HOWELL — Michael Zielinski took the mound Monday with no regard to pitch count or any such limitations.
His previous appearances were part of a building process to prepare him for the workload of being the ace or No. 2 starter for the Heartland baseball team heading into the playoffs.
Zielinski took an important step toward building into the postseason by pitching over five innings and throwing 103 pitches in the 6-4 win over Howell.
He gave up two runs on four hits and four walks, and struck out nine batters. He was removed from the game in the 6th inning after allowing a double and a walk.
“I’ve been working on my pitch count,” Zielinski said. “I started at about 20. It was about two innings. I worked until about 40. Last Monday, I was 75 and it wasn’t my best outing by any means. Today… I just wanted to make the ball long. I felt like I had the strength to keep going. In the end, I just wanted the ball at the crucial moment.”
Zielinski had pitched five innings through Monday, totaling 12 1/3 innings but never going longer than three innings. He threw a season-high 73 pitches against Brighton a week ago, walking six batters along the way.
They held Howell scoreless until the fourth inning, before the Highlanders scored in the fifth inning. One of the Highlanders’ six 3-point runs came against Zielinski.
“I liked that he fought for the ball to stay in the game,” Heartland coach Brad Gunter said. “I probably should have pulled him to the sixth inning, but he’s improved all year and I think he’s earned that to some extent with his performances last year and this year. He’s really deadpan when he gets into the zone. was.”
Zielinski didn’t pitch much in the offseason because of arm issues, after striking out 44 batters in 26 innings and posting a 2.15 ERA as a sophomore last season. He struck out 29 batters in 17 1/3 innings this year and posted a 2.02 ERA.
Zielinski said, “If I recover well from this trip, I should be fine going forward.” “I think we’ll find out by Wednesday or Thursday. I should be fine.”
Zielinski has been on the varsity team since his freshman year and was the starting center fielder in the state quarterfinals against Orchard Lake St. Mary’s that season.
Related:Assistant Keith Robertson named Howell’s new head hockey coach
“I love hitting, but I love competing on the mound,” he said. “That’s not true. Until I got to high school, I was always a better pitcher than a hitter. My freshman year, I couldn’t pitch very much. It just kind of got away from me. .
“Last year, I gained some (speed) and gained some confidence. I pitched in some games last year behind several pitching staffs who played in college and had success in college. I learned from them and got better.”
After taking the mound, Zielinski headed to center field and saved an unearned run.
With no outs and the bases loaded, Howell’s Brett Paris flew to Zielinski, who threw a strike to catcher Brayden Crowe and doubled off Neco Hall at the bat.
“We tracked it down and caught it,” Zielinski said. “The kid didn’t look like he had the best jumps, he didn’t hustle very hard, he just let it fly. The adrenaline rush of just coming off the mound helped me too. I think.”
Trailing 5-0 at the end of the fifth inning, Howell hit three runs in the sixth inning to take a 6-4 lead. The Highlanders had two runners on base with one out in the seventh inning, but Landon Brown got the final two outs in relief to ensure the Eagles’ victory.
“It’s good to see our guys fight with their backs against the wall,” Howell coach Matt Hunt said. “They’ve been fighting all year. We have to minimize small mistakes.”
Howell (7-12) will visit Heartland (15-7-1) on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. to conclude the two-game M-59 series.
Please contact Bill Kahn at wkhan@gannett.com. X Follow him at @BillKhan
This article originally appeared in the Livingston Daily: Michael Zielinski’s longest outing helps Heartland Baseball win in Howell
