West's Hutchinson Goes 6 Shutout Innings in Varsity Debut, Gets Win

Varsity baseball debuts don’t go much better than Mark Hutchinson’s.

With Cherry Hill West playing its fourth game in a week, the sophomore got the call-up for the Lions Saturday and put up a line that looked more like a veteran senior’s, going six shutout innings and striking out four, while allowing just three hits to Winslow Township in a 7-0 victory.

While Hutchinson had already established a solid track record at the JV level, with three strong starts, but thrown into what could be an intimidating spot—a Saturday start with a big home crowd—he more than impressed his teammates and coaching staff, head coach Dan McMaster said.

“We had a lot of confidence in him as a coaching staff, and the players had a lot of confidence in him, too,” McMaster said. “You really don’t fully know until you’re out there on the varsity mound, and he rose to the occasion…we couldn’t be happier for him.”

Mixing a combination of pitches all afternoon, Hutchinson, a lanky left, walked only two runners, and was efficient on the mound, throwing 75 pitches in his six innings of work.

He also got some big help from Lions’ offense, which was led by Brad Machinski’s 3-for-3 performance at the plate. Machinski smacked two doubles and drove in two runs on the afternoon.

Maybe most importantly, Hutchinson’s start gives West some flexibility heading into a difficult week of Olympic Conference games, which features matchups against Bishop Eustace, Camden Catholic and Shawnee.

The win with Hutchinson on the mound—which also bumps West’s winning streak to seven—was exactly what the team needed heading into the week, McMaster said.

“It gives the players confidence,” he said. “Most importantly, it gives our senior starters a day or two of extra rest—that’s not to be overlooked. It won’t be the last time Mark gets a start for us this season.”

The win moves West to 8-3 on the season, and should give the team a big boost in the baseball power points rankings, where the Lions ranked 18th in South Jersey, Group 4 last week.