Baseball: Hall’s Max Bryant shuts out BV on two hits

SPRING VALLEY - All is good again for Hall’s Max Bryant.

Having missed all of March and early April with a sore elbow, the junior right-hander has come back roaring like a lion. He pitched a two-hit shutout with eight strikeouts in a 6-0 Red Devils victory over Bureau Valley in Three Rivers East play Thursday at Kirby Park.

“I had a little bit of elbow problems. Got things checked out in Chicago to make sure things were not too serious,” Bryant said. “But I’m back now. I feel pretty good.”

Hall catcher Kyler Lapp said Bryant was feeling really good Thursday.

“He went shut out through 7 [innings]. Kind of hard to underperform that on the offensive side,” he said.

Hall coach Tom Keegan and Lapp said Bryant’s return couldn’t come at a better time as the Red Devils head into the postseason next week.

“It’s very reassuring for us heading into the postseason. A month-and-a-half makes a big difference,” Keegan said. “Early on, he’s fighting some tenderness. Went to the doctor and everything came back good. Gave him some peace of mind. Kind of nursed him back where he’s getting some starts. He got extended his last two times out. If he can continue this, that’s going to help us out tremendously.”

”It’s great to get one of our better pitchers back right before postseason,” Lapp said. “Started off the season with elbow issues. Now, last two outings he’s been lights out. I think since he’s been released, he’s given up one or two runs on the year. Pretty good to have someone that can shut out [teams] back on our mound.”

The Red Devils (19-8, 9-3) scored the only runs Bryant would need with some help from Bureau Valley in the bottom of the first inning. Leadoff man Mac Resetich and Lapp were hit by pitch, and both scored to give the Red Devils an early 2-0 lead.

Resetich took second on a passed ball, stole third, and scored on a groundout to short by Ashton Pecher. Lapp was hit by a pitch, stole second, and scored when Bryant reached on a fielding error at first base.

Hall scored two more runs on two hits and the help of a double-steal to go up 4-0 in the third. Pecher led off with a single, Lapp walked, and Bryant singled on a high fly to short center to load the bases. Peyton Dye’s fielder’s choice brought Pecher home to make it 3-0.

Keegan put the Red Devils in motion, sending Dye to second. BV catcher Sam Wright threw to second, and Lapp beat the return throw home on the back end of the double-steal to give Hall a 4-0 lead.

“Situationally that’s something we can probably clean up just in terms of execution. They get that tag down a little quicker, that run doesn’t count. Luckily, it worked out for us,” Keegan said.

Hunter Meagher led off the bottom of the sixth with a deep double to center, and scored on a RBI hit by Evan Stefaniak. Resetich followed with a bloop hit to center and took third on an errant throw to third. Lapp followed with an RBI hit to center, scoring Resetich, but was thrown out at trying to extend it to a double before Pecher was able to score.

Besides Isaac Attig’s two line-drive singles to center, the Storm (12-12, 2-10) mounted little offense against Bryant. They put two runners on board in third inning, but Lapp picked off Corban Chhim straying too far off of first.

Lapp also picked Attig off of first after he singled with one out in the second.

BV coach Ryan Schisler said Bryant was just too tough to handle, and Lapp’s pickoffs didn’t help things.

“He threw a heck of a game, was pounding the zone and had a lot of quick innings. Any time their guys are off the field quick, it makes it tough on your defense,” he said. “Their catcher did a heck of a job helping him out, got us a few times. That doesn’t help. We have to limit our mistakes.

“I thought Rouse threw a good game. We had some decent approaches at the plate. We just didn’t get it done. ... Isaac had a couple line drives through the middle. It was good to see him get himself with his head right.”

Hall banged out nine hits, with Resetich (2 for 3) the only Red Devil with multiple hits, including a double, scoring two runs with a steal.

The Red Devils will be idle until regional play next Wednesday at Orion, facing the winner between Rockridge and Mercer County. Bryant likes the Red Devils’ chances.

“I mean, it’s really even keel. Everyone can be beat, and everyone can lose at the same time. I think we have a good chance,” he said.