Saginaw United High School

Vassar Tops Improving United for Double Header Sweep The Vassar Vulcans took two from visiting Saginaw United Friday evening in biting cold weather that was more mid-March than May 1: 6-0 in game 1 and 7-5 in game 2. “Vassar went out and won game 2 the way you prefer to get beat,” Saginaw United Head Coach Nate Volk said. “Their kid had a great at bat battling (United pitcher Jayce) Delgado and knocking two guys in with two strikes in the count, two outs in the inning. Solid hit, nothing cheap or lucky about it. Seven runs was the number it took to win.” Delgado, a freshman left hander, laid claim to future varsity opportunities pitching 5 innings, striking out three and allowing only four runs. “There were a lot of impressive things about how Jayce threw the ball,” Volk said. “He was around the plate often and when he fell behind and needed to battle back from 3-0, 3-1 and put it in the hands of our defense, he did it time and again. He threw a lot Monday in the JV game at Carrolton and looked really comfortable from the jump tonight. This week we had Jamarion Vollmer and now Jayce come off JV work and throw great for the varsity. One great thing about Roy (JV Head Coach Roy Sims) is he is a stickler for mechanics and details. You can see that in these two pitchers.” United (0-14) struck first in the night cap scoring two runs in the first inning without a hit. Iggy Delgado and Dakari Sims each scored runs while the newest member of Phoenix baseball, Junior Joshua Emeott, also reached based along with Dean Simpson, III and game two starting pitcher Jay Garcia. Vassar took the lead back in their half of the 2 nd inning and added runs throughout, as dinner time temperatures dropped rapidly. Down 7-3, United battled back in the 5 th inning as Iggy Delgado singled and eventually came around to score from second base on the same wild pitch that previously scored infielder Aden Morgan. In game 1, staff ace Delgado went the entire way, allowing just three earned runs. But United was limited to only 1 hit and had just two runners move beyond second base. “Iggy stays within himself, executes his game plan, and works ahead in the count constantly,” Volk said. “He and Dakari work great together. We’re starting to hold runners better as a team but particularly when those two are the battery. It makes such a difference when the opponent needs two or three clean hits to score a run.” United’s back seven defense also had its best day of the season recording just four errors over the two games. Outfielders from left to right: Austin Harris, Enrique Martinez, II, and Dominic Wascher each recorded multiple put outs. Emeott, playing shortstop from start to finish both games, led the team in assists with five. “Our alertness and readiness is much improved,” Volk said. “There is a synergy to defense in this game that is pretty obvious. The pitchers working quickly and throwing strikes helps the defense stay alert. And an alert defense converting outs gives the pitcher freedom to attack hitters with strikes.” Setting the defense in both games was Sims. The sophomore standout allowed zero passed balls on nearly 200 recorded pitches and limited Vassar to two bases on wild pitches. “If you go by the criteria of relentless pressure with no breaks, catcher is the most demanding and vital position for team success in sports,” Volk said. “Tonight Dakari played catcher better in a full double header than I’ve seen on any of my teams. Going on 400 games. Figure a quarter of those being double headers. He was a wall. I lost count of how many balls he blocked in the dirt. Again, our pitchers don’t have draining worries about being perfect every pitch. They can locate down aggressively, throw their best pitches with freedom with runners on, and Kari has got it covered. Our best performance by any player over two game this season.” United returns to action with a Saginaw Valley League South double header Wednesday at Flint Carman-Ainsworth. “You can see an excitement with our players for the game right now,” Volk said. “And that’s great because we have a lot of details to cover with hitting especially. We took 15 third strikes called over the two games. Horrifying. I have been coaching hitting in a lesson format for a decade, 2200 plus cage instruction hours. I have to do way better preparing the guys as hitters. The upside for this team is interesting because of how well we’re competing on the mound and defensively. Three weeks to Districts, so let’s attack the work.”