HOPEWELL TWP. — On a cold and windy day when Blackhawk won with pitching by committee, it helped to have a closer like Michael Turconi.
Hopewell’s chances of rallying for a win were snuffed out by Turconi, a hard-throwing right-hander.
After playing shortstop for the first six innings, Turconi preserved the Cougars’ 7-5 win with a dominating inning in relief.
He recorded all three outs via strikeout. In each instance, he baffled Hopewell batters with called third strikes.
“I was just making good pitches l guess,” said Turconi, a Wake Forest recruit who Blackhawk used often last year as a late-inning reliever.
In Blackhawk’s first three wins in Section 2-4A, its starting pitchers worked deep into the late innings.
In a 5-0 win over New Castle, right-hander Andy McClymonds pitched a seven-inning complete game.
In a 11-1 mercy-rule win over Ambridge, Turconi got his only start of the season. He pitched all five innings and got all 15 outs via strikeout.
In a 3-2 win over South Fayette, McClymonds pitched the first six innings and then gave way to Turconi, who got the save.
Against Hopewell, winning pitcher John Nixon worked 3 2/3 innings in his first start of the season. Third baseman Tyler Robinson pitched 2 1/3 innings.
Then Turconi came in and finished the job.
“Against a very good Hopewell team, I thought Nixon and Robinson pitched well,” Blackhawk coach Bob Amalia said. “And it’s always nice to have someone like Turconi come in at the end of the game.”
As it turned out, Blackhawk (5-0 overall, 4-0 section) got all the runs its pitchers needed with a six-run third inning.
The Cougars had four hits in the inning, including three doubles, and also took advantage of three Hopewell errors.
Turconi, who bats left-handed, started the outburst with an opposite field double. McClymonds, who also swings from the left side, drove in Turconi with another opposite field double.
Later, left fielder Andrew Gray, in his first start of the season, made it 6-0 with a three-run double.
“It was a really tough game,” Amalia said. “I knew it would be. Hopewell has an outstanding team. We just did a lot of things it takes to win a game.”
Hopewell dropped to 4-5 overall and 2-2 in the section.
Blackhawk is tied for first place with Central Valley (6-0, 4-0). Weather permitting, that tie will be broken Friday when the Cougars host the Warriors.