Saugus, Salkeld Burn Canyon to Take Over First

With the temperature hovering around 100 degrees Friday at Canyon High, perspiring minds wanted to know: Could Roger Salkeld stand the heat?

Certainly, Salkeld, Saugus’ so-far-sensational senior right-hander, had yet to pitch under such sizzling conditions.

Nor had Salkeld been thrown into the fire of so crucial a contest. Moreover, the Golden League race heated up this week, as both Saugus and Canyon entered the game with 4-0 records.

Additional heat was applied to Salkeld by an overflow partisan Canyon crowd, which taunted the 6-foot-5 pitcher and offered mock sympathy in the first inning after he fouled a pitch at the plate that bounced back and struck him in the groin.

And to top off matters, no less than five radar guns pointed Salkeld’s way when he fired his first fastball, which clocked in at 88 m.p.h.

After the game, however, a sweat-soaked and still-standing Salkeld, arm packed in refreshing ice, provided the triumphant answer for all.

“I pitch 100% better in the heat,” he said.

Which is saying something considering that Salkeld struck out 75 batters in his first 40 1/3 innings before Friday.

But Salkeld beat the heat and the Cowboys, hurling a one-hitter with seven strikeouts as Saugus (11-2-2 overall) posted a 5-0 victory and moved into sole possession of first.

“Your arm is nice and loose and you don’t tighten up,” Salkeld, who walked three and allowed only one runner to reach third base, said in reference to the heat. “I was throwing strikes. I felt good.”

Yet, Canyon (7-7), which held Salkeld to his lowest strikeout total in a start this season, hardly went down swinging. Five batters put the ball in play after Salkeld fired two strikes, and Corey Byars and Jason Stanley both roped fastballs into left field where Scott Warr hurried to make hot-handed grabs.

In the fifth inning, shortstop Chris Flesher almost knocked Salkeld’s socks off when he singled sharply through the box for Canyon’s only hit. And three times Salkeld benefited from double plays after serving up hard-hit ground balls.

After the game, Canyon Coach Rich Montanio insisted the Cowboys were not out of the league race by any means.

“We’re right there with them,” he said. “Being a game out and chasing them is not such a bad position to be in. They can’t let up and I’m sure they’re going to be looking over their shoulders at us.”

Canyon senior right-hander Sean Nichols turned in a creditable performance, striking out four and yielding seven hits in pitching a complete game.

But a shaky first inning, in which Saugus scored twice after Nichols walked the first two batters, doomed the Cowboys.

“He’s major-league stuff when he gets a four-run lead,” Montanio said of Salkeld.

George Lopata, who was three for three with two runs batted in, singled to score leadoff hitter Darrell Davis in the first. Matt Tull later scored from third while Canyon trapped Lopata in a rundown between second and third.

In the second, Salkeld launched a bloop double to left field and later scored on a single by Tom Burges. Saugus added a run in the fourth when Warr led off with a double and later scored on a throwing error. In the fifth, Lopata singled to score Davis.

Salkeld, who surpassed the 300 career-strikeout mark (306), had no strikeouts until retiring designated-hitter Roy Bjorklund in the third. After quelling a mini-Canyon rally in the third by striking out Kevin Backes with two outs and runners at the corners, Salkeld sailed more easily.

“He was in control all the way,” Saugus Coach Doug Worley said. “I don’t think he had the great fastball, but he was hard to hit today. I never felt like he was in trouble.

“And I liked our middle infielders today.”

The win was Salkeld’s sixth complete game in seven appearances and the seven strikeouts gave him 82 for the season.