Hendricken’s Evan Marzilli heads back to the dugout after hitting his second home run of the game, in the fifth inning yesterday against South Kingstown. The Hawks prevailed, 7-2. Click here to see a gallery of game photos.

The Providence Journal / Glenn Osmundson

SOUTH KINGSTOWN –– This time of the year, rotation is more important than record.

So it’s not surprising that even though the South Kingstown baseball team came into this week undefeated and had a showdown against undefeated Hendricken yesterday, Rebels coach Jim Sauro never considering taking Jackson Geary, the ace of the South Kingstown pitching staff, out of his normal rotation and holding him back an extra two days so he could have faced Hendricken yesterday.

“It was his turn to go. They need to be in their regular routine,” Sauro offered as to why he pitched Geary on Tuesday against Cranston East rather than hold him for the showdown of the undefeated teams yesterday.

On Tuesday, Geary responded with what has become a customary performance as he tossed a two-hit shutout in a 3-0 victory over Cranston East.

That meant South Kingstown’s number two starter, junior southpaw Kevin Carey, was handed the task of facing Hendricken yesterday at Old Mountain Field and the Hawks didn’t give Carey any time to get comfortable on the mound.

After only two pitches, the Hawks had a 2-0 lead as Evan Marzilli belted Carey’s first pitch over the fence for a home run and the Hawks’ Dan Gamache followed with another solo blast on Carey’s second pitch.

Carey settled down after that and did a good job of handling the Hawks’ powerful bats for four innings until Marzilli broke open a close 2-1 game with a two-run homer with one-out in the fifth inning. Then, after Gamache reached base, Chris Costantino hit a blast over the right-field fence for another two-run homer.

When it was all over, Hendricken had a 7-2 victory that improved its Division I record to 10-0. The Hawks and Portsmouth are now the only undefeated teams among the 50 Interscholastic League baseball entries. Portsmouth improved to 9-0 with a victory over Cumberland yesterday.

Ferreira near unhittable

The Hendricken hitters weren’t the only Hawks have a big day yesterday at Old Mountain.

Andrew Ferreira, the Hawks’ senior All-State football quarterback who is playing his first season of varsity baseball this spring, delivered another outstanding pitching performance as he limited the Rebels to two hits in his six innings on the mound.

In three starts this season, Ferreira has given up only three hits. He pitched a no-hitter in his first varsity start two weeks ago, tossed a one-hitter last week and yesterday he limited a previously undefeated team to only two hits.

Not bad for a player who couldn’t make the varsity roster last season.

No rest for the Hawks

Hendricken will be facing another stiff test tomorrow when the Hawks play host to North Kingstown.

Rebels in for a battle

It’s not going to get any easier for South Kingstown either, as the Rebels meet two-time defending state champion Cranston West tomorrow afternoon in Cranston.

Geary, who led South Kingstown to the title round of the state tournament last season with a 12-1 record, is not scheduled to pitch again until Monday against Toll Gate.

Falcons get regional ranking

It’s great that Rhode Island baseball is getting some recognition with Cranston West being named seventh in the East regional Top 10 of the USA Today high school baseball rankings published yesterday.

The Falcons were one of only two New England teams earning a regional ranking. Lincoln-Sunbury High of Sudbury, Mass. was ranked fifth.

Of course, some people may question the rankings since at the time they were released Cranston West was 7-1 in Interscholastic League competition while there three undefeated Division I teams, including Hendricken which defeated the Falcons in a league game two weeks ago.

Showdown in Woonsocket

The top attraction on today’s schedule should be in Woonsocket where North Smithfield and Mount St. Charles will battle for the II-North lead. The Mounties and Northmen both come into the game with 8-2 League records.

jgillool@projo.com