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Herter gets save in win against Team USA

Adam Herter earned a save against Team USA.

The 2006 Fallbrook High School graduate is pitching for the North Shore Navigators in the New England Collegiate Baseball League and hurled a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save in North Shore’s 6-3 victory over Team USA during a June 14 contest in Lynn, MA.

“I just tried to hit my spots and keep them off balance and let my defense work behind me,” Herter said. “The game plan worked.”

The collegiate summer league began June 7, and Herter is normally a starting pitcher. An 8 1/3-inning shutout performance June 26 gave him wins in his first three starts.

“We feel pretty privileged to be out here, so we’re happy about it,” Herter said.

During the regular college baseball season, Herter pitches for Point Loma Nazarene University. PLNU coach Joe Schaefer asked Herter and PLNU shortstop Tyler Kuehl about spending the summer with North Shore. “We couldn’t turn that down,” Herter said.

Herter had been named PLNU’s Pitcher of the Year for the 2008 season. He led the team with 55 strikeouts and seven wins, and he had a won-loss record of 7-4 with an earned run average of 4.35 in 80 2/3 innings pitched. He only walked 14 batters in his 13 starts and two relief appearances and held opposing batters to a .282 average.

Pitching in the New England Collegiate Baseball League gives Herter, whose school is affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, the opportunity to pitch against National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I players. “It’s a great league,” Herter said.

North Shore plays its home games in Lynn, and Team USA made a visit. “It’s fun going up against Division I players, the best of the best,” Herter said. “It was a good opportunity and a lot of fans came out.”

North Shore had the 6-3 lead when Herter came into the game to pitch the top of the ninth. “The atmosphere was pretty crazy,” Herter said.

In his first-ever relief appearance for North Shore, he didn’t allow a hit or walk against Team USA. One batter reached on an error, but Herter coaxed a groundout and two pop flies. “In and out real fast,” he said.

“Just tried to wrap up the game and field a ‘W,’” Herter said.

“We beat the best team in the nation,” Herter said. “They were a good team. They were disciplined at the plate and the roster speaks for itself.”

Herter had not previously played in a collegiate summer league. “The team’s great. We all get along,” he said of the Navigators. “We all gelled really fast.”

The New England Collegiate Baseball League season runs through August 10.

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