BOX SCORE - PLAYS - CUMULATIVES: Bishop Gorman | Bishop Verot

CARY, N.C. – Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) scored five runs in the first inning and Kaden Soder threw a complete-game shutout en route to a 5-0 win over Bishop Verot (Fort Myers, Fla.) in the quarterfinal round of the 2023 National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance on Thursday.

With the win, Bishop Gorman (2-0) secures its spot in the semifinal round. Bishop Verot (1-1) falls into consolation play.

The Gaels did all of their scoring in the top of the first, putting four runs on the board before recording an out. The first five batters reached base for Bishop Gorman in the opening frame as the squad tallied four hits to score its five runs. Aiden Pollock (2-for-4) paced the Bishop Gorman offense in the contest, notching the only multi-hit game of the day for either side. Easton Shelton (1-for-3, RBI) and Blake Mabeus (1-for-3, RBI) added RBI hits for the Gaels. Bishop Verot had four hits from four different players, including Owen Rardin (1-for-3), who followed yesterday’s two-hit game with another knock today.

Soder (1-0) was lights-out on the bump for Bishop Gorman, allowing just three hits in the complete-game effort. He struck out four and did not walk a single batter, inducing a trio of key double plays to maintain his shutout in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings. Fidel Alviar (0-1) suffered the loss for Bishop Verot after permitting five runs (four earned) in the first inning. Jason Bello turned in a stellar relief performance for Bishop Verot, pitching the final six innings and allowing just three hits.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Maddox Riske and Aiden Pollock hit back-to-back singles to open the top of the first and–after a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases–Easton Shelton brought them both home with a single to left to give Bishop Gorman a 2-0 lead.
• With runners on the corners and no outs in the top of the first, Bishop Gorman’s Burke Mabeus blooped a double to left field to make it a 3-0 lead for the Gaels.
• Bishop Gorman capped its busy opening frame by scoring another two runs on a balk and a throwing error as its lead grew to 5-0.
• After going down in order in its first two trips to the plate, Bishop Verot had a golden opportunity to score in the third. Hanlon and Owen Rardin led off the inning with singles and advanced into scoring position on a bunt, but Bishop Gorman’s Kaden Soder picked up two strikeouts to halt the threat.
• Bishop Verot had a leadoff runner on base again in the bottom of the fourth and sixth innings, but Bishop Gorman starter Kaden Soder induced key double plays in each frame to maintain his shutout.
• For the third time in the game, the leadoff batter reached base for Bishop Verot in the seventh on a single by Maddix Simpson. But, as he did in the fourth and sixth frames, Bishop Gorman’s Kaden Soder coaxed a double play to erase the baserunner and then got the final out on a flyout to secure the 5-0 win.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Through two games, the Bishop Gorman pitching staff has not allowed a run. The Gaels are outscoring opponents, 14-0.
• Bishop Gorman’s Aiden Pollock will take a .500 batting average (4-for-8) into the NHSI semifinal round. Pollock has also scored three runs and driven in one.
• Owen Rardin (Bishop Verot) is now 3-for-5 at the plate through the first two games of tournament play.
• Bishop Verot’s Jason Bello pitched the final six innings on Thursday and did not allow a run, striking out five without issuing a walk.
• The quarterfinal game appearance was Bishop Verot’s first in its third trip to the event.
• Bishop Gorman will make its first trip to the NHSI semifinal round.

ON DECK

Bishop Gorman advances to the NHSI quarterfinal against the winner of Calvary Christian (Clearwater, Fla.) vs. Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach, Calif.) on Friday. Bishop Verot falls into consolation play.

All games of the 2023 NHSI will be streamed on USABaseball.TV and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2023 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI23 in their posts.