Marshwood's Fernandes throws no-hitter against Portland
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Marshwood's Luke Fernandes threw a no-hitter against Portland on Tuesday.Ioanna Raptis photo
SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — Luke Fernandes was in complete control during the Marshwood High School baseball team’s 8-0 triumph over Portland on Tuesday. There was no debate about that.
Here’s what was up for discussion: whether or not Fernandes tossed a no-hitter.
Fernandes, a junior, held Portland to three baserunners. Two Portland players reached base via a walk, the other was awarded first base because of catcher’s interference.
Marshwood credited Fernandes with a no-hitter, but Portland coach Tony DiBiase disagreed and said the batter is credited with a hit when catcher’s interference occurs. According to the official rules of Major League Baseball, however, there is no base hit credited for catcher’s interference. Instead the play is scored as an error on the catcher.
“I didn’t know if it was an out or what was going on with that (catcher’s interference),” Fernandes said. “I might have thrown a no-hitter in Little League, but not in high school or Babe Ruth.
“In my bullpen before the game I was working on a changeup and it wasn’t working for me, so I just stuck to a breaking pitch and a fastball for the whole game. I was able to spot my fastball on the inside and outside of the plate and that’s what got me through.”
Fernandes struck out nine. He faced two batters over the minimum. Portland’s Joel DiPietro, the player who reached base on catcher’s interference, was thrown out attempting to steal second in the fifth inning.
DiBiase had plenty of praise for Fernandes.
“He was excellent,” DiBiase said. “He’s as good as I’ve seen in the last four or five years. We were just talking about who’s been better.
“He just overpowers people and he doesn’t walk anybody. He’s very good. You don’t see pitchers like that very often around here.”
“He just overpowers people and he doesn’t walk anybody. He’s very good. You don’t see pitchers like that very often around here.”
Marshwood, which raised its Western Maine Class A record to 2-0, jumped on Portland starter Nate Smart for two runs in the first inning. The Hawks did the rest of their scoring in the fifth, when they sent 10 batters to the plate and pushed across six runs.
Marshwood’s six-run fifth featured four hits and four walks. Portland reliever Nick Volger didn’t help himself in the inning. In addition to the four walks he issued, the Hawks scored a run on a balk and another on a wild pitch.
Second baseman Ben Claus collected three of Marshwood’s nine hits. The Hawks also received two hits and two RBIs from leadoff hitter Alex McLean. Claus was the only senior in Marshwood’s starting lineup.
Eight different players scored for the Hawks.
“I was happy that we scored early,” Marshwood coach Eric Fernandes (Luke’s father) said. “Portland’s always athletic, so when you can put up an 8-0 score against Portland it’s a good thing.”
Portland, which had six sophomores and a freshman in its starting lineup, dropped to 1-1. The Bulldogs opened the season with a 9-4 victory over Gorham.
Fernandes was 2-3 with a 1.55 ERA and a league-high 58 strikeouts last season. He earned the save when Marshwood opened its season with a 5-4 triumph against Bonny Eagle.
“Luke’s off-speed pitch seemed to be crisp, and he was living low,” Eric Fernandes said. “I’ve seen him be that way in a game quite a bit, but I’ve never seen a no-hitter out of him.”
Until Tuesday, that is.
