The Salem High baseball team saw their season come to an end in a good ole fashioned pitchers’ duel last week. Unfortunately for the Spartans host Blacksburg came out on top, 2-1.
The 4D region quarterfinal featured two of the top pitchers in the valley, Sam Szefc of Blacksburg and Salem’s Zack Bocock. Both are committed to Division 1 programs, Szefc with his father’s team at Virginia Tech and Bocock at JMU..
The flame throwers did not disappoint. Szefc topped at 92 miles per hour, keeping the Spartan hitters off balance the entire game. He allowed only two hits and two walks in seven innings, striking out 10. Bocock’s fastball topped at 94, and he too kept the Blacksburg hitters in check. Zach allowed just two hits while walking four and fanning 11 over six complete innings.
The Spartans got on the board first, scoring a run at the top of the first inning. Chase Rutledge led off with a double on a solid line drive that skipped past a diving right fielder. Trey Dent drew a walk and Rutledge scored on a ground ball by Mason Hale that was overthrown at first on a double play attempt. Szefc stranded a runner at third by striking out Aiden Poff and getting Brayden White to ground to second base.
Salem threatened again in the secnd inning when Bocock scorched a line drive off the left field fence for a lead-off double. However. Szefc managed to pick off the courtesy runner, then got a ground out and a strikeout to blank the Spartans. After the that inning Szefc was dominate the rest of the way, only allowing two base runners, a walk in the third, and a runner who reached base on an error by the shortstop in the fifth.
The Bruins scored their first run in the bottom of the third, tying the game at 1-1. Second baseman Soma Kato lifted a ball on a 3-2 count that fell just past the left field fence for a solo home run. Bocock got out of the inning and struck out the side in the fourth. Then, a 30-minute lightning delay put both teams in the dugout at the top of the fifth
The Bruins scored what would be the game winning run in the bottom of the fifth. Kam Caldwell drew a lead-off walk, moved up on a wild pitch, went to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an opposite field single. Szefc retired Salem in the sixth and seventh to close out the win and end Salem’s season at 12-9-1.
“We played nearly the toughest schedule since I took the team in 2023,” said Salem coach Jimmy Winterer. “Our players fought hard every game. These eight seniors really left it all on the field this year, and I couldn’t be more proud of this group. Many will go on to play at the next level and I look forward to following them in college. They set high standards for our program, and they will all be missed.”
