By: Josh Stevens

Most games in the South Florida Collegiate League can be defined by one of the three aspects of the game. Sometimes, a hitting clinic will be put on display, as scores such as 10-8 aren’t too uncommon. 

Other times, defense is the name of the game, as one key error can be the difference in the game. In the Palm Beach Xtreme’s 2-0 win over the West Palm Knights, the big story of the game was pitching. 

While the final score accurately depicts a pitcher's duel, the nightcap of the doubleheader did not start out this way. In the first inning, Xtreme shortstop Gregory Ryan Jr belted a no-doubt home run to give his squad a 1-0 lead. 

 “I got ahead in the count and was looking for a middle-in fastball,” exclaimed the shortstop from Longwood University. “I was able to get that pitch and put a good swing on it.”

This solo shot turned out to be the only run that Xtreme starting pitcher and player of the game Shane Huntsberger (Western Carolina) needed. The righty turned in a dominant performance, as he went six shutout innings, striking out 11 guys in the process while only allowing three hits and one walk. 

"I came in wanting to work down in the zone and get quick outs because I have a great seven behind me”, said Huntsberger. “I was able to dial in early and get a lot of strikeouts with both my fastball and offspeed.”

Dialed-in is probably an understatement to describe Huntsberger’s performance, as he only needed 84 pitches to record his 11 strikeouts, indicating an extremely efficient performance. 

While he received the loss, Knights pitcher Perry Kyles (Southern University) was still able to turn in an impressive outing. Although Huntsberger’s performance will likely grab all of the headlines, Kyles only gave up 2 runs in 4.1 innings while striking out seven. Unfortunately, his offense couldn’t overcome the early deficit. 

With this loss, the Palm Beach Knights fall to 4-9 on the season. However, as most of their losses have been close, they are still right in the thick of a crowded South division.

“Today was one of our best days pitching-wise. We had a great start from Perry Kyles, and had strong outings from our relievers” examined Knights coach Sam Martin. “We were also able to make some great plays in the field, but at the end of the day we aren’t making the needed adjustments at the plate that allows us to win ballgames.”

On the other side, the Xtreme are finally on the right side of .500, as they sit at 7-6 on the season. While their schedule will become more condensed and hectic due to the rainouts, their solid pitching is their ticket to a top seed.

"Today was a great win for our club” exclaimed Xtreme manager Jack Steinberg. “I can’t say enough about the dominant start from Shane Huntsberger. Our defense was also solid, as we didn’t make any errors. Finally, we were able to scrape across a couple of runs, including that big home run, to get the win.”

While the offense is usually the side of the ball grabbing the headlines, Thursday Night’s game proved that pitching is still the ticket to a successful team.