Jay is counting on

6-foot-5 pitcher Zach Charles to make his rounds on the mound.
By Randy Whitehouse
Staff Writer

JAY – Some would argue that the Jay Tigers caught lightning in a bottle during last year’s journey to the Class C state championship.

No doubt the Tigers got hot at the right time and emerged from a crowded pack of equally or more talented teams to win the first baseball title in school history.

But as all meteorologists know, it takes a charge to make lightning. Something had to spark Jay and send it on its way through what was a strong Class C tournament field.

While the clutch pitching of Josh Armandi under the lights and on the well-groomed field on the campus of St. Joseph’s College got most of the attention during the Tigers’ run, it would be wrong to overlook the role one tall and rangy right-hander had in setting the Tigers’ magic carpet ride in motion.

Zach Charles, then a 6-5 sophomore, played a major part in getting Jay to Standish. In fact, one could make the case that he carried them at least part of the way there. His work on the mound in Jay’s first two playoff games provide ample evidence.

First it was four strong innings in a start and 4-2 win against Livermore Falls, then, just four days later, it was a a no-hitter against Old Orchard Beach. Charles then gave way to Armandi for the final three games of the post-season, knowing that he had done his job.

“He came on towards the end of the year and I think he really worked his way into our No. 2 starter,” Jay coach Chris Bessey said. “That’s why we went with him in our first playoff game against Livermore and then the game against Old Orchard.”

Charles returns for his junior season with a foothold on that No. 2 slot, behind Armandi, a senior. It may mean he gets overlooked when Tiger fans discuss the keys to their title defense, but he isn’t too worried about what others think. He just has to point to his record (6-1), which was second last year only to Armandi.

“Josh is so good at being the No. 1 starter, it really takes the pressure off. I don’t have to worry about being No. 1,” Charles said. “But I think the way I’ve come up my freshman and sophomore year, my confidence has grown and I think I can do it.”

Charles would just as soon catch opponents off-guard. His height leads some to expect an intimidating fireballer on the mound. Even once hitters figure out that he’s more reliant on painting the corners and keeping them off balance, they still have to deal with his unorthodox delivery, which with his long stride off the mound, can make a hitter feel like he’s right on top of them at his release point.

“He doesn’t come over the top. He comes from more between three-quarters and sidearm. So the ball tails quite a bit. To right-handers it tails down and in,” Bessey said. “So when he’s on, he’s getting a lot of ground ball outs, and when he has his breaking ball, he can also strike people out because he can locate his fastball pretty well.”

Charles admits he sometimes gets into trouble when he forgets how deceptive his motion can be.

“For how big I am, my mechanics are a little bit bad,” he laughed. “I just have to work on my balance and make sure use all of my arm and make sure I use all of my height to my advantage. Sometimes coach Bessey says I pitch like I’m shorter than I am.”

“Even in the no-hitter, it didn’t feel like I had my best stuff,” Charles added. “I only had five strikeouts. But they didn’t seem to be able to hit the ball very hard off of me.”

Not too many opponents can when he’s working, which is why the Tigers feel they once again have the pitching to get another bottle and prove that lightning does indeed strike twice.

“We have a lot of confidence even though we lost a lot from last year,” Charles said. “We have some holes, but I think there’s people that can fill in and we should be pretty good.”

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