Elliott: Turcotte rides Wave of strikeouts

Former Ontario Terrier RHP Sam Turcotte (Toronto, Ont.) struck out 18 for the Ocean State Waves. Next spring he will be a senior at Stony Brook University.

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

They seemed to come in waves.

One after another.

That was the best way to describe RHP Sam Turcotte pitching for the Ocean State Waves in the New England Collegiate League. Turcotte fanned 18 in Ocean State’s 5-1 win over the Danbury Westerners before 840 fans at Rogers Park in Danbury, Conn.

Turcotte (Toronto, Ont.) was only one whiff off the league record. And it was far from an easy breezy walk in the park. Or on the beach waiting for the waves to roll in.

Ocean State did not score until getting one run in each the sixth and seventh innings. Turcotte left with a 2-1 lead.

Turcotte threw 91 pitches -- 69 strikes -- before turning the game over to the bullpen for the final six outs.

An Ontario Terriers grad, Turcotte will return to the Stony Brook Seawolves for his senior season. Last spring he had a 4.04 ERA in 24 games making one start. He walked 21 and struck out 47 in 42 1/3 innings.

Turcotte’s outing went like this as in the first he:

Struck out Alex Baratta swinging on a 1-2 pitch.

After a single, he fanned Sonny Ulliana on a 2-2 pitch.

After a double, he fanned Cameron Masterman on a 1-2 pitch.

In the second he:

Fanned Isiah Daubon on a 1-2 pitch.

Whiffed Eli Oliphant after getting ahead 1-2.

Retired Lyndon Weaver swinging on an 0-2 pitch.

In the third he:

Retired Jack McCarthy on a ground ball.

Baratta on a pop up to third.

Fanned Nicholas Lorusso swinging on an 0-2 pitch.

In the fourth, he:

Retired Ulliana swinging on an 0-2 pitch.

Struck out Noah Dickerson swinging on an 0-2 count.

Fanned Masterman on a strike out in a six-pitch at-bat.

In the fifth, he:

Set down Daubon on a ground ball to second.

Fanned Oliphant on a 1-2 pitch.

Weaver homered on a 1-2 pitch for a 1-0 lead.

Struck out Jack McCarthy on a 3-2 pitch.

In the sixth, pitching with the game tied 1-1, he:

Struck out Baratta on a 2-2 pitch.

Fanned Brian Rodriguez swinging on an 0-2 pitch.

Ulliana whiffed on an 0-2 pitch.

And in the seventh, with a 2-1 lead, he:

Fanned Daren Wood on an 0-2 count.

After Masterman singled, stole second and third, Pete Bloomberg struck out strike swinging.

Oliphant struck out on a 3-2 pitch.

Chase Reid of the Newport Gulls still holds the NECBL record with 19 strikeouts against the Torrington Twisters in 2008.