Micah Hall hurls Modesto’s Beyer High to top of MMC standings

Micah Hall’s baseball cap looks as if a lawn mower ran over it. His belt, black and not standard Beyer-blue, resembles a relic from the Civil War.

He pays a price for the indiscretion, ponying up two bags of sunflower seeds for team consumption each game.

“I am (superstitious) when it comes to baseball,” said Hall, who dominated Enochs for seven innings in an 8-1 Modesto Metro Conference victory Wednesday at Paul Cornwell Field. “I’m not out to impress anybody.”

Hall’s cap, missing the button on top, is the lid he’s worn since his sophomore season. Apparently, the juju is working

“The first year I was coach, he wore that hat,” said Beyer’s Dom Duran. “He’s been pitcher of the year two years in a row with it. Who am I to stop him?

“But it’s getting pretty nasty.”

The lanky redhead improved his record to 6-0 and lowered his ERA to 1.48 as the Patriots (8-4, 4-1 MMC) captured sole possession of first place in the conference, knocking Enochs (4-9, 3-2) a game back. Modesto, which entered Wednesday tied with the Pats and Eagles atop the standings, has a league bye this week and trails the leaders by a half game.

Enochs surrendered four runs in the first inning, a deep hole for an opponent when facing Hall.

His fastball touched 84 mph as he stayed ahead of Enochs hitters, throwing 65 of his 90 pitches for strikes. He allowed just four hits, walked two batters, plunked one and fanned six.

In the first, Beyer leadoff hitter Chris Alonzo reached on an error and advanced to second, and Caleb Saalfeld lined a double to left to put runners on second and third. Alonzo scored, and Saalfeld moved up 90 feet on a passed ball and Jack Large singled to center to make it 2-0. Large, hitting .500 for the season, later scored on a single by Jordan Walls, who came around to make it 4-0 on a double by catcher Anthony Enwiya.

It’s a Catch-22 for teams facing Beyer: It’s tough to score on Hall, and when Hall’s pitching, his teammates feel more relaxed knowing they don’t need to wallop the ball. And relaxed hitters are better hitters.

“I’m more relaxed when I go up there,” said Large about batting on days Hall throws. “I can be myself and don’t have to press. I know he’s going to keep us in the game.”

Saalfeld, Large and Jordan Pugh each finished with two hits apiece for Beyer, while Enwiya had two RBIs. Eli Martinez was 2 for 3 for the Eagles, getting half his team’s hits against Hall. Enochs’ lone run came in the sixth when, after two outs were recorded, Hall hit Jordan Davidson, who eventually scored on the Patriots’ lone error.

The teams meet again today at Enochs’ Dick Windemuth Field in the second game of this home-and-home series. The Patriots will then try to defend their tournament title next week at the 46^th annual Windemuth Easter Tournament.

Eight teams – Modesto, Johansen, Ripon and Bradshaw Christian in Pool A; Beyer, Davis, Downey and Patterson in Pool B – will compete beginning Monday.

This story was originally published April 1, 2015 at 7:40 PM with the headline "Micah Hall hurls Modesto’s Beyer High to top of MMC standings."