Herter hurls a gem as Navigators get the win

LYNN – The North Shore Navigators returned home to Fraser Field last night for the first time in two weeks. What they also brought back with them from the road was more of their solid starting pitching.Righthander Adam Herter turned in a stellar performance against Manchester, working into the ninth, allowing nine hits, fanning four and walking noone in a workmanlike 2-0 blanking of the Silkworms. The affair took just over two hours to complete.Herter was touched for trouble in the top of the first, giving up a leadoff single to shortstop AJ Rubarsky (the first of three Manchester hits in the inning, or as many as North Shore had in the entire game). After a flyout, Rubarsky was nailed trying to steal second by catcher Jay McConnell. Right fielder Zach Hudson then reached on a single to right, before taking third on teammate Sean O’Hara’s bloop single. O’Hara then attempted to get ignite a double steal by getting caught in a rundown between first and second long enough so that Hudson could bring home a run. However, the throw by first baseman John Griffen was true, getting the runner at the plate to keep Manchester off the board.”It was really all defense that did it to night,” said Herter, whose record improved to 3-0 with the victory. “I was only responsible for four of them (outs). “I just tried to execute my pitches and hit the spots (in the first), and had great defense behind me.”Herter was rewarded for his work in the bottom of the inning, when teammate Mike Provencher cracked his team-high fourth homer, a two-out job that sailed over the left field wall off Silkwork starter Brian Pendergast.”He’s been swinging the bat real well for us,” said Navigator skipper Jason Falcon of his right fielder. “He had three days off coming into this game, with no BP (batting practice), so I was concerned with how he’d swing. Nothing he does (with the bat) surprises me.”The Silkworms (6-7) had a runner reach via a one-out single in the second, but Herter induced desinated hitter Ryan Piacentini to bounce into a 4-6-3 double play. McConnell singled with two down in the bottom of the frame, but Pendergast fanned Griffen to end the Navigators’ hopes. Both pitchers worked 1-2-3 innings over the course of the next couple of innings, before Piacentini reached on a two-out single in the fifth.Herter found himself in a jam in the sixth. Center fielder Joseph Cotter reached on a leadoff single. he was stranded at the bag through a pair of flyouts. Howver, with Hudson at the plate, he stole second, then took third on a wild pitch. Herter then got Hudson to fly to right to end the threat.”Adam was around the zone all night,” said Falcon of the righty. “He challenged the batters, and he was around the plate. Another key was that he usually got the first batter (of each inning) out, and if he didn’t, he didn’t let that affect him at all. He’s made three great starts for us (this season), and he’s a great competitor.”North Shore (10-5) added an insurance run in the eighth. Left fielder Pete Fatse dropped a bunt back to the mound. Reliever Michael Anarumo bobbled the ball, then threw too late to the bag. Moments later, the lefty tried to pick Fatse off of first. He threw to first baseman JD Broderick to start the rundown, but Broderick’s throw to second sailed over the head of second baseman Jeff Cammons and into center field. Fatse found himself on third, and crossed the plate soon after on an infield out.Herter fanned left fielder Matt Grasso to begin the ninth, but beaned Hudson, then allowed a single to O’Hara to put runners at first and second. Lefty Jason Markovitz came on in relief, striking outcatcher Chris Affinito and getting Cammons on an infield out to preserve the win.”The pace of the game helped my effectiveness, and I got a lot of ground balls as well,” Herter stated. “And Jay (McConnell) and I had a good game plan as well throughout.”