Prep Report: Cypress rally tops Mariner 9-6
Trailing by one run entering the top of the seventh inning, the Cypress Lake Panthers needed a big inning. With a little help from the Mariner Tritons, that’s just what they got.
The Panthers scraped for four runs in the final inning and held on to clip the Tritons 9-6 Wednesday night at Mariner. The win is the fourth in a row for the Panthers (13-4) while the Tritons (13-2) saw their four-game winning streak stopped.
Anthony Santo had two hits and two RBI for the Tritons, who outhit the Panthers 11-8, while Daniel Alimonti contributed two hits and Alex Santana added two hits and one RBI.
Casey Gibson opened the Cypress rally with a double. The Tritons brought Stanley Padfield to the mound, but two straight walks loaded the bases. Matt Cooker relieved and gave up a line drive single off the first baseman’s mitt to score two runs and put the Panthers ahead. Another run scored on a groundout and the final runs crossed on a passed ball.
Mariner pitchers walked a total of six batters and five of them scored.
Billy Everding pitched a complete game for the Panthers, striking out seven.
The Tritons play at North Fort Myers Friday night.
Cypress Lake 003 200 4 – 9 8 0
Mariner 024 000 0 – 6 11 2
W – Billy Everding. L – Stanley Padfield.
2B – Toops (CL), Gibson (CL), Daniel Alimonti (M), Bryan O’Connor (M), Alex Santana (M), Walter Cleary (M).
Softball
Baker 6, Estero 5: Katie Rieser connected for a three-run triple in the first inning and finished with four RBI to help lead Ida Baker past Estero.
Kayla Vetter contributed two hits, including a double, while Rieser, Allie Hare and Caitlin Holloway banged out two hits apiece in the Bulldogs’ 11-hit attack.
The Bulldogs (12-8) host Mariner Friday night with the winner earning the third seeding for the District 5A-15 Tournament.
Estero 003 000 2 – 5 7 1
Ida Baker 312 000 x – 6 11 1
W – Katie Rieser. L – Wheeler.
2B – Kayla Vetter (IB), Katie Rieser (IB). 3B – Czabatul (E), Katie Rieser (IB).
Island Coast JV 14, Riverdale JV 0: Dana Ruff allowed one hit and earned the win on the mound in Island Coast’s five-inning shutout of Riverdale Wednesday.
Morgan Stinnett led the Gators with five hits, four triples and a single.
Boys Soccer
Mariner senior goalkeeper Renato Proia has accepted a scholarship to attend the University of South Florida next fall.
Proia was a three-sport letter-winner for the Tritons – four years in soccer, three years in football and two years in track. He holds four school records – in soccer for most (goalkeeping) shutouts with 16, most saves in a season with 176, and in football the best punting average of 46 yards and longest punt of 73 yards.
This past season Proia was LCAC all-conference in football and soccer, as well as FACA district all-star in both soccer and football.
Rugby
The Cape Blackhawks rugby team received some positive news Monday when they were selected to the state playoffs as a wild-card team.
They must be rested and well-prepared, though, because there is the possibility they could play two playoff games this weekend.
The Blackhawks travel to face the Tampa Barbarians in the opening round Saturday. If they win, they’ll face the winner of the Jupiter-Brevard matchup on Sunday.
“That will teach us (not) to be the wild card,” Blackhawks coach Phil Luby said.
Still, it beats the alternative, which is not making the playoffs. The Blackhawks (6-2) have had a strong season but dropped both games to Naples, missing out on the automatic bid given to the Southwest Division champion.
The Blackhawks have made the playoffs in both their first two seasons.