The RCDS baseball team is running over its opposition in recent weeks, winning five of its last seven games and tying league leader King, 1-1, in 10 innings Tuesday during a powerhouse performance called by darkness.
The Wildcats are 10-7-1 overall, and just one game out of first in their league.
By Melanie Cane
The RCDS baseball team is running over its opposition in recent weeks, winning five of its last seven games and tying league leader King, 1-1, in 10 innings Tuesday during a powerhouse performance called by darkness.
The Wildcats are 10-7-1 overall, and just one game out of first in their league.
Junior pitching phenomenon Andrew Waite has allowed only one earned run during 34 innings spanning five games. When he’s not on the mound, he plays first base or right field.
On April 10, Waite pitched a 10-0 shutout against Green Farms Academy, allowing one hit and striking out seven batters.
A week later, Waite pitched 11 strikeouts against Masters in a game that RCDS won 11-1. And on April 24, Waite pitched a 2-0 shutout against Brunswick, striking out eight batters. In his fourth straight win on May 1, Waite pitched all seven innings, striking out 10 and giving up no earned runs, as the Wildcats beat Hamden Hall, 5-2.
And during a key league game May 8, Waite pitched eight innings without giving up an earned run, striking out 14 batters. Waite’s ERA is an astounding 0.58.
Waite said the key to his recent success is that he has had command of all his pitches, great movement on his slider and fastball, and confidence.
“I have been able to get ahead in the count effectively, and can throw my slider in any count, keeping hitters very off balance,” Waite said.
Waite explained that his “two seam” fastball has had great velocity and late movement. “I have been able to finish hitters off effectively when I have two strikes on them,” he continued, “and I have the confidence in myself and my teammates to throw any pitch in any count, and know it will work out.”
RCDS Pitching Coach Rich Savage said Waite’s throws average in the mid 80 mph range.
Waite’s pitching success comes as no surprise to his team and coaches, as he went 7-0 last summer for the Westchester Baseball Academy. His WGA team, which went 40-4, won an automatic bid to this year’s World Series, which will be held in Charleston, South Carolina in July. Although Waite has been in a batting slump, he is second on the team in RBIs with 11 and second on the team in walks with nine.
RCDS’s team is young. The only two seniors are co-captains Alex Gendelman and Jeff Grasso. Gendelman, a left fielder, leads the team in RBIs and is notorious for hitting triples. He hit in all five RBIs in the Wildcats’ 5-2 win over Hamden Hall and is batting .509 with 16 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, and a home run. Grasso plays shortstop, is a strong relief pitcher, and occasional starting pitcher. He is batting .365 with 11 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, and a home run.
Coach Ted Lawrence called them great co-captains who complement one another. “Gendelman is our vocal guy,” Lawrence said. “He keeps the kids’ energy and morale up. Grasso plays hard and leads by example.”
In a May 4 home game against Greens Farms, RCDS’s other terrific starting pitcher, sophomore lefty Tyler Fernandez, pitched six shutout innings, striking out 12 and walking one batter. Fernandez is batting .333 with five RBIs and 11 stolen bases.
The Wildcats are third in the Fairchester Athletic Association, but just one game out of first place.