Millbrook's Simonelli Shuts Down Colonels

Posted: April 15, 2016
By WALT MOODY

WINCHESTER — As a freshman, Anthony Simonelli looked to get contact outs.

As a junior, the Millbrook ace is bringing the cheese.

Simonelli improved to 5-0 and kept his earned run average at 0.00 on the season as he threw four strong innings in a 7-2 Conference 21 West victory against James Wood on Thursday.

Simonelli did not allow a hit in four innings, while striking out 10 Colonels. Just one batter reached against him on an error.

Through 25 innings, Simonelli has struck out 41 batters. James Wood batters put the ball in play just three times.

“I have more confidence in my off-speed pitches,” said Simonelli, who missed his sophomore campaign with an injury. “I know I can strike people out more. Freshman year, I was more of a contact guy looking to get them to roll over and go to second base with it. Now, I’m starting to develop more of a strikeout pitch and that’s helping me this year.”

Simonelli got ahead of most batters with first-pitch strikes and had most of the Colonel hitters in tough counts.

“It was just location,” Simonelli said of his success. “My fastball probably wasn’t the fastest until later on in the game. I was spotting really well, the umpire gave me a lot and my off-speed pitches were working very well. … Location is always a key. Don’t leave the ball down the middle and you won’t get hit. That’s my philosophy.”

Simonelli set the Colonels (5-6, 1-1 conference, 0-2 Northwestern District) down in order in the first, but Colonels starter Eli Smith didn’t have it as easy.

Nate Jaye set the stage for a big inning by fouling off three two-strike pitches before smacking a single down the third baseline past the diving Cody Polk.

“He’s new to the leadoff spot,” Millbrook coach Brian Burke of Jaye. “That’s been something we’ve been working on. For a leadoff guy to go up and battle and he rips a single, he sets the table. That’s what we need the leadoff guy to do — set the table for those guys to drive him in.”

Trenton Burgreen followed with a bloop single to right and Alex Amos walked to load the bases.

Conor Hartigan plated the first run when he was hit on a 3-2 pitch from Smith. Ryan Kennedy followed with two-run double, a drive to the base of the fence in center field.

“I got down 0-2 pretty quick,” said Kennedy, who leads the Pioneers (9-2, 3-0 conference, 1-0 district) with 10 RBIs. “I was really looking fastball and trying to react to whatever came to me. When I recognized the spin, I put a good swing on it and the ball just happened to carry out there. … I actually thought it was a routine out. I looked over there and I saw him keep going.”

Burke moved Kennedy to the No. 5 spot in the order for the first time this season.

“Ryan is a confident hitter and he gives a little bit of pop from the left side,” Burke said. “Even through his struggles, he’s been putting the ball in play. He’s just been making outs. He’s not going to strike out a lot.”

Gavin West singled off Polk’s glove to plate another run and the Pioneers had a 4-0 lead with no outs. Smith was able to strand two more runners in scoring position by striking out the side.

Smith struck out the side again in the second but his wildness led to a run. Burgreen lined a one-out single to center and moved around the bases on three wild pitches.

Cameron Gross replaced Smith in the third and was hurt by two errors. West reached on a one-out error and came sprinting home as switch-hitting Kyle Keenan ripped a triple into the left-center field gap. Ryan Houchens followed with a fly to right that was misplayed, allowing courtesy runner Kelby Leberknight to make it 7-0.

Meanwhile, Simonelli was cruising. After the error, he struck out the final six batters he faced.

“I probably had four strikeouts on curveballs,” Simonelli said. “A lot of them were fastballs that I just got by them. The off-speed pitches set up the fastball so that was good.”

“Anthony is always going to give us a great outing,” Burke said. “It was phenomenal to go out and get 10 strikeouts in four innings.”

The Colonels got a solid outing from Gross, who held the Pioneers scoreless over their final three at-bats. In four innings, the lefty, who featured an excellent curveball, allowed four hits and struck out three.

“He threw excellent,” James Wood coach Brent Lockart said. “His off-speed was working well, getting ahead of the hitters. He gave us a chance.”

James Wood broke through in the sixth against reliever Trey Braithwaite. A walk, a one-out error and a single to left by Eli Warren loaded the bases. Braithwaite got a strikeout, but fell behind Cameron Eback. Braithwaite got the count back to 3-2 and Eback fouled off two pitches before shooting a two-run single to right field.

“It was a great at-bat,” Lockart said. “He took to heart what I told him before the game on how to take his approach at the plate tonight. … It paid off for him.”

Kennedy and Burgreen had two hits each for the Pioneers, who finished with nine hits.

“We came out pretty explosive, but in those middle innings we got pretty complacent and we didn’t do as well as we expect them to do,” Burke said.

The Pioneers next host Sherando on Tuesday in a non-conference game.

“Any time we play Sherando, we know it’s going to be a good ballgame,” Burke said. “If they can’t get up for Sherando, they’re playing the wrong game.”

— Contact Walt Moody at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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