Scores, Videos and Recaps From Thursday Night's Action
BASEBALL
Newsome 4, Palm Harbor 0
Newsome senior Beau Nichols said he felt like something good was in store for him. The Wolves righty, No. 1 pitcher said after putting together a 10-strike out, six-inning performance in a win over Wharton last week, he just had a good feeling. But he didn’t know just how good, “good” would be.
Nichols, a UNC-Asheville signee, worked a complete-game, seven inning, perfect game as the Wolves topped district foe Palm Harbor University on the road Thursday afternoon.
“I knew it was coming. I’ve had some good outings this year, so I just felt something good was coming for me,” Nichols said. “I mean I didn’t think it would be a perfect game, but I was confident going out there today.”
He added 12 strikeouts to his effort as well as he improves to 5-2 on the season, with an 0.97 ERA.
“About the fifth inning I started realizing what was going on,” Nichols said. “I just kept doing me, hit my spots and tried to stay focused out on the mound.”
Nichols perfect game comes just seven days after teammate Zach Louden spun a no-hitter against Sickles last Thursday.
Newsome (12-7, 3-3 in Class 9A-District 8) has a four-game winning streak and will face Bloomingdale on the road next Tuesday.
The Wolves offense got Nichols some help in the third inning as Jacob Phelps singled in the eventual decider, and Newsome added two more in the inning including the first of two RBI from Tyler Doyle (2-for-4).
The perfect game almost didn’t happen as a ball off the bat skipped off a Newsome outfielder’s glove, however the PHU player missed first base and Wolves senior first baseman Dan Neely called for the ball and touched the base for the out.
“We took a break on that one,” Nichols admitted. “I give all the credit to Dan staying focused and spotting that (he missed the bag).”
Newsome third baseman Cody Shook sealed things waiting out a hard chopper behind the bag and drilling a laser to Neely for the final out.
“Most of the credit has goes to those guys behind me,” Nichols said. “The way they played and the offense I got made it a kind of relaxing day out there for me.”
East Bay 3, Chamberlain 1
East Bay strung together four singles in the third inning to get two runs and support an impressive showing on the mound by starting pitcher Peyton Zoeller. The junior worked a complete game striking out 10, while allowing just three hits and one unearned run.
“Peyton Zoeller is just a competitor,” East Bay coach Michael Gula said. “Every time I give him the ball he goes out and delivers. He’s a competitor, a fighter, a bulldog.”
East Bay (6-12) started the third inning with a single from Tristan Garcia, who promptly stole second, one batter later Norman Carreno bounced a ball through the first base side to plate the first run. Jake Gilbert followed with an infield single, before Justin Soto added an RBI single to put the Indians up by two.
“We came in and we realized we weren’t hitting the ball,” Zoeller said. “We got pumped up in the dugout and got our bats to come alive.”
Chamberlain answered with a run in the home half as Mo Hanley singled, swiped second and third and scored on a wild pitch, but Zoeller ended any further threat with a strikeout to strand a Chiefs runner at third.
The Chiefs would manage just a Darryl Mitchell single in the fourth and a trio of walks through the rest of the game off Zoeller.
East Bay added some insurance in the fifth as Carreno got a bunt, base hit and Soto drove him in with an RBI sac fly.
Zoeller showed some extra effort in the sixth after walking a pair, and getting a visit from Gula. But the Indians second-year head coach said he needed only to look his starter in the eye to know he was committed to getting himself out of it. “The plan was to take him out because this is a non-district (game), but he looked me in the eye and I knew I couldn’t take him out,” Gula said. “He finished with 10 strikeouts. It’s every time. He’s one of the guys I know I can give the ball to and I know what’s going to happen. It’s a nice feeling as a coach.
The Chiefs got a quality outing from junior Sherwin Johnson on the bump as the righty went all seven innings, striking out five in the loss.
Both teams got solid defensive performances highlighted by Chamberlain shortstop Marquis Philon making a great grab on a liner in the seventh and good out field play (from left to right) out of Mitchell, Hanley and Malik Watson.
Steinbrenner 5, Gaither 3 (F/8)
It wasn't a district game, but the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife as a matchup of two state champions had everyone at the edge of their seats on Thursday night at Frank Permuy Park.
Patrick Morris hit an RBI single in the top of the 8th inning to lead the Warriors to a 5-3 victory. The Steinbrenner senior southpaw started the game on the mound and went 4 2/3 innings before giving way to Chase Campolong, who took it the rest of the way for the Warriors. Morris also hit a sacrifice fly in the 6th inning to tie the score at two.
Gaither picked up the first run on an AJ Drisdom RBI groundout in the 4th and then doubled their lead with a Jose Cadenas RBI infield single in the 5th.
In the 6th, Jordan Lala got the Warriors on the board with an RBI single before he came home to score on the Morris sac fly to knot the score at two apiece.
In the bottom half of the 6th with two away, Orlando Arevalo reached second on a dropped flyball by Cam Coakley in right and came home on a Derek Crum (2 for 3) groundball that was thrown away by the shortstop Anthony Cassos.
The errors didn't break the psyche of Steinbrenner as Jesse O'Rorke (2 for 3) tied the game at three with an RBI single in the top of the 7th, and with Campolong holding the fort in the bottom half, Morris drove home Lala -- who bunted his way on with one away -- in the 8th before Jordan's brother Tyler extended the lead with a fielder's choice of his own to give the Warriors a two-run lead.
