Watch: Will Keach talks about no-hitter in Leavitt's win over Medomak Valley
May 22—TURNER — Leavitt played nearly perfect baseball Wednesday in its 10-0 mercy-rule victory over Medomak Valley in six innings.
Coach Chris Cifelli said it was a typical performance for the 2024 Hornets (12-2).
"That has been the story all season," Cifelli said. "We have been able to get great pitching performances, solid fielding, and guys have stepped up throughout the lineup. It's just not the usual suspects. Every game, there has been someone who's contributed in some fashion."
The lone hiccup happened during the Panthers' first at-bat when Aaron Reed reached on an error but got caught in a pickle trying to reach second base and called out.
Reed was the only player to get to first base for Medomak Valley (4-10) as Hornets starting Will Keach sat down the next 17 batters in a row for a no-hitter. He had four strikeouts.
"We needed a big performance today to keep the bullpen from being taxed," Cifelli said. "We have a three-game week, and we know Medomak is capable of scoring a lot of runs. To keep that team off-balance like he did, it was amazing to watch him pitch. That was the thing: It wasn't throwing hard — it was locating his fastball and mixing in his off-speed stuff. It wasn't just a hard-throwing game."
The Hornets beat the Panthers 8-7 on May 6 in Waldoboro.
Keach said it is the first no-hitter he's thrown, and that he focused on the bottom of the strike zone.
"Keeping the ball low, getting ground balls, and let my defense behind me do all the work for me," Keach said. "Big shoutout to those guys."
Keach received help from his outfielders. Center fielder Brandon Bilodeau made a diving catch in the second inning and ran down a ball in right-center in the third. Right-fielder Reid Sibley also helped Keach's cause in the third.
Sibley also led off the fourth inning with a double.
"It feels great because if I get on base, the kids at the top of the order will send me right home, hit me right in," Sibley said.
He came around to score when Kade Knight hit a two-out, bases-loaded single that bounced over the first baseman to score Sibley and Keach for a 5-0 lead.
"He took most of his opportunities today," Cifelli said of Sibley. "He just knows what his role is, of keeping that lineup moving and getting it back to the top. He sees a lot of pitches, he's willing to bunt.
"I am thrilled for him — on senior day, he had such a day."
Knights' hit was his second in as many innings, as he had a double in the third.
Keach — whose two-run double in the second put the Hornets up 3-0 — also singled in the fifth to drive in a run for a 6-0 advantage. Sibley scored the seventh run on a Noah Carpenter sacrifice fly.
Carpenter scored Leavitt's first run in the bottom of the first on a Luke Gladu sac fly.
Luke Gladu singled home Keach for an 8-0 lead in the fifth.
Keach almost walked Medomak's Josh Blake in the sixth, but Blake got caught looking to end the inning.
"That's just it — it was the curveball that was keeping us off-balanced," Medomak Valley coach Keith Simmons said. "We couldn't get into a rhythm or anything. It was just a tough one today."
Sibley ended the game with a walk-off two-run single in the bottom of the sixth.
Sibley said he knew the situation, that two runs would end the contest. He focused on making sure to get the bat on the ball.
"Just get the front foot down and let the hands follow," Sibley said. "You get the front foot down early — just spray it to all fields."
Leavitt finishes the season with a pair of road games, first at Gardiner (5-7) on Friday and then at Nokomis (6-7) next Tuesday.
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