Poirier delivers as Carmel knocks off Elk Grove
Carmel Catholic baseball coach Joe May made a big request to country-sized right-hander Paul Poirier on Friday.
Poirier, who would be making the mound start for the Corsairs in their nonconference game against Elk Grove on a sunny but bone-chilling day in Mundelein, stopped by May's classroom during the afternoon. Poirier has early dismissal.
Explained May: "I said, 'Do me a favor. Please take care of these guys.' "
Poirier provided.
He made the day a historic one for history and government teacher May, pitching 6 innings of 2-hit ball in Carmel's 3-0 win. It was the first victory as head coach for May, who before this season was a longtime assistant under former head coach Chuck Gandolfi.
"They played well enough that I couldn't screw it up," May joked.
While Carmel improved to 1-2, Elk Grove fell to 1-2. It was the first time the Grenadiers have played Carmel in Terry Beyna's 10 years as head coach.
"We just felt like we need to find more opponents that are comparable to Mid-Suburban League (teams)," Beyna said. "We knew coming here it would be tough. We did some good things. Hopefully what happened here today will make us better down the road."
Poirier, a 6-foot-4, 225-pounder who's signed with Iowa Western Community College near Omaha, Neb., was nearly unhittable. He allowed a two-out double to Southern Illinois-bound Donny Duschinsky in the first inning and a leadoff single to starting and losing pitcher Kyle Pfister in the second, but little else.
"Command was good," Poirier said. "My curveball was just a little outside. I just held onto it a little too long. But pretty much it was just fastball, curveball."
Poirier, who gave himself all the offense he needed with an RBI groundout in the third that scored batterymate Kyle Bessa, finished with 8 strikeouts and 4 walks.
He issued back-to-back passes to Carl Sugihara and Ryan Martinski in the fifth, but then got the dangerous Duschinsky on a foul-tipped third strike.
"He was throwing pretty good today," said Bessa, who went 2-for-4 with a stolen base from the leadoff spot. "In warmups I could tell he was popping it, and then he got on the mound and he was hitting all of his spots. All of his off-speed (pitches) seemed to be working."
Poirier worked quickly, something he likes to do.
"I just get into a groove and then I don't want to stop," Poirier said.
"I just want to get the ball and get the next pitch."
"He works that quickly because he's a yeoman," May said. "If you want him to bale hay, he'll go out and bale hay with the best of them. He's really a workman out there. We love that, especially when it's 40 degrees out."
After 94 pitches, Poirier was done. Corsairs reliever Daniel Mooney retired Elk Grove in order in the seventh, striking out one in earning the save.
"He told me I was done," Poirier said of May. "Cold weather."
Besides Bessa, Derek Jordan and Brian Serio (RBI) each had 2 hits for Carmel.
Pfister pitched 5 innings for Elk Grove, allowing 2 runs while striking out five and walking three.
"We're looking to play opponents like these guys, especially in their ballpark," Beyna said. "We're looking to kind of see who we are early in the year. We saw their best pitcher and I thought we battled him well. And I thought Pfister battled them very well."