Anthony Alvarez was solid on the mound once again for the Cowboys giving up only three hits and two runs over five innings on the hill.
SRQ Cardinal Mooney 4, Cambridge Christian 2
Cambridge Christian (15-4) collected five hits, but couldn’t fend off a tough Cardinal Mooney team Thursday afternoon. Jacob Krueger was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base, and Sevas Cardona had a double for the Lancers. Mooney tallied eight hits off of Lancers pitchers Austin Carter and Zack Stein, with Carter striking out a pair and Stein working two innings and getting on strike out.
Plant City 15, Robinson 0 (four innings)
The Raiders won its fourth straight as Parker Messick and TJ Gayner each went yard for Plant City (8-9). Hunter Emerine (three RBI, two doubles), Austin Eldridge (two RBI) and Dalton Wingo each doubled in the win. Messick earned the win on the mound, striking out six and allowing one hit in three innings of work.
Wharton 2, Strawberry Crest 0
Steven Hotinski had an RBI single for Wharton (10-8), Zach Sirois had two hits and an RBI, and Austin Appel tossed a complete game allowing one hit and striking out six.
Freedom 8, Wiregrass Ranch 5
Freedom senior David Trujeque had a pair of hits and scored twice, while Khalil Al’mutasim came through at the plate with two hits and on the mound working 5.1 innings in a no-decision. Mitchell Leroy earned his first high school win in relief tossing 1.2 innings. Zack Booth scored twice and drove in two, and Hunter Kniskern had a double and two RBI for the Patriots.
Leto 11, Blake 0 (six innings)
Felix Rosario threw a three-hit shutout, striking out eight as the Falcons topped Blake by mercy-rule. Josh Cruz was 3-for-4 and Javy Hernandez was 2-for-3 in the Leto win.
Alonso, 7 SRQ Riverview 2
Jordan Butler belted a pair of home runs, had five RBI, and worked six solid innings on the mound as Alonso topped district opponent Sarasota Riverview on Thursday. Jared DeSantolo added a home run to the Ravens efforts, while Jose Ciccarello and Nick Gonzalez both doubled in the win.
WP: Jordan Butler (7-0) 6 ip, 2 R, 8 K
Carrollwood Day 5, Brooks DeBartolo 2
Rodrigo Montenegro had a lead off double and CDS got on the board early as Noah Torres drove in a pair with some good two-strike hitting. Frank Furey continued his hot season at the plate with a hit and two runs scored, Gabriel Partridge had an RBI triple in the win, and Andre Hevesy allowed just one leadoff hit before tossing five no-hit innings for the Patriots.
Triple: BD – Jackson Alvord.
Riverview 6, Sickles 2
Riverview (15-6) bashed out 12 hits to top Sickles on the road on Thursday. Dillon Besnier was 3-for-4, Freddy Tarnok went 2-for-4, Garrett Thompson was 2-for-4 with a double, and Josh Rulli had a double for the Sharks offense. Tarnok earned the win on the mound and Matthew Yates picked up the save.
Hillsborough 7, Plant 6
Hillsborough rallied at home scoring five runs in the bottom of the seventh to top Plant. Quintin Graham, Jarrod Cande, Tim Elko, and Terrence Doston came up with big hits in the final frame to go along with walks by Nick and Ryan Romano as the Terriers charged back. Cande was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI, while Graham had two hits and scored twice in the win. Matthew Lutton came up with a big shutout inning late and earned the win in relief for Hillsborough (13-4).
Tampa Catholic 10, Boca Ciega 9
Doubles: TC – Tanner Alvarado (2), Mitchell Carter, Conor Grady, Jonathan Rodrigues, Julian Pichardo.
Bloomingdale 13, Armwood 3 (five innings)
Double: A – Christian Tate
Tampa Bay Tech 9, Spoto 6
Doubles: TBT – Jaylin Crumity.
Triple: TBT – Jaisen Randolph.
WP: Charles Walker 3.1 ip, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 K.
Brandon 17, Middleton 0 (four innings)
Triple: B – Jermaine White
WP: Carlos Curnow 3 ip, 0 H, 3 K
Jefferson 8, Lennard 1
Double: J – Robby Martin (3-for-4, 4 RBI)
WP: Michael Dominguez (3-1) 6 ip, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K
King 12, Durant 2 (F/6)
Bayshore Christian 5, Lakeland Victory Christian 3
Doubles: BC – Keeshawn Royal (2), David Santiago, Caleb Holt, Marvin Carter.
WP: David Santiago 6.2 ip, 6 H, 0 BB, 3 runs (2 earned), 8 K
S: Nathan Fernandez .1 ip, 1 K
SOFTBALL
Plant City 3, Robinson 0
Chamberlain 12, East Bay 0 (five innings)
Wesley Chapel 6, Tampa Catholic 5
Northside Christian 4, Carrollwood Day 3
Palm Harbor 5, Newsome 2
All Saints 13, Cambridge 0
Sickles 10, Riverview 4
Lennard 6, Jefferson 4
Steinbrenner 5, Gaither 1
Wharton 11, Strawberry Crest 1
Bloomingdale 6, Armwood 3
Freedom 12, Wiregrass Ranch 6
SRQ Riverview 9, Alonso 8
**AS ALWAYS** A BIG THANK YOU to my buddy Jarrett Guthrie for his contributions to this article!! Couldn't do all this without you!