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New year, old blowout for champs
Alan Sloan - Thu, Mar, 18, 2010
During his varsity career, Nicholas Summers had just one at-bat to his credit entering Farragut Baseball’s season opener versus Heritage.
A walk in 2009.
But Summers, a junior designated hitter, made his first Admirals varsity hit memorable — a no-doubt shot well beyond the left-field fence at FHS’s John Heatherly Field on a chilly Monday evening.
“It was amazing, I couldn’t believe it, I had a big smile on my face,” said Summers, whose two-run homer — one of three in a 10-run first-inning explosion — helped the Ads easily dump its District 4-AAA foe, 16-6 in five innings, March 15.
“That’s what I’ve been dreaming about, my first home run here,” added Summers, who also scored the “10-run rule” tally after beginning FHS’s fifth inning with a single. He ended with three RBI.
Ethan Bennett, senior standout catcher, got things going in the first with a frozen rope three-run homer. The UT signee also came up big in the second inning, stroking a bases-clearing three-RBI double into the left-centerfield gap.
Tyler Noland’s long blast to left field was a two-run homer in the first. The senior right fielder also singled.
Singles by A. J. Simcox and Ryan Montalbano preceded David Allen’s two-RBI first-inning single, his second hit of the inning.
Simcox brought home Summers in the fifth with a game-ending single, while the sophomore third baseman also added an infield hit.
Stewart Martens added a key fifth-inning double off the centerfield wall. Stephen Belasco came off the bench for a fourth-inning double, while Isaac Pannell singled in the fourth.
Nicky Delmonico, All-state shortstop, had two RBI.
Two-time All-state pitcher Philip Pfeifer, FHS staff ace and Vanderbilt University commitment, easily mowed down Heritage batters in four innings of work.
The junior lefty — who allowed no runs, one hit and one walk with eight strikeouts — said he learned a lot while helping USA earn gold.
“While I was with Team USA [summer/fall 2009], their pitching coach, Matt White, he helped me use my fastball more,” Pfeifer said.
“He also helped me to just focus on throwing strikes. Last year I was just going for the strikeout. This year I’m just going to let the strikeouts come.”
In addition to his patented fastball and curveball, Pfeifer said his change-up “is a pitch that I never really used, but it’s going to be a real help this year.”
About his Vandy commitment, Pfeifer said, “I wanted to get it out of the way. ... I really love the place. ... The coaches are definitely people that I want to be around.”
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