In Win, Fairfax Rebels Pitching Looks Good

The Fairfax Rebels have to be pleased with their pitching after their first scrimmage of the season.

Senior Walker Carlson and sophomore Christian Leckert combined to throw five innings of hitless ball against the Mount Vernon Majors last Saturday at Fairfax High School. The Rebels walked away with a 12-0 victory as a result. 

“It all starts with my fastball location,” said Carlson. “After that, it’s about control of my off-speed stuff which I have worked on a lot since last year.”

All that work seems to have paid off. Carlson settled down after a rocky start in which he walked the leadoff man and overthrew first base on a pick off attempt. He rebounded by striking out the next five batters and finished with seven strikeouts in only three innings.

“These scrimmages are good for the team. It’s good to be out there moving full speed,” Carlson said.

The Rebels took a 3-0 lead in a second inning that included a thunderous RBI double from sophomore third baseman Victor Danieletto.

“I saw he was throwing fast so I pre-loaded and swung hard. Luckily, the ball went where I wanted it to go,” Danieletto said.

The Rebels hitters stayed patient and worked the count at every turn. They took advantage of several unforced errors by the Majors and ran the bases well. The team finished with four hits and nine walks and reached base in every inning.

After adding three more runs in the third and six more in the fifth, the Rebels finished their first pre-season action with a convincing win. Despite the victory, the team’s work is far from over.

“Our measure for success today is the plus-minus chart,” said coach Rick Freeman. “After we review the game, we’ll showcase the pluses but definitely work hard on the negatives.”

Freeman, who has been with the Rebels since 2010, was excited to see his team in action for the first time since finishing 12-13 last season.

“This first scrimmage is about putting guys out there and seeing where they are,” Freeman said. “These types of games allow you to measure your preparation, answer a lot of questions and set the tone for the season.”

Coach Freeman expanded on his outlook for the team going forward.

“If your goal is to win state championships every year and you lose, than you haven’t met your goal,” Freeman said. “If your goal is to have a winning program and you build towards that than you are always succeeding.”

The players echoed Freeman’s mindset as they discussed certain goals they have for the season.

“We definitely want to win the district but especially finish above .500,” Danieletto said.

If Saturday was any indication than the Fairfax Rebels are well on their way to achieving that goal.