ARGYLE - Black Hawk pitcher Mike Walker was in cruise mode Tuesday as he entered the sixth inning against Argyle.
The big right-hander had only allowed two hits and the Orioles were struggling to put runners on base. Then, as dominant as Walker had been, he issued three consecutive walks and four of five Orioles batters reached via a free pass.
Black Hawk coach Justin Doyle was eager to see how the senior would respond and he got the answer he expected, as Walker escaped the sixth with minimal damage en route to a complete-game, 13-strikeout effort in the Warriors' 8-5 victory against Argyle.
"I think the biggest thing this year is he just calms down," Doyle said of Walker when he encounters difficulty. "If he calms down - and he knows he can - then he can throw strikes. Last year he couldn't do that."
And it's not just Walker who is making significant progression early this season for the Warriors. His complete-game victory was the second in as many days for Black Hawk - Cory Rupnow accomplished the feat Monday against Monticello - as the Warriors improved to 2-1 overall and 2-0 in the Six Rivers East Conference.
"The pitching has been there, which it wasn't last year," Doyle said. "Mike finished it out strong today."
Started and finished strong, actually.
Walker struck out the side in the first and seventh innings, and he had at least one strikeout in every inning. He allowed four hits, issued seven walks and hit two batters.
"My fastball was there most of the game," Walker said. "Every once in a while I was losing (the fastball), and then I'd come with my curveball. That's really all I used all night was a couple different fastballs and a curveball."
Walker and Doyle called the 2-0 Six Rivers East start "huge" coming off a the 3-11 struggle of 2011.
"Last year we were young and it was my first year, and now the kids know what I'm all about and they know the process and where they need to be," Doyle said. "This year, everything is (clicking) for us."
Said Walker: "Just have to keep our momentum going."
Argyle wasted little time getting started in its season opener as starting pitcher Jared Johnson and designated hitter Christopher Severson had RBI singles in the bottom of the first for a 2-0 Orioles lead.
But Walker beared down from there and didn't allow a hit over the next five innings.
The Warriors took a lead they wouldn't lose in the third inning, when they batted around and scored three runs while collecting only one hit. Black Hawk batted around again in the fifth, as Aaron Monson collected an RBI on a groundout and Taylor Rupnow had a two-run single to left, to push its lead to 6-2.
Argyle took advantage of Walker's brief loss of control in the sixth, scoring twice on wild pitches to pull within 6-4, but Black Hawk extended its lead to 8-4 in the top of the seventh when two runs scored on Pat Mahoney's groundout.
Argyle didn't help itself in committing four errors in the game.
"We had some mental errors in the field and maybe a mental error or two on the bases, but we were right in the game even with that," first-year Orioles coach Chuck Bredeson said. "We started four freshmen and three sophomores and they were kind of intimidated right away, but then they started hitting the ball better later on."
Johnson went five innings for Argyle. He allowed six runs, had four strikeouts and walked eight.
Cory Rupnow and Chris Priebe each had two hits for Black Hawk, and Monson finished with two RBIs.
"We're off to a very nice start," Doyle said. "We just have to keep chugging."
The big right-hander had only allowed two hits and the Orioles were struggling to put runners on base. Then, as dominant as Walker had been, he issued three consecutive walks and four of five Orioles batters reached via a free pass.
Black Hawk coach Justin Doyle was eager to see how the senior would respond and he got the answer he expected, as Walker escaped the sixth with minimal damage en route to a complete-game, 13-strikeout effort in the Warriors' 8-5 victory against Argyle.
"I think the biggest thing this year is he just calms down," Doyle said of Walker when he encounters difficulty. "If he calms down - and he knows he can - then he can throw strikes. Last year he couldn't do that."
And it's not just Walker who is making significant progression early this season for the Warriors. His complete-game victory was the second in as many days for Black Hawk - Cory Rupnow accomplished the feat Monday against Monticello - as the Warriors improved to 2-1 overall and 2-0 in the Six Rivers East Conference.
"The pitching has been there, which it wasn't last year," Doyle said. "Mike finished it out strong today."
Started and finished strong, actually.
Walker struck out the side in the first and seventh innings, and he had at least one strikeout in every inning. He allowed four hits, issued seven walks and hit two batters.
"My fastball was there most of the game," Walker said. "Every once in a while I was losing (the fastball), and then I'd come with my curveball. That's really all I used all night was a couple different fastballs and a curveball."
Walker and Doyle called the 2-0 Six Rivers East start "huge" coming off a the 3-11 struggle of 2011.
"Last year we were young and it was my first year, and now the kids know what I'm all about and they know the process and where they need to be," Doyle said. "This year, everything is (clicking) for us."
Said Walker: "Just have to keep our momentum going."
Argyle wasted little time getting started in its season opener as starting pitcher Jared Johnson and designated hitter Christopher Severson had RBI singles in the bottom of the first for a 2-0 Orioles lead.
But Walker beared down from there and didn't allow a hit over the next five innings.
The Warriors took a lead they wouldn't lose in the third inning, when they batted around and scored three runs while collecting only one hit. Black Hawk batted around again in the fifth, as Aaron Monson collected an RBI on a groundout and Taylor Rupnow had a two-run single to left, to push its lead to 6-2.
Argyle took advantage of Walker's brief loss of control in the sixth, scoring twice on wild pitches to pull within 6-4, but Black Hawk extended its lead to 8-4 in the top of the seventh when two runs scored on Pat Mahoney's groundout.
Argyle didn't help itself in committing four errors in the game.
"We had some mental errors in the field and maybe a mental error or two on the bases, but we were right in the game even with that," first-year Orioles coach Chuck Bredeson said. "We started four freshmen and three sophomores and they were kind of intimidated right away, but then they started hitting the ball better later on."
Johnson went five innings for Argyle. He allowed six runs, had four strikeouts and walked eight.
Cory Rupnow and Chris Priebe each had two hits for Black Hawk, and Monson finished with two RBIs.
"We're off to a very nice start," Doyle said. "We just have to keep chugging."
