Hollis-Brookline's Nate Fauteux (6) is congratulated by Thomas Howie (right), and Quinn Imbrogno (center) following Fauteux's grand slam in the fifth inning of Friday's 9-0 win over St. Thomas. (Photo by Dan Doyon)

HOLLIS – With only two seniors, the Hollis-Brookline High School baseball team has relied upon a core of juniors to help propel the Cavaliers to the top of the Division II standings.

But there are even younger players who have contributed to Hollis-Brookline’s success and that shined between the pitching battery of sophomore Connor Gryniewicz and freshman catcher Noah Fauteux during Friday’s game against St. Thomas Aquinas.

Gryniewicz struck out eight batters and threw a two-hitter, while Fauteux added a grand slam from the plate during a 9-0 victory that improved Hollis-Brookline’s record to 12-1.

The game was originally scheduled to be played in Dover, but the heavy rains left St. Thomas’s field is unplayable. The Saints (9-5) were considered the home team.

“We’re pretty young, but they put in the work in the offseason. I guide them and they self-police and I’ve got a great group of juniors that lead them,” Hollis-Brookline coach Alex Pratt said. “We just try to be mentally level. Last year, our mental game wasn’t there and I think we were a little young.

“This year we’re more mature and next year we’ll be more mature.”

Gryniewicz (four walks) threw 5 2⁄3 innings of hitless ball until he gave up back-to-back singles to St. Thomas’s Ryan Gould and Gabe Carlisle in the bottom of the sixth inning.

He escaped that jam by inducing a flyout before striking out the final two hitters of the game in the seventh to preserve the shutout.

“I just tried to attack the zone today, get ahead of hitters and that’s what I did,” Gryniewicz said. “I think I’m just more confident and I’m attacking hitters more and letting my pitches work because I know they’re good.”

Gryniewicz (4-0) emerged as a hitter and No. 3 pitcher as a freshman but has taken his game to another level this spring by striking out 26 batters in 22 innings. Gryniewicz has allowed one earned run for a miniscule 0.27 ERA.

He has also excelled as the No. 3 hitter in the lineup with a .361 batting average, 13 RBIs and 12 runs.

“Connor killed it today,” Pratt said. “He was ready as a freshman but this year he is even more ready. You can see the jump from one year to the next and it’s going to be exciting to see what he’ll be like as a senior.”

Gryniewicz received plenty of help from Fauteux from behind the plate and from the batters box. Fauteux (3-for-4) already had an RBI double in the top of the fourth inning when his grand slam to cap off Hollis-Brookline’s seven-run fifth inning.

Hollis-Brookline pitcher Connor Gryniewicz winds up before he struck out his eighth batter game to finish off his two-hitter in Friday’s 9-0 win over St. Thomas. (Photo by Dan Doyon)

Matt Bergin, Thomas Howie and Quinn Imbrogno all had RBI hits to start the scoring in the frame.

“I’ve been struggling at the plate recently and I was just trying to be aggressive,” Fauteux said. “It feels great to be on varsity as a freshman and hit a grand slam.”

Fauteux’s breakout day came while filling in for primary catcher, sophomore Renzo Bergskaug. Fauteux raised his average to .375 in 16 at-bats.

“He catches at least one game a week for us. We have a rotation to keep them fresh,” Pratt said. “You want them in when they’re hot and Nate is pretty hot now.”

First-year St. Thomas coach Eric Wells sees Hollis-Brookline as a blueprint to follow for the progression of his own program. St. Thomas is currently sixth in the Division II standings.

“They’re staff is unbelievable, they’re loose and they play with a ton of confidence,” Wells said. “That’s the type of team we’re striving to be too.”