Opening Week: No-Hitters, Endless Runs and Emerging Stars

An old trivia question asks for the only game in Major League history where all the members of one team left the game with the exact same batting average as they entered. The answer is supposed to be the Chicago White Sox, who in 1940 were no-hit on Opening Day by Bob Feller.

Sticklers will point out that the White Sox actually entered the game with no batting average at all because the way to determine a batting average is to divide hits by at-bats. The White Sox had neither, and division by zero is a mathematical impossibility.

Whatever.

The reason any of this is relevant is Manchester’s Max Dougan. The junior no-hit Hall-West Hartford on Opening Day. Dougan struck out nine and walked six to earn the victory. If nothing else, Dougan can now say he has something in common with a baseball Hall-of-Famer.

Manchester also got excellent pitching in a 7-3 victory over Cromwell on Thursday.

A no-hitter on Opening Day is certainly a statistical oddity, but it wasn't the only long shot this week.

In Enfield, Nick Van Oudenhove went 6-for-6 in a 21-2 win over East Windsor. Even if you imagine Van Oudenhove as a .500 hitter, there is only a 1-percent chance of getting six hits in six at-bats.

Dougan wasn't the only area pitcher to do excellent work this week. Ellington's Zack Grave threw six shutout innings at Suffield and the Somers tandem of Jake Alvaro and Ryan Connor combined to one-hit Canton.

Out in Tolland, Alex Clifford made one mistake, allowing a three-run homer to Ellington's Garrett Palmer, but otherwise shut the Purple Knights down for an 8-3 victory.

Sometimes quality pitching isn't as obvious as a simple recitation of the numbers. Windsor Locks junior Conor Pepin pitched a complete-game to help the Raiders earn a 6-4 victory over Northwest Catholic-West Hartford. The numbers are not as impressive as some of the other performances from the first week, but the result is a win against a top team, which is what counts.

There is a statistical method that will tell you what a team's record should be given the number of runs they have scored and allowed. Rockville has scored 18 runs and allowed 17 in two games this season. You don't need a formula to tell you that adds up to a 1-1 record.

There is not much to be gleaned from Windsor's opening loss to New Britain, but one of things to watch as the Warriors' season progresses is the growth of Devin Over. Over was a top-hitter as a junior, but now must hit in a lineup without the protection of seven seniors. Over may have to be more patient or the Warriors may have to develop some protection. More information will come Monday against Rocky Hill.

'Crosse and Courts:

Somers is off to a strong start with wins over Granby and Tolland. Mike Hanna and Zach Thresher, who have been playing together since grade school and have outscored opponents 29-7, led the way for the Spartans.

But that attack doesn't stop with Hanna and Thresher. Neil Cardwell, Jeremy Clavette and Tony Defelice all scored against Tolland. The Somers attack has been so potent that Tolland coach Victor Hurtuk praised goalie Eric Horsfield after a 15-3 loss.

“[He was] phenomenal, just phenomenal,” Hurtuk told Patch's Nate Owen.

Suffield has been equally impressive in wins over Ellington and Granby. Corey Allen, James Conway and goalie Justin Abrams have led in the early going.

On the tennis court, E.O. Smith junior John Brvenik won his opening match in straight sets, but E.O. Smith lost to Southington, 5-2.