By RYAN LOMBARDI
SALAMANCA — After dropping three straight games, Salamanca baseball needed a reset.
They got one in a big way.
The Warriors broke out offensively and rolled past Frewsburg 15-5 in five innings on May 6 behind a strong start from Calum Farnum on the mound.
“We kind of categorized it as a must-win,” Salamanca head coach Greg Herrick said. “I wanted them to be really focused — we treated it like a league game. We had to reset everything and get them back feeling right.”
Salamanca wasted no time doing just that.
Farnum jumpstarted the offense in the first inning with a two-run triple and the Warriors added two more in the second.
“We’re still tinkering with our lineup,” Herrick said. “We’ve got 16 kids fighting for spots, a lot of young guys. But I think we’re starting to see it solidify, and I think you saw that today.”
Salamanca tallied 10 hits and consistently pressured Frewsburg pitching, but it wasn’t just the hits — it was the approach.
“I thought we had good at-bats and commanded the zone better than we have been,” Herrick said. “That’s all part of the maturation. Ten hits — that’s probably a season high for us. I like where we’re headed.”
The Warriors broke the game open with a five-run fourth inning, highlighted by run-scoring hits from Madden Wolfe and Parker Stahlman. They followed it up with a six-run fifth, taking advantage of walks and hit-by-pitches to put the mercy rule into effect.
“Early offense is always huge, especially for the pitchers,” Herrick said. “It settles the hitters down too. If you don’t score early, guys start pressing. The pitchers try to be perfect instead of just attacking the zone. We benefited from getting those early runs.”
Farnum — Salamanca’s No. 1 arm — delivered exactly what the Warriors needed. The right-hander went four innings, allowing just one unearned run while striking out two.
“I liked his demeanor better,” Herrick said. “He had a tough start against Olean, but tonight he was a bulldog. That’s what we asked of him — just stay mentally tough, make adjustments, have the mentality of an ace. I thought he did that today.”
At the plate, Salamanca saw contributions up and down the lineup. Wyatt Bialaszewski and Stahlman each had two hits, while Farnum, Wolfe and Stahlman drove in three runs apiece. Payton Bradley added three walks as part of a disciplined team effort that produced 10 free passes.
Frewsburg showed some fight in the fifth, scoring five runs, with Peter Pasieka leading the way with two hits and two RBIs. But the early deficit proved too much to overcome.
For Salamanca, the win was about getting back on track.
“We had some desperation today,” Herrick said. “And that’s what we needed.”
AT SALAMANCA
Frewsburg 001 04X X R:5 H:3 E:2
Salamanca 220 56X X R:15 H:10 E:2
Frews: Campion (2 SO, 6 BB), Eckman (0 SO, 3 BB), Mazzurco (0 SO, 1 BB) and Beckstrom
Sala: Farnum (2 SO, 4 BB), McCormick (2 SO, 4 BB), Bartoszek (1 SO, 0 BB) and Bradley
