FREEPORT — Jarrett Heilman has very high standards for himself.

That's not surprising, considering the pitcher compiled a miniscule 0.67 ERA as a junior on Freeport High School's baseball team in 2019.

He was set to have a superb senior campaign until it was wiped out by the recent quarantine.

“I prepared for a summer without baseball, pitched a lot to my brother, Braden, in the cage. But pitching to the same person over and over can only help you so much,” said Heilman, a Mercyhurst University recruit.

He pitched in an actual game for the first time since last year, striking out 12 and walking four in a win over West Sunbury in a recent Butler County Area Baseball League contest.

Most pitchers would be more than satisfied with that effort, but Heilman knew he could do better, specifically with not allowing free passes.

“It took me a while to get on the same page with Garrett (Ben, catcher),” he said.

Heilman's second start of the summer came Wednesday evening and he was truly dominant, striking out 13, walking none and allowing just three hits in a complete-game, 5-0 shutout of Saxonburg in BCABL action at Swartz Field.

“He looked like the Jarrett from high school,” said Freeport assistant coach Ed Carr.

The win kept Freeport undefeated at 6-0, while Saxonburg fell to 1-4. Both teams were scheduled to play again Thursday, Freeport hosting Center Township and Saxonburg visiting Karns City.

Freeport tallied just two hits off of four Saxonburg pitchers, but the latter were done in by walks.

With the game scoreless in the bottom of the third, Blaze Voltz appeared to be headed for an easy inning, retiring the first two batters with no problem. But he issued three consecutive walks to Joe Hotalski, Bradyn Clark and Matt Grove to load the bases.

Matt Mitchell then singled off shortstop Dathan Gillis' glove, bringing home Hotalski with the game's first run. Heilman was hit by a pitch and Austin Kepes drew another walk, pushing the score to 3-0.

Voltz was relieved by Lance Cotton, who promptly walked Ben for a fourth run, before leaving the bases loaded.

Saxonburg has been troubled by first-inning struggles this season. The misfortune took a while longer to play out Wednesday, but it still resulted in a deficit the team was unable to overcome.

“We're going to change our name to the “Gophers,” said Saxonburg manager Pete McMillen, “because we keep digging ourselves into a hole.”

McMillen's team tallied just four baserunners the entire game. Eli Sutton, Zack McMillen and Angelo DeLeonardis singled in the first, fifth and sixth inning, respectively. Isaac Love was hit by a pitch in the third.

“This guy, he's exceptional,” Pete McMillen said of Heilman. “We had just three hits, but I liked our approach, were up there taking hacks and hitting the ball well at times. Sometimes, you hit the ball hard, but it's right at somebody.”

Heilman struck out the side in the second and seventh innings and finished the game with 80 pitches.

“I stayed with three pitches today, my two-seam (fastball), curveball and slider,” he said. “My change-up, I'm still working on that.”

Freeport's last run came unearned in the fifth.

Cotton was followed by Guy DeLeonardis, who worked a scoreless sixth frame for Saxonburg, whose starting pitcher, Gavin Phillips, worked just one inning before Voltz took over.

That was planned, Pete McMillen said.

“Gavin is pitching in another league this weekend. Our original plan was to make him our closer, but with our record, there hasn't been many opportunities to close.”

Carr hopes Freeport's offense soon provides more punch.

“We expect more, but looked more comfortable today at the plate,” he said. “Kids just didn't get the number of swings the last few months that they're used to.”

Saxonburg 000 000 0 — 0 3 1

Freeport 004 010 x — 5 2 0

W: Jarrett Heilman 7 IP (13K, 0BB). L: Blaze Voltz 1.2 IP (1K, 6BB).

Saxonburg: Eli Sutton 1B, Zack McMillen 1B, Angelo DeLeonardis 1B

Freeport: Matt Grove 1B R, Matt Mitchell 1B R RBI

Sunday: Cranberry Township at Freeport

Monday: Saxonburg at Cranberry Township