Our @DigmiNation Player of the Game is winning pitcher Jason Diaz who struck out 10 and allowed just two hits and an unearned run. He also hit an RBI single to lead the Firebirds to a 3-1 victory. #TipYourCap pic.twitter.com/1YeATNSo7Q
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 9, 2018
Jason Diaz knows his days with a baseball bat in his hands are numbered. The junior RHP is regarded as the top pitching prospect on Long Island. He verbally committed to the University of Miami during his sophomore year and more-than-likely will not get an at bat while playing in the ACC.
That doesn’t mean he can’t make the most of his at bats before that moment comes.
He helped himself with an RBI single in the bottom of the first against Logan Koester, in what proved to be a pitching duel between two of the elite arms in the CHSAA.
“Ever since I committed to Miami I know this is gonna be my last couple swings,” he said laughing. “Whenever I get in the box I’m just hacking and trying to do the best I can for my team,” he added.
He didn’t perform too bad on the mound either, as he out dueled Koester by firing five innings, allowing one unearned run on two hits, three walks with 10 strikeouts. He relief heavily on his secondary pitches in this one, and touched 92 MPH with his fastball.
“All offseason I was working on my secondary pitches. My fastball wasn’t always on today and I was just trying to get a lot of strikes so I relied a lot on my slider and change up . First inning and second inning I had a lot of jitters going on, and it came on later in the game but my secondary was always there so it helped me out,” he added.
Following Diaz’s run-scoring hit, James Dieguez followed two batters later with a well-struck two-run double down the left field line to score Fordham-commit Terrance Murray and Diaz. Koester retired the side on the next batter to end the damage.
Diaz struck out one in the first, working around a leadoff walk and hit by pitch. He had a dominant second inning, striking out the side relying more on his fastball to get the punch outs.
Koester displayed his athleticism in the second inning, erasing a single with a pick off. He settled in nicely after that. He retired the side in the third and worked around a leadoff single by James May in the fourth inning.
Chaminade mounted their biggest threat in the fourth inning when Diaz’s command temporarily escaped him. He walked back-to-back batters after striking out the leadoff man. He went to a full count to the next two batters but struck them both out to bring his count to eight after four.
In the fifth, Chaminade got on the board after a two-out error by the third baseman on a broken bat grounder. Center fielder Paul Orbon followed with an RBI triple to right-center field. He ended the threat by striking out Aidan Larkin.
Diaz was taken out after five with 10 strikeouts in favor of southpaw John Carroll. It was a great contrast between pitching styles, from a hard-throwing RHP to a crafty southpaw. He was very effective, recording the six-out save allowing just one base runner on a walk.
With the victory, the Firebirds improve to 7-9 on the season. They have turned around their season after a 2-6 start. The reigning champs present a problem to anyone in the postseason with Diaz on the mound. The Flyers fall to 10-6 on the season. The postseason will begin next week with the top six seeds qualifying. St. Dominic is currently in first place, with St. John the Baptist jostling with Chaminade for the No. 2 seed.
