Prep Report: Tritons rally to clip Bulldogs 3-1
The vast dimensions of the main stadium field at Terry Park – compared to most high school fields in the area – posed a problem for the Mariner Tritons and their host of power hitters.
That lasted only so long, though, in Wednesday’s District 5A-15 semifinals game against the Ida Baker Bulldogs.
In the bottom of the fifth with the Bulldogs clinging to a 1-0 lead, Mariner senior Michael Zunino connected on a three-run home run to left field, lifting the Tritons to a 3-1 win and a ticket into Friday’s championship game against Gulf Coast.
Zunino’s blast went approximately 385 feet for his school-record 11th homer of the season. He hit a drive to deep center earlier in the contest which resulted only in a flyout given the distance of 415 feet to that part of the park.
“We were hitting the ball hard but nothing was falling,” Zunino said. “(Baker) had great positioning, you have to tip your cap to them.”
It took more than the size of the park to turn Wednesday’s game into more of a pitcher’s duel. The top-seeded Tritons (23-4) and fifth-seeded Bulldogs (11-16) were playing for the fourth time this season. The saga included a 17-16 slugfest won by the Bulldogs.
Good defense and outstanding starts by Baker senior Matt Mattia and Mariner senior Ryan Patton helped this one take on a much different feel.
Patton worked out of some jams, but finished with a complete game. Mattia, who pitched 1 2/3 innings in the Bulldogs’ win over Fort Myers Tuesday, battled and held the Tritons off the board until Zunino’s shot in the fifth. Richard Saracione and Robert Serrano each pitched in relief for the Bulldogs and kept the deficit at 3-1.
“I can’t say enough about our pitching,” Baker coach Chad Turner said. “Those guys pitched out of their shoes. (Mattia) was gutting it out.”
After a scoreless first inning, the Bulldogs struck for their run in the second. With two outs, Michael Gulotta roped a ground-rule double to the gap in right-center and Matt Ringland followed with an RBI double. Gulotta continued his hot hitting at Terry Park, going 3-for-3 with two doubles, and Ringland went 3-for-3.
The Bulldogs had their chances to extend the lead, but stranded a total of six runners in the third through sixth innings. Mariner made clutch defensive plays, led by senior shortstop Angel Laborde and sophomore third baseman Alex Santana.
In the top of the third, the Bulldogs had runners at the corners when Dustin Mishka hit a short fly to left. Laborde made an over-the-shoulder grab for the pivotal second out and scooped up a grounder for the third.
The Bulldogs, again, had two on in the sixth when pinch-hitter Alan Spangler hit a sharp grounder near the third-base line, but Santana grabbed it, stepped on third and fired to first for the inning-ending double play.
“When the ball is hit in the direction of those guys there is no doubt in my mind they’re going to make the play,” Patton said.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Tritons’ rally began when Anthony Santo was hit by a pitch. Laborde followed with an infield single, ahead of Zunino’s go-ahead shot.
“Give Baker all the credit,” Mariner coach Steve Larsen said. “They pushed us as far as we could go and we got better because of that.”
Ida Baker 010 000 0 – 1 10 1
Mariner 000 030 x – 3 6 0
W – Ryan Patton. L – Matt Mattia.
2B – Michael Gulotta 2 (IB), Matt Ringland (IB), Jake York (IB). HR – Michael Zunino (M).
Gulf Coast 10, Barron Collier 0: The second member of the Sharks (17-9) strong pitching tandem, Bo Logan, followed teammate Kevin Lindheim with a shut out of rival Barron Collier. Lindheim fanned 15 in the Sharks’ 7-2 win over Cape Coral Tuesday and Logan struck out six in five innings Wednesday.
The Sharks put seven runs on the board in the first and never looked back. They sprayed 16 hits.
The second-seeded Sharks face Mariner in the district championship for the second-straight year. Mariner won 2-0 last year.
District 3A-12: Zack Haeseli smashed a three-run triple in the third inning to cap a big night for the Bishop Verot Vikings, who blanked Dunbar 10-0 in five innings at FGCU.
The win sends the Vikings (13-14) to the district championship game against Sarasota Cardinal Mooney at 7 p.m. Friday at City of Palms Park.
Chris Santospirito pitched a complete-game, one-hitter, striking out seven, to earn the victory. Dan Vogelbach contributed two RBI and Thomas Dougherty added a pair of hits.
Dunbar000 00 – 0 1 1
Bishop Verot343 0x – 10 8 1
W – Chris Santospirito. L – Cody Ritchey.
2B – Kevin Reynolds (BV). 3B – Thomas Dougherty (BV), Zack Haeseli (BV).