Salamanca pitcher Cole Urbanski delivers to the plate during Saturday’s CCAA Division 1 game against Falconer at Denny Meszaros Field in Falconer. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

FALCONER — Senior Jaxson Ross is a bona fide ace.

Salamanca’s fate in the ultra-competitive Division 1 of the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association, and eventually the Section VI Class B2 playoffs, likely depends on whether or not the Warriors can find a No. 2 starter.

Senior Cole Urbanski made his pitch for that job Saturday afternoon.

In dominant style.

The right-hander threw a five-inning no-hitter as Salamanca blanked Falconer 11-0 at Denny Meszaros Field.

Salamanca shortstop Cory Holleran catches a popup while second baseman Jake Herrick looks on during Saturday’s CCAA Division 1 game against Falconer at Denny Meszaros Field in Falconer. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

“I thought Cole did a good job,” Salamanca head coach Greg Herrick said. “He’s been pounding the strike zone all year. He got hit around a little bit at Dunkirk, but we told him to go right back in the zone.”

Urbanski struck out five, walked one and hit two batters as the Warriors improved to 7-2 overall and 2-2 in the division. He threw 43 of his 65 pitches for strikes.

“The only way we can survive this year is to be highly efficient out there,” Herrick added. “That’s what he did today. I was proud to see the way he threw.”

Despite temperatures in the low 40s and winds gusting up to 30 mph, Salamanca’s offense was hot from the start.

Salamanca batted through its lineup in the first inning and scored five runs on two hits and an error coupled with three walks. Ross and Urbanski each drove in a run in the frame.

Falconer first baseman Gage Swanson catches a throw from home on a dropped third strike during Saturday’s CCAA Division 1 game against Salamanca at Denny Meszaros Field in Falconer. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

The Warriors tacked on three runs in the third inning with junior Cory Holleran, senior Carmine Hoag and senior JT Auman each having an RBI single.

Salamanca scored three more runs in the top of the fourth inning to bring the 10-run mercy rule into play. Senior Jake Herrick, Urbanski, junior Kruz Coustenis and senior Cam McGraw all had hits.

“I thought all of our kids stayed pretty well engaged given the tough circumstances,” Coach Herrick said. “The defense held up their end of the bargain.”

All told, the Warriors pounded out 12 hits and walked four times off Falconer sophomore Joshua Holmberg and eighth-grader Isaiah Washington.

“A couple of games ago we went down looking nine times. That’s just not going to be a formula to win. We’ve been working on, first of all making contact, not going down looking … and just being more aggressive at the plate,” Coach Herrick said. “I thought today we put a lot of balls in play and the lineup showed its depth up and down. We’re really starting to get production out of the bottom part of the order.”

Falconer left fielder Gavin Curtis catches a first-inning fly ball during Saturday’s CCAA Division 1 game against Salamanca at Denny Meszaros Field in Falconer. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

Urbanski barely needed any of the offense. He hit the first batter of the game and pitched around an error in the second inning. In the third, he walked the leadoff batter and allowed the next hitter to reach on an error, but got out of the inning with two strikeouts sandwiched around sophomore catcher Payton Bradley throwing out a Golden Falcons runner attempting to steal.

In the fourth he pitched around another error and he finished the game by inducing a groundout with a runner on first to complete the no-hit shutout.

“That’s going to be our thing all year, just making sure we get a good complement to Jaxson. Those guys have done a good job so far, Cory, Jake and Cole,” Coach Herrick said of his pitching staff. “It’s going to be a mixture of those four guys all year. I’m really confident in what they’ll be as the season goes on.”

This week, Salamanca will have its two-game league series with Fredonia, while Falconer will do the same with Southwestern.