Tritons blank Seahawks
Mariner High senior Michael Zunino is among the area’s biggest power hitters, so it came as a surprise – and even drew some laughter – when he laid down a bunt during the third inning of Friday’s high school baseball game against city rival Cape Coral.
Two batters later, senior Bryan O’Connor had the same plan, taking advantage of Cape’s defensive alignment with the third baseman playing deep.
Once the Tritons had some baserunners, the rest of the lineup delivered the big hits. Their four-run third inning led to a 6-0 win over the Seahawks.
“It doesn’t matter what person in the order is up,” Mariner coach Steve Larsen said, “if the third baseman is playing behind the bag we have to try it a couple times. I don’t care who is playing, you have to take what they give you.”
The Tritons (6-0) have been taking plenty and leaving little through the first six games of the season.
With Friday’s victory, the Tritons have defeated the last four opponents by a combined score of 46-0. Their pitching and defense have been sharp, contributing to 22 consecutive scoreless innings.
It wasn’t easy, though, against the Seahawks. All three Triton pitchers – starter Ryan Patton and relievers Taylor Walker and Matt Cooker – had some long innings where they walked batters and had to work out of potential jams.
Despite numerous chances, the Seahawks (1-7) never delivered in the clutch.
“We were lucky to have that zero up there,” Larsen said, “but the defense did play well.”
The Seahawks countered with 6-foot-1 freshman Jason Carmichael. He was given the difficult task of trying to slow down the Tritons.
The right-hander battled his way through five innings and finished with four strikeouts. He took a line drive off his leg in the fourth, but shook it off and stayed in the game.
The Tritons put one run on the board in the first inning. Audry Santana doubled and with two outs, O’Connor came through with an RBI single.
They stretched the lead to 5-0 in the third. Zunino’s bunt single came with one out and the next six Tritons reached base. Angel Laborde smacked an RBI double into the left-field corner, Alex Santana had an RBI single and Daniel Alimonti added a two-run single.
“They were hitting the ball good (in the third) and were able to get on top of my fastball,” Carmicheal explained.
The Seahawks scattered four hits, but had opportunities to put runs on the board several times.
In the top of the third, Bradley Kopale singled and Cain Spangler and Alex Torres both walked, loading the bases for Koji Spangler. Patton got the strikeout to end the threat.
The Seahawks had two runners on in both the sixth and seventh. In the sixth, Spangler walked and Carmicheal delivered a sharp single to center, but Mariner’s Walker came back and got the final two outs with a strikeout and groundout.
The Tritons’ third pitcher, Cooker, walked the first two batters of the seventh inning, but also worked out of it. He got help from Zunino, who fired to first and picked off a runner for the second out of the inning.
Cape Coral 000 000 0 – 0 4 3
Mariner 104 001 x – 6 12 1
W – Patton. L – Carmicheal.
2B – Audry Santana (M), Laborde (M).