Worcester Academy ace Mavrick Rizy off to impressive start as Hilltoppers defeat Phillips Exeter

WORCESTER — The Worcester Academy baseball team and staff ace Mavrick Rizy weren’t at the top of their game, but they didn’t bottom out due to commitment and competitiveness.

Rizy started and went five innings, pitching out of jams in the last four, and the Hilltoppers broke open a close contest with a four-run fourth to defeat Phillips Exeter, 6-3, on Saturday afternoon in the opener of a doubleheader in the cold, wind, rain and sleet at Gaskill Field.

“I thought it was a great team win,” senior catcher/captain Cam Papetti said after WA extended its season-opening winning streak to five games.

“We didn’t have our stuff as a whole, but I’m really proud of my guys to stick with it and get the win. Any league win is a good win.”

The 6-foot-10, 248-pound Rizy allowed three hits – all bloopers – recorded eight strikeouts to give him 20 in 10 innings this season and didn’t allow an earned run.

But he issued five walks and hit three batters while throwing just under 100 pitches before departing with a 6-1 lead.

“As a pitcher you’re going to have those days where your stuff just doesn’t feel in synch,” Rizy said. “I’ll go back and watch some video, but really try not to think about it too much.

“I mean taller guy, longer leverage, it’s going to be tough (with mechanics), but just have to have a quick mindset and forget about it.”

Rizy, who committed to defending national champion Louisiana State University in September, was coming off a 13-day layoff after a scheduled start last week was rained out. And the conditions were better suited for flying kites than inducing fly balls.

He would use neither as an excuse for his command issues.

“I just have to get back to where I was,” Rizy said. “I’m not going to change much. I just have to come back next time with a different mindset.”

Rizy struck out five of the first six batters, which undoubtedly caught the attention of the 10 or so pro scouts stationed behind home plate, a half-dozen of whom wielded radar guns.

But the big righthander loaded the bases with two outs in the second with a walk sandwiched between two singles. Then Papetti paid a visit to the mound.

“Cam has been my catcher for the past six years and he came out to me and said, ‘Hey man, just be you,’ ” Rizy recounted. “That gave me all the confidence in the world. He knew I had it and he had all the confidence in me and just hearing that really helped me get through that.”

Rizy emerged unscathed after inducing a comebacker.

The Lions then put the first two runners on the third (BB, HBP) and fourth innings (2 BB) and loaded the bases (HBP, 2 BB) with one out in the fifth.

They scored one run, failing to get the ball out of the infield. The fifth ended with a nifty double play, senior Casey DeLorenzo stepping on second and firing to first to extinguish the threat.

“Obviously, with pitchers, a third of the time you’re going to have your best stuff, a third of the time you’re going to be terrible and then the other third you have to figure it out,” Hilltoppers coach Mike Abraham said. “I think it was the latter third today. He kind of had to figure it out because he didn’t have his best stuff.

“But I think that’s the special thing about him, even without his best stuff he continued to be competitive and keep the number low. Probably should have been a zero, but it was a one when he came out and he gave us a chance to win.”

Sophomore lefty Jackson Charney and senior righty Noah Orloff each pitched an inning to close out Game 1.

Offensively, DeLorenzo (St. Anselm commit) reached base three times via three ways – single, walk, hit by pitch – and scored three runs.

Junior Cole Hambly (Siena) had three hits and drove in two runs while juniors Liam Daly of Paxton, Mikey McGee and Bryan Sornas each had an RBI.

The Hilltoppers (5-1) struggled in the nightcap, suffering the first loss of the season as Phillips Exeter took a 10-4 win.

—Contact Rich Garven at rgarven@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @RichGarvenTG.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester Academy ace Mavrick Rizy has Hilltoppers off to strong start