The Chautauqua Lake right-hander tossed a one-hitter with 18 strikeouts, in the process recording his 200th career strikeout, as the Eagles beat Clymer/Sherman/Panama in Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 2 action.

“It’s super impressive. Truthfully, I can’t say enough good things about the kid. He has a good head on his shoulders,” Chautauqua Lake head coach Ryan Laurito said. “I feel like he just has a pitcher’s mindset. He doesn’t really let anything get to him.”

How dominant was Hewes?

He threw 64 of his 92 pitches for strikes.

Clymer/Sherman/Panama’s Max White tags out Chautauqua Lake’s Greyson Wellman attempting to score during Monday’s CCAA Division 2 game in Panama. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

He struck out the first five batters of the game — his fourth giving him 200 for his career — before walking Jeffery Perry on four pitches to lose his bid at a perfect game with two outs in the bottom of the second inning.

Unfazed, Hewes struck out the next seven batters to get to 12 strikeouts through four innings — the maximum he could.

“He’s got options,” Laurito said. “If he feels like he really likes a pitch, he’s good to shake it off and let it rip; trust his stuff.”

The Wolfpack’s Johnny Abers attempted to break up the no-hit bid leading off the bottom of the fifth inning with a bunt attempt, but Chautauqua Lake catcher Logan Fuller pounced on the ball and threw to first to nab Abers on a bang-bang play.

“Logan is somebody who is comfortable behind the plate,” Laurito said of his junior catcher, “knowing he’s going to catch a lot of velocity and a lot of break.”

Chautauqua Lake’s Logan Fuller fields a bunt before throwing to first for an out to keep Devin Hewes’ no-hitter intact during Monday’s game. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

Two more strikeouts ended the fifth inning and another to start the sixth inning gave Hewes 15 with five outs to go.

“We haven’t faced a guy like that all year. He’s tough. He pounds the zone and has great control,” Clymer/Sherman/Panama head coach Matt Hair said. “Good hitters have to make that adjustment the second or third time through the order.”

Clymer/Sherman/Panama’s Evan Conklin then managed to do what nobody else had to that point, swing at a pitch and put it in play. Eagles second baseman Chase Houser bobbled the grounder initially, but recovered in time to throw Conklin out at first base.

Another strikeout ended that inning, putting Hewes at 16 with three outs remaining.

Finally, on the second pitch of the bottom of the seventh inning, the Wolfpack’s Max White connected on a clean single through the middle of the infield.

“He’s one of our guys, it’s the reason he’s in the No. 2 spot,” Hair said of White. “He swings a good bat and puts a lot of barrels on balls.”

“You leave one ball over the plate or you spin one a little bit,” Laurito said, “and there’s your hit.”

Clymer/Sherman/Panama’s Mason Groters followed with a fielder’s choice to Eagles shortstop Michael Jauss before Hewes struck out the final two batters of the game.

Chautauqua Lake gave Hewes all of the run support he would need in the first inning. After Hewes reached on an infield single to open the game, he stole second and went to third on Fuller’s grounder to the right side of the infield. After Clay Smith walked and stole second, Wolfpack starter Ryland Posker picked up a strikeout for the second out.

Clymer/Sherman/Panama had a chance to get out of the inning unscathed, but Michael Jauss’ infield single plated Hewes with the first run and Smith scored when the throw got away at first base.

“If we get a couple of runs he feels a little support,” Laurito said. “You have a little cushion so you can just trust your stuff and throw.”

The Eagles made it 3-0 in the third as Greyson Wellman singled with one out, went to second when Jauss was hit by a pitch and scored on Ragen Crandall’s RBI groundout.

Landen Emery was hit by a pitch and scored on Fuller’s sacrifice fly while Ryker Ellis was also hit by a pitch and scored on an error in the fourth inning.

“We didn’t help Ryland out at all defensively,” Hair said of his eighth-grade starting pitcher. ” … He controlled what he could control, and did his best. I’m proud of him.”

Chautauqua Lake’s final run came in the sixth as Fuller doubled with one out and Wellman hit an RBI double with two outs.

While the Eagles can expect to be successful pretty much any time Hewes is on the mound, what they do in their other games will dictate how far they go in Division 2 and Class C this spring.

Their next opportunity to answer those questions comes today when they host Pine Valley.

“Managing who we like to throw next,” Laurito said, “kind of making that work is the whole name of the game right now for us.”