Hidden Valley starting pitcher Tyler Brogan took to the mound Tuesday afternoon as a virtual rookie.
Seven innings later he looked like a seasoned veteran.
Going the distance on the mound in the Titans’ baseball season opener, Brogan struck out seven and scattered five hits as Hidden Valley defeated Northside 4-1.
“He didn’t pitch much at all last season,” Hidden Valley head coach Randy Boone noted after the game of his new-found hurler. “We wanted him to work on tempo and throw strikes. I think he only threw about 65-70 pitches today.”
“I was throwing strikes and had good defense behind me,” Brogan, new to the limelight, said. “I was in a zone.”
Brogan got out of his biggest jam in the bottom of the seventh when Northside rallied for its only run on a RBI double by Ryan Hentchel and had the potential tying run step to the plate with runners on second and third with two outs.
Boone then rolled the dice by issuing an intentional walk to load the bases before Brogan promptly threw a 3-pitch strikeout to end the game.
“Good call by Coach Boone,” Brogan said. “I wanted to stay out there.”
Brogan got all the support he would need in the first inning.
A walk to Palmer Peery and single by Matt Uttermark was followed by a double into the left-center field gap by Hunter Boone that plated the first Titan run. Nate Atkins walked to load the bases and pinch runner Thomas Bolinger came home on a sacrifice fly that made it 2-0. Northside avoided further damage on a strike ’em out, throw ’em out double play that ended the Titan uprising.
Hidden Valley gave Brogan some insurance in the fifth when five straight Titan batters reached on singles to push the Hidden Valley lead to 4-0 on a windswept afternoon.
The Vikings got runners on second and third with two outs in the sixth after a Josh Hardister double, but Brogan coaxed a slow roller to end the threat.
Northside starter Blaine Florow took the tough-luck loss for the Vikings, who fell to 1-1.
Bill Turner
