Pierce driven to win over Mercy

Pierce High's Jake Driver was cleared by his doctor just March 1 to play baseball this season.

Following his dominance on the mound at home Wednesday, Mercy wants a second opinion.

The junior hurler threw five innings of one-hit ball for the Bears, striking out 13, and also singled in the run that ended the game, ironically, by the mercy rule, 10-0.

"It's easy when you hand the ball to Jake," grinned Pierce coach Roy Perkins. "I was concerned about him all winter, but he worked hard and built up his arm strength, and he's just gonna get stronger."

Driver had reconstructive surgery performed on his left ankle as a result of an injury he sustained during the football season. With the left foot being the plant foot for a right-handed thrower, full use and confidence in the repaired ankle is essential to not alter any of his pitching mechanics.

"It feels stronger than it used to. I felt no pain at all," Driver said.

He was just as surprised when told of his number of strikeouts. "I don't think that much about them when I'm out there. I just try to set them up and finish them off."

And finish them off he did, sending two batters back to the dugout after called third strikes, but getting the other 11 swinging.

Mercy's lone hit came on a bloop single by Cameron Vietti in the 1st inning, and the only two outs not recorded via punchouts were a pair of 4th inning grounders handled cleanly by shortstop Ottie Harris and first baseman Jordan Saso.

Pierce scored a run in the 1st when Joey Hernandez coaxed a walk and eventually came across the plate on an error.

Harris then gave Driver and the Bears any cushion they would possibly need when he lined a 3-run homer over the leftfield fence in the 2nd, scoring a pinch-runner for Zach Graves and Hernandez, who had both walked.

Driver and Kyle Shadinger both singled in a 4-run 4th, with multiple Mercy errors helping the cause, before Driver's single plated Taylor Cabral in the 5th to end it.

Harris added a ground-rule double and a walk for seven total bases on the day, with Driver finishing 2-for-2 at the plate.

Craig Purcell is sports editor for Tri-County Newspapers. Contact him at 824-1036 or cpurcell@tcnpress.com.