Merrimack baseball extends shutout streak in win over Winnacunnet

MERRIMACK – What a way for Tim Michaud to make his first start of the season.

The Merrimack High School baseball team hadn’t allowed a run during its five-game winning streak when Michaud went to the mound Wednesday against Winnacunnet for the first time since injuring his arm in the first game of the season.

With one out in the inning, the Warriors got back-to-back singles from Cole Joselyn and Christian Cronin to put runners on the corners. Three batters in, and the end to the Tomahawks’ shutout streak was 90 feet away.

“It crossed my mind, but I wasn’t worried about it,” Michaud said. “I knew if I threw strikes and let them hit it, we’d make the plays.”

Michaud struck out the next batter and ended the inning with a fly out. The Merrimack hurler allowed just one more hit the rest of the way, pitching a complete game shutout as the ’Hawks won 6-0.

The sixth straight shutout extends Merrimack’s streak to 40 innings, dating back to an 8-3 loss to Timberlane on April 27.

Winnacunnet had one other runner reach third base, again putting runners on the corners with two out in the fifth. But Michaud got Cronin to groundout to Brett Glendye at third to end the inning. Michaud finished the day by giving up three hits, walking two and striking out three.

“You have to start with Tim (Michaud),” Merrimack coach Ryan Anderson said. “He was hungry to pitch (Wednesday) and he has been. He had three pitches going. He had an excellent changeup, which was setting up his fastball. He’s not overpowering, he’s sneaky fast. If he has his changeup and his curve ball going, it makes his fastball that much better.”

Mickey Gasper drove in two runs on two sacrifice flies and also had a double, while Jackson King was 2 for 4 with two runs scored. Ian Therault also scored two runs and drove in another.

Andy Codair took the loss for Winnacunnet (8-7), going four innings and allowing four earned runs on seven hits and five walks.

Merrimack (9-5) loaded the bases in the first inning, but managed to only get one run, on Gasper’s first sacrifice fly. The second inning started well for the ’Hawks, as Dylan O’Brien walked and Alex Krysiak singled to put two on with no one out.

But O’Brien got caught off second base by Codair and was out in a rundown. Krysiak was able to advance to second and scored on a single by Therault.

After a ground out, Tom Hudon walked, and with Michaud at the plate, the ’Hawks executed a double steal to score Therault and go up 3-0.

In the fourth, Merrimack loaded the bases on two walks and an infield single by King. Hudon followed with a ground ball to second and Winnacunnet tried to turn the double play, but shortstop Joselyn dropped the ball at second, allowing Krysiak and Therault to score. After Michaud singled, Gasper added another sacrifice fly, scoring King, to make it 6-0.

“We’re doing the little things,” Anderson said. “At the plate, we’re working deeper into counts, which is making their pitcher work harder. We’re getting quality at bats and we’ve got some timely hits. That’s what it takes it.

“You always have to try to take advantage of any mistakes the other team makes. That’s what a good team will do. I think we’re a good team now, as long as we keep doing those things.”

Merrimack puts the streak on the line Thursday, when it plays at Nashua South. The ’Hawks will complete a suspended game on Friday, when they head out to Keene. That game was postponed Monday, with Merrimack leading 4-0 in the fourth inning.