Pompano Beach Hurler, Ryan Richman, Tosses No-Hitter

The Pompano Beach Golden Tornadoes started the season on a beautiful, sunny Valentines Day, and they ended it on a sweet note as junior pitcher, Ryan Richman, tossed a no-hitter against Coconut Creek.

Creek’s lead-off batter, Derric Glascoe reached base on an error in the bottom of the first, and was then picked off by catcher Alan Benzenhafer.  Richman then settled into a groove, retiring the next 14 batters in a row.  Eight went down on strikes with the first seven victims caught ‘looking’.  Incredibly, he went to only one three-ball count and 2 two-ball counts.  Of his 56 pitches,  he threw 42 for strikes (75%).

Keep an eye on this youngster, as he threw another no-no last year (as a sophomore) over Everglades.  That one was also a near ‘perfect game’ as he walked the lead-off batter and then set down  21 straight.

“Ryan changes speeds well,” said a pleased Pompano head coach, George Petik.  “He has good movement on the two-seamer.  He can turn it over.  He can cut it.  He works quick. He throws strikes and changes his speeds.  And that makes him a successful pitcher.”

After a quick 1-2-3 top of the first, Pompano Beach exploded for seven runs on five hits in the next frame.  The big hits were a pair of two-run singles by Kenny Sanchez and J.J. Rodriquez, a booming RBI triple to deep right-center field by co-captain, Charlie Pal, and an RBI single by Pompano’s other co-captain, Jared Sudook.

Four more runs scored in the third on a pair of walks, two hit batters, and Vincent Pellecchia’s tremendous double to deep center field.  Sanchez picked up his third RBI with a fourth inning double.

The Golden Tornadoes also ran very well, stealing six bases on their way to this 14 – 0 route that ended after five innings due to the mercy rule. 

“We gotta run.  We don’t have the kind of team that can sit back and mash,” said Coach Petik.  “We need to run.  We need to create things on the bases,” he added.

Regarding the benching of several players for disciplinary reasons, Cougars Coach Roger Davidson stated, “Bottom line is , players have to do what they’re instructed to do, and when they don’t, there are consequences that go with it.  That’s just part of coaching and part of kids growing up.”

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