Fishman Dominant, Canton Legion Draws First Blood

Nearly every time that Jake Fishman took the ball for the American Legion Canton Post 24 baseball team during the regular season, the lefthander from Sharon displayed why he was the Hockomock League’s MVP runner-up this spring.

Wednesday night, in Post 24’s first postseason game, against rival Foxboro, Fishman submitted his finest showing in a summer of masterful outings.

Fishman blanked Post 93, 3-0, fanning nine and scattering four hits. Pat Vartanian’s two-run homer provided crucial breathing room, and Canton took a leg up in the best-of-three playoff series.

“He’s had a lot of great performances,” said Head Coach Greg Lyons of Fishman. “Foxboro had that one inning where they loaded the bases, but other than that, they really didn’t have much of a chance. He was throwing well from the start, threw his game from the first pitch on.”

Canton (#4-seed in District 6 East, 13-11 regular season) opened the scoring in the top of the first inning. Matt Shaffer was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on Kevin O’Brien’s bunt.

After Drew Blake’s fly-out pushed Shaffer to third, Jake Fishman’s RBI groundout put Post 24 up, 1-0, over host Foxboro (#2-seed in District 6 West, 18-6 regular season).

Of Canton’s offensive approach, Shaffer said, “We’re not going to destroy every team we play, but it’s timely hits, getting runners on, taking some pitches, [etc.] Just trying to get the team going, one hit at a time.”

That was all the run support that Fishman needed, as he retired the first 13 batters of the game in order. Shaffer said, “Fishman was a beast, like he has been all season, against one of the top teams in District 6.

“It’s great playing the outfield [when Fishman is pitching]. It was a great performance by him and the team around him,” Shaffer added.

Clinging to a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, Fishman, a captain, helped his own cause by lacing a curveball to center field for a single. Two batters later, Vartanian cranked a towering fly over the left field fence, upping Canton’s advantage to 3-0.

“The home run felt really good,” Vartanian said. “I knew that a hit would score a run for us; I just put a good swing on the ball and it carried out of the park.”

Lyons said, “Pat has been hitting really well lately. Honestly, he didn’t get all of that. Lately, he’s been line drive, line drive, line drive, so when you’re in that groove, sometimes you miss one and if you’re good enough, it goes over the fence.”

Lyons says that Vartanian has made significant strides at the plate over the course of the summer. “At the beginning of the season, he was pressing really hard. He lost his swing a little bit.

“Finally, we had a break – we didn’t see the best pitching, and he got into a rhythm. The past week-and-a-half, he’s really stepped it up. His swing has been perfect, and it showed today,” Lyons added.

Vartanian credits his teammates’ backing in his turnaround, saying that they helped him re-gain his confidence at the dish. He said, “They were the biggest thing for me.” He also noted that Lyons’ throwing batting practice prior to games frequently has allowed him to work more on his stroke.

Foxboro’s best offensive threat of the afternoon came in the bottom of the fifth, as Post 93 loaded the bases with one out. However, thanks to two consecutive Fishman strikeouts, Canton emerged from the jam unscathed.

Lyons says that Fishman’s holding a three-run cushion in that sequence was vital. “It just takes a lot of pressure off of Jake’s shoulders, especially with that situation of bases loaded.

“Instead of worrying about that one guy scoring in a 1-0 game, he knows that if they score one run or even two, it’s not the end of the world. That was huge for us,” Lyons said.

Fishman closed out Foxboro in the sixth and seventh innings. The lefthander decreased his ERA to a miniscule 0.85, improving his record to 5-1. He has now struck out 47 batters in 41 innings while walking just five.

Lyons will hand the ball to captain and Sharon resident Nathan Pedersen on Thursday night in Canton at 5 p.m., with Post 24 looking to close out Foxboro in the best-of-three series.

“All I really want out of Nate is strikes. Be a leader, like he has been for us,” Lyons said. “Foxboro is a good team, obviously – they won 18 ballgames this year. But if Nate keeps the ball low – his ball moves, mixes a little bit – we’ll hold them in check. And if we score some runs, we’ll be in the game.”

A Canton victory would secure the squad a berth in the South Sectional Bracket Tournaments, which begin on Sunday. Foxboro will look to force a winner-take all third game, which would be played Friday afternoon at Foxboro High at 5 p.m.

Lyons says that Post 24 will look to repeat its all-around performance from Wednesday night. “That’s basically been the story all year – great pitching, great defense, and timely hitting.

“That’s what happened today, and it translated to a W on the field. Hopefully, we can continue to keep it going like this, and I think it will continue to turn into W’s for us,” Lyons added.

The coach says that on Thursday and looking forward, the squad will continue do what has worked for them throughout the summer. “It’s not going to be easy – any team that’s left at this point, obviously, has a good team and solid pitching.

“It’s all about timely hits – sac bunting people over, stealing bases, like we have done all year,” Lyons added. “We’re just going to keep playing ball, being aggressive."