ORANGE — Will Peredina threw six innings of one-run baseball for Mahar Regional in a 11-3 season-opening win over Hopkins Academy on Thursday afternoon.
Peredina struck out three and gave up seven hits.
“I was just trying to replicate stuff I knew from last year,” Peredina said. “Not trying to do anything new and keep it basic. We threw a lot of fastballs. I didn’t try and mix it up with the curve ball so much.”
In the top of the sixth inning, Peredina faced a bases-loaded situation with a 5-1 lead.
“At that point, I was just trying hit my spots the best I can,” Peredina said. “Trusting that if I threw it where I needed to, things would work out.”
It did work out for the Senators when Todd Chiasson snagged a hard grounder near third base and stepped on the bag to end the threat.
Peredina threw 79 pitches, with 58 for strikes.
Mahar scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 11-1 going into the final inning. Peredina cleared the bases with a triple in the inning.
“That’s nice to matter where you are playing,” Peredina said. “But as a pitcher, it especially helps because it makes you feel more relaxed.”
Going into the season coach Art Billings wanted Senators to clean up some mental errors that the team made last season.
“There were a few jitters,” Billings said. “Defensively, I am happy with it. A couple younger mistakes. But Will (Peredina) stepped it up.”
Mahar faced pitcher Thea Hanscom, making her first varsity start for Hopkins Academy.
“I was very impressed,” Billings said. “I was standing behind the plate watching the ball coming in, and I am glad I didn’t have to face her.”
In 3-2/3 innings, Hanscom did not give up an earned run and struck out five, but the Golden Hawks committed four errors that led to three unearned runs.
“I was hitting the corners with my fastball,” Hanscom said. “I was just playing my game. I have been playing my game; I’ve been playing it for so long that I am used to it. It was just another game.”
Shortstop Charlie Barnes had three singles, three RBIs and a stolen base.
Mahar was fairly aggressive on the base paths with six stolen bases. Jake Tenney and Andrew Herk had two each. Herk had a couple singles as well.
Joey Brozell also had a productive day at the plate with three hits.
Peredina’s bloop single and a Barnes single helped the Senators jump out to a 2-0 in the second inning.
Barnes and Brozell had two more RBI singles in the fifth before a passed ball scored another run in the inning to make it 5-1.
