Dempsey highlights Newsome shutout of Leto

By Bob Bellone
Senior Staff Writer

LITHIA – Newsome starting pitcher Evan Dempsey patiently endured an hour-long delay while non-district foe Leto was up against heavy traffic Thursday night. The wait was worth it for the junior right-hander, whose fingerprints wound up all over a 3-0 victory.

Dempsey worked into and out of trouble in the top of the first inning, when he issued a pair of two-out walks and an infield single that loaded the bases. Dempsey retired the next nine Falcons – accounting for six of his seven strikeouts – and didn’t face another threat until Newsome took a two-run lead into the fifth.

“I felt that it was really important that I set the tone early,” said Dempsey, who erased batters on his first two pitches before suddenly finding himself surrounded by Leto runners. “I wasn’t able to find the curveball early. In the second inning I came back, and the curveball was on.”

In the fifth, Anthony Montoya drew a one-out walk off Dempsey and raced to third on a single by Coltin Pizzio, who took second on the throw. With the potential tying runs in scoring position, Matthew Pitre was brought in from the bullpen.

Reassigned to a drawn-in outfield, Dempsey immediately helped his own cause by grabbing a low line drive off the bat of Denzel Martinez in shallow center for the second out. Pitre induced a groundout for the third.

Even at the plate, Dempsey seemingly could do no wrong. Leading off the home first, he fanned on a two-strike pitch in the dirt but took first when the ball eluded catcher Gerard Ortega. Dempsey moved up two bases on a Matthew Giles single and scored the eventual winning run on a sacrifice fly by Caeden Diaz.

Newsome wasn’t finished against Leto starter Bryan Rivera, adding back-to-back singles by Lucas Phelps and Ryan Spitzer for the second run. Dempsey, of course, put the finishing touch on the scoreboard with an RBI double in the fifth.

“He’s a tremendous athlete,” Wolves coach Dick Rohrberg said of Dempsey. “He runs well, he throws well. He’s got an attitude where he’s kind of laid back and stuff doesn’t really bother him.”

Spitzer also contributed off the mound, closing out the combined three-hitter with a two-inning save.
Despite the loss, Leto pitchers turned in another solid performance. The Falcons have allowed only five earned runs through four games while notching 41 strikeouts. Thursday night, they faced a Newsome lineup that was averaging eight runs a game at home.

“Those arms are going to have to be ready to go when we get into the Saladino (Tournament),” Leto coach J.J. Pizzio said. “We need to put a few more balls in play. I don’t need them to get a hit every time, but I’d like for them to at least be competitive and put a ball in play.”

Both teams will take 3-1 records into non-district road games Tuesday night. Leto will visit Plant while Newsome travels to Spoto.

⚾⚾⚾⚾

Newsome 3
Leto 0

L 000|000|0 – |0|3|0
N 200|010|x – |3|5|0
W – Dempsey (1-1); L – Rivera (1-1); S – Spitzer (1)
2B – Dempsey (N). Records – L (3-1); N (3-1).