the first inning with two out.

“I was nervous a little bit,” Hernandez said. “But the second inning it was like, whatever, it’s just pitching.’ I calmed down and just threw strikes and was keeping them off-balance.”

Nick Hahn (3-4) nearly did the same thing to Hampshire (15-14). The Whip-Purs didn’t score until the fifth and it was anything but an explosion.

Nihells drew a one-out walk and Ream went to the hit-and-run. Grzywa laced a single up the middle and Rockets cannon-armed center fielder Ray Hunnicutt tried to gun down Nihells streaking for third. He overthrew third base and Nihells got up and raced home, barely getting there ahead of a throw that went into the dirt.

“If Dylan had hesitated, he’d have been out, I think, but he got up and just kept going,” Ream said. “We don’t hit-and-run very often, but that time it helped and paid off.”

Grzywa went to second on the play at home and third on a wild pitch, then scored on a two-out single by Crater. Hahn struck out five, walked four and gave up only three Hampshire hits.

“Nick’s been hard luck all year,” Nelson said. “He’s thrown the ball better than he’s thrown the ball for us ever. The record just didn’t show that this year.

“He did the same thing (as Hernandez). He battled. He controlled counts, pitched from ahead, and threw off-speed pitches over the plate. It was good to see him throw like that. I just wish we could have got him some support.”

Although Central was seeded second and Hampshire third, and Central had a better record, Hampshire won the season series 2-1 against its rivals -- including the most important game.

“It’s amazing,” Nihells said. “I woke up this morning and (thought), ‘Boy it would be great to beat Burlington and end their season. And that’s exactly what we did.

“Awesome.”

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