Under fridge conditions, Chatham High School (N.J.) senior pitcher Justin Zigon delivered four outstanding innings of scoreless ball, while its offensive’s timely hitting helped lead the baseball Cougars to a 2-0 season-opening victory over Gill St. Bernard’s Saturday afternoon at Chatham High School Field.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!“They did great. They did an awesome job,” eleventh-year Cougar baseball head coach Todd Leathers said of his arms who permitted just two knocks. “Ziggy (Zigon) and Caden (Gabriele) did everything that we could’ve asked. Those seniors are doing what seniors do. The seniors have done an unbelievable job this year of kind of really keeping everyone into everything. Everything we do, we talk about the process a lot, and they are showing it.”
Zigon, who fired a total of 56 pitches, said he had his arsenal of offerings working, and it kept the Knights’ hitters off balance during his outing, recording eight strikeouts in the process.
“Yes, they were there today,” Zigon said of pitches despite the cold. “Everything was on the money. I had a field behind me to make plays. It’s tough pitching in the cold, but I was able to do it well today and had my fastball working.”
The Cougars (1-0) struck first after junior leftfielder/pitcher Drew Speace singled home a runner from second in the bottom of the fifth inning. He also swiped second after the hit.
“He started me with a fastball first, then he went curveball,” Speace described of the pitch sequence. “I knew he was going to go back to a fastball, which was a little outside. And then he just hung one, and then it just landed right on my barrel. I just stroked it the other way.”
Chatham added an insurance run after senior Luke Leskaukas’ wind-aided double dropped in for hit and a 2-0 advantage.
Gaberial, who is headed to Bucknell University for football, threw three scoreless frames to slam the door shut on Gill St. Bernard’s, and earned the win.
Junior John Jacobs stroked 3-3 with two bases thefts and a run scored.
The Cougars host Morristown Monday at 4:00 p.m.
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