Get to Layn Hurst early because, as Clever found out, you may not get a better chance.
The notoriously slow starter needed a dozen or so pitches to find his groove in Tuesday’s SWCL contest with Clever. Once he did, Hurst showed why he’s taken over as Forsyth’s No. 1 starter this season.
A Mineral Area Community College commit, Hurst held Clever to just three hits while tallying 12 strikeouts – adding an insurance solo homer at the plate as well – to lead Forsyth past the Blue Jays, 2-0.
“Historically, he’s been a slow starter,” said Forsyth coach Jim Julian. “So we always tell him, ‘Be third or fourth-inning ready when you come out of the bullpen.’ When he was younger, he’d struggle the first inning – just not getting loose – and he’d get his pitch count up. Finally, he’d get out of the first inning but maybe give up a couple of runs just because he wasn’t ready.
“When it gets later in the game, if we have a lead, I think he bears down even more. He’s done a great job, end of last year and early this year, of not losing focus with two outs and finishing the inning.”
A three-time all-state selection, Hurst worked out of early trouble after issuing a single and a walk to Clever’s first two batters of the game. Hurst responded by striking out Clever’s 3-4-5 hitters.
“At first, it takes me a while to actually get in the zone and then once I do, it starts to roll,” said Hurst, who mixed in an effective curveball with a fastball that was overpowering Clever’s hitters. “It’s about finding the right slot, because I throw out of different slots and once I find the right one I normally stay with it.”
Locked in a pitchers’ duel with Clever starter Spencer Flatt, Hurst helped his own cause by crushing a solo homer to left field in the sixth to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead.
“It was a 2-0 count, I knew he was coming in with something good,” Hurst said. “Hitter’s count and I just took advantage of it.”
Hurst had two or more strikeouts in five of the seven innings he pitched. After stranding runners on first and second to start the game, Clever only had two base-runners reach second or beyond over the next six innings.
“We’ve seen everyone’s No. 1 starter in each game we’ve played,” said Clever coach Justin Snider. “Guys are getting frustrated, but at the same time, we get our first two runners on in the first inning, 3-4-5 (hitters) coming up, we’ve gotta have contact from somebody. Those are upperclassmen, most of the time they get the job done, today they didn’t. That’s credit to Layn, he’s tremendous.”
Forsyth’s other run came in the first inning, as Austin Padgett’s two-out, RBI bloop single plated Nick Aumiller. The scoring play was manufactured on a bit of smoke and mirrors for the Panthers (6-3 overall) as Aumiller had reached on a dropped third strike, then took second on a balk call during Hurst’s ensuing at-bat.
On a windy day, Forsyth’s defense committed just one error, that coming as an outfielder misplayed a single that allowed Clever to take an extra base.
“The last couple of games, we’ve played pretty clean and made all the routine plays and mixed in some great plays,” Julian said. “If we can get pitching and defense like that, we can be pretty tough if we can just hit.”
The final score marked Forsyth’s sixth straight over Clever in spring meetings.
It also spoiled an otherwise solid outcome by the junior Flatt, who is normally Clever’s No. 3 pitcher but got the surprise start for the Blue Jays on Tuesday. He pitched all seven innings, allowing six hits, two walks and posting seven strikeouts.
Snider said he wanted to save Chris Amtower and Tyler Edwards for upcoming games against district opponents, while also getting Flatt valuable experience. It’s the same “throw him into the fire” approach for Flatt that Amtower received as a sophomore, Snider said.
Clever dropped to 5-4 with the loss. Snider said his group has been hampered by early season injuries; the regular starting lineup hasn’t been used since the second game of the season two weeks ago.
Against Forsyth, Clever had two freshmen and two sophomores batting in the 6-through-9 holes.
“At some point it’s going to click for them and become easier, but right now, they’re struggling a little bit with the pace of the game and especially the velocity of these pitchers,” Sniders said. “A lot of those guys haven’t seen pitchers who throw 80-plus (mph). We’re seeing that almost daily. When you face guys every night that are throwing like that, at some point it’s going to click for them.”
Clever hosts Reeds Spring on Thursday, then faces Summit Christian Academy and El Dorado Springs in a Saturday doubleheader.
Forsyth hosts Fair Grove and Brookland (Ark.) in a Saturday doubleheader.
