ORANGE — Jackson “Hacksaw” Hicks had an impressive outing for the Mohawk Trail Regional High School baseball team in a 6-1 win over Mahar on Thursday.
The occasional pitcher, who usually plays first, toed the rubber for the Warriors and went seven innings with six strikeouts.
“He does his job at first and when I ask him to pitch,” Mohawk coach Bill Buck said. “He does what I ask him to do. Throw strikes.”
Hicks is doing some serious damage at the plate recently and kept it going with a 3-for-4 day against the Senators.
The production at the plate gives Hicks added confidence when he is called upon to pitch for Mohawk (3-8, 3-1 Hampshire League West).
“I pitched in middle school,” Hicks said. “But then coach didn’t have me pitch as much. But I am ready whenever coach needs me. This year I have been more confident in what I can do.”
Anytime there was a strikeout, or Hicks knocked in one of his three RBI, the name “Hacksaw” echoed from his teammates.
“Last year, we were at our field trying to clean up,” Hicks said. “There was ice everywhere. Coach got a big saw, and it was my job to chop up the ice. Hacksaw.”
Will Peredina pitched 4⅔ innings for Mahar. giving up 12 hits with three strikeouts.
The Senators (5-6,1-3) had defensive issues in the first inning, and it led to three runs for the Warriors.
“One bad inning seems to get us,” Mahar coach Art Billings said. “It doesn’t happen every game. It just seems like when it does happen it is hard to recover.”
Jake Tenney had a 2-for-4 day for Mahar with a double and a single. Facing a deficit, the Senators could not put enough hits together to mount a comeback.
“Everyone is pressing,” Billings said. “Everyone is thinking they need to make up for mistakes. It compounds everything. But I give credit to their pitcher. He threw strikes. We were kind of holding back a little.”
With runners on second and third, Hicks opened the scoring with an RBI double to bring home two runs for the Warriors.
Another run scored on a throwing error.
In the fourth, Brian Gagnon knocked in a run with a towering double to the gap in left-center to make the score 4-0.
Todd Chiasson scored a run for Mahar in the third inning after doubling with one out.
A throwing error on a groundout allowed Chiasson to cross the plate for Mahar’s lone run.
The Warriors added some more insurance for Hicks in the top of the fourth inning. Jordan Grenier led off with a single and stole a bag with Tyler Dubreuil at the dish.
Dubreuil delivered with an RBI single before Hicks singled home another run for Mohawk.
Grenier, Jayden Huff, and Gagnon all had two hits apiece for the Warriors.
Noah Chabot had two hits for Mahar, with Andrew Herk adding another single.
Jacob Berry and Cole Johnson combined to pitch scoreless relief for the Senators.
Mohawk 6, Mahar 1
Mohawk ……………….. 301 200 0 — 6 10 1
Mahar …………………… 001 000 0 — 1 7 1
Hits: (Mo) Dubreuil 2, Hicks 3 Gagnon 2, Huff 2, Grenier. (Ma) Tenney, Chabot 2, Herk, Peredina
2B: (Mo) Hicks, Gagnon. (Ma) Chiasson, Tenney.
RBI: (Mo) Hicks 3, Gagnon, Dubreuil
WP: Hicks (7ip, 6k, 0bb).
LP: Peredina (4.2ip, 3k, 2bb) Berry (1.1ip, 1k, 0bb) Johnson (1ip, 0k, 0bb).
