Hanson's career-high 14 strikeouts own ninth-ranked Prescott

April 14, 2021 by George Werner, AZPreps365


Flagstaff High School senior Justin Hanson rears back and fires his 14th strikeout against Prescott. The senior is third in the state in strikeouts. (George Werner/AzPreps365.com)

Like the ubiquitous local pine tree, Justin Hanson is looming ever larger over Northern Arizona pitching.

The six-foot, five-inch Flagstaff High School senior southpaw struck out a career-high 14, allowing one hit in nearly six full innings of a 5-0 shutout of ninth-ranked Prescott, the first of two back-to-back matchups between the Grand Canyon Region leaders.

“He’s been doing it all year for us,” said Flagstaff head coach Mike DoBosh, whose fifth-ranked Eagles can attain an unprecedented 12-0 start with a win in the rematch Thursday, April 14, at Prescott. "He's dominant on the mound."

Hanson scattered four walks through five-and-two-thirds innings to secure his third win of the season, rocketing his strikeout count to 54, third in the state. Only Badgers junior Peyton Little got to Hanson for a single before he struck out three consecutive batters in the first inning.

"It's easy to get strikeouts when you've got a team full of studs out there," Hanson said. "Just put the ball in the glove and, hopefully, they don't hit it. Hopefully, if they put the ball in play, we make plays."

Flagstaff head coach Mike DoBosh took Hanson out at his 100th pitch in favor of Teague Van Dyke. The junior was surpassed by Hanson for the team lead in earned-run average but nevertheless secured the final four outs for his fifth save in seven relief appearances.

"We've got to battle through," Van Dyke said. "Just trust in our defense, and let them play."

Although DoBosh wouldn’t commit to a starter for the rematch, he will have a stable of right-handers to choose from, including five-game winner Sylas Clerry.

"They're going to want, obviously, to get back from this game," DoBosh said. "We're a one-game-at-a-time kind of team. That's all we focus on."

Undefeated through five starts, 2019’s first-team all-Grand Canyon Region pitcher has the opportunity to join three other pitchers as the winningest in the state with his next victory on the mound.

April 12 at Eagle Field, Clerry was playing shortstop, joining the ranks of 4A’s top five home-run hitters and adding to his region-leading totals in three other categories

Clerry’s jack to center field came right after second baseman Gabe Faust opened the third inning with a solo shot of his own off Badgers senior Elvis Hauptman [1-2], himself among the Grand Canyon Region’s top six pitchers in strikeouts and ERA.

"I think that really supercharges the team, and gets them going," DoBosh said. "As a team, we played well defensively."

The back-to-back jacks put the Eagles up, 4-0. From there, it was all Hanson, Van Dyke and junior catcher Tristen Figueroa, who brought home senior right fielder Josh Lenners with a fifth-inning single to maintain his region-leading .500 batting average.

"We've been working on trying to put runs on the middle half [of games]," Hanson said. "At the beginning of the season, we kind of struggled to do that. We're really good at putting runs up early on teams."

The Flagstaff hitters jumped on Hauptman early, with his error bringing leadoff hitter Figueroa home for the first run of the game. Faust would come around on a passed ball before Hauptman settled down, but enough damage had already been done to give the Eagles the 2-0 lead for good after the first frame.

"We hit OK; I think we can hit a lot better, though," Van Dyke said. "We're a really big-hitting team. We definitely can score more runs."