Prep Report: Cape girls earn big district win at Mariner 5-3
Amanda Kopale’s one-out single in the seventh inning set the stage for a two-run rally that carried Cape Coral to a 5-3 victory Thursday night at Mariner.
The win reverses the outcome from the first meeting between these city rivals, a 4-3 decision in favor of the Tritons.
“We had more timely hits and did not strand as many baserunners as the first time we played them,” said Seahawks coach Amy Petruska. “It was evenly matched both games, but we came out on top this time.”
After Kopale’s single in the seventh, Shannon McBride dribbled a ball down the third base line, but third baseman Samantha Greenwell’s throw to second base was not in time to erase Kopale. With Tara Higgins at the plate, Kopale and McBride pulled a double steal. The throw to third base was wide, allowing Kopale to trot home with the go-ahead run. Higgins then singled to drive in McBride from third for the final run.
The Tritons, who had clawed their way back from a 3-0 deficit already, were unable to put together another threat in the bottom of the seventh.
“We made some untimely errors, for sure,” said Tritons coach Donna Caldwell. “Cape played well and they came out with good intensity, but we did not play well.”
With two outs in the third inning, the Seahawks launched their first rally. McBride started it with a single. Higgins reached on a throwing error and winning pitcher Brenna Harkins walked to load the bases. Amanda Hurley hit a hard grounder to the left side that Tritons shortstop Carrie Grigiski started to dive to stop the ball, but it took a hit hop and caromed off the side of her head into left field. All three baserunners scored and Hurley wound up on second base.
The Tritons scored single runs in their next three at-bats to tie the game at 3-3 after five innings. Sierra Novo delivered an RBI single in the third, Alyssa Langdale hit an RBI single in the fourth and McKenzie Hunt drove in the tying run with a single in the fifth.
The Seahawks threatened with two out in the sixth, putting two runners on and left them stranded. The Seahawks left a total of six runners on base while the Tritons stranded five.
“This is a big district win for us,” said Petruska. “It gets us some momentum in the right direction for the district tournament. This was just a total team effort with everyone contributing to the win.”
Kopale collected two hits, including a leadoff double. The Seahawks (11-7, 5-4 District 4A-11) were outhit 8-6, but overcame 10 strikeouts to get the win.
Novo and Hunt had two hits apiece for the Tritons (13-3, 6-3).
Both teams are idle until the LCAC crossover games slated for April 13.
Cape Coral003 000 2 – 5 6 0
Mariner001 110 0 – 3 8 2
W – Brenna Harkins. L – Nikki Roderiques.
2B – Amanda Kopale (CC), Amanda Hurley (CC).
Ida Baker 11, Estero 0: Senior Alli Hare led off both the first and second innings with a triple and scored both times to spark Ida Baker to a shutout victory over Estero, recording the Bulldogs’ sixth straight win.
Shanelly Brown’s two-run, inside-the-park home run in a three-run seventh-inning rally put the Bulldogs over the 10-run mercy rule.
Louie Ross had three hits, including a double, and Jessica Nuccio also doubles for the Bulldogs (12-7, 6-3 District 4A-11).
Baker hosts St. Thomas Aquinas at 12:30 p.m. on April 10.
Estero000 000 0 – 0 3 2
Ida Baker510 101 3 – 11 15 1
W – Maddy Peres (9-6). L – Josie.
2B – Louis Ross (IB), Jessica Nuccio (IB). 3B – Alli Hare (IB) 2. HR – Shanelly Brown (IB).
Kissimmee Klassic: Katrissa Rowell had two hits, but North Fort Myers lost to Florida Christian 6-1 Thursday in the opening round of the Kissimmee Klassic tournament.
Errors hurt the Knights in the fourth inning, giving up five runs with two outs.
In the consolation bracket, North (15-2) stayed alive by blanking Riverview 4-0 Friday.
Jasmine Santiago led the attack with three singles, a stolen base and a run scored. Rowell drove in two runs in the three-run fifth and Jackie Owen pitched a two-hitter.
North plays either Jacksonville Eagle’s View or Miami Southwest in the consolation semifinals 10:45 a.m. Saturday.
North Fort Myers 010 000 0 – 1 4 2
Florida Christian 010 500 0 – 6 8 0
W – Perez L – Jackie Owen (14-2)
3B – Schneider (FC).
Tampa Riverview 000 000 0 – 0 2 4
North Fort Myers 000 130 0 – 4 8 1
W – Jackie Owen (15-2) L – Zimmerman.
Baseball
Ida Baker 2, Fort Myers 1: Ryan Hutson scored on Justin Pinto’s sacrifice fly with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Ida Baker to victory over Fort Myers as the teams split a pair of games on back-to-back nights.
Justin Gubelman (3-2) pitched a complete game for the Bulldogs, giving up the one run while scattering five hits and striking out two. He tried to help his own cause with two hits at the plate. Ryan McDade also collected two hits.
The Bulldogs got the first run of the night in the second inning on Alan Spangler’s fielder’s choice ground ball. It stayed at 1-0 until the sixth inning when Fort Myers scored the tying run only to surrender the winning run an inning later.
“This was our first complete game, both hitting and pitching,” said Bulldogs coach Ryan Jackson. “We finally put it all together.”
The Bulldogs (7-10) open the Bud Roth Memorial Tournament at 7 p.m. Monday at Terry Park against Pasco County.
Ft. Myers000 001 0 – 1 5 2
Ida Baker010 000 1 – 2 7 0
W – Justin Gubelman (3-2). L – Levally.
2B – Kohlhauff (FM), Ryan Hutson (IB).
Island Coast 10, Evangelical Christian 5: Randy Petito belted two doubles to drive in four runs and Jordan Moody (2-for-4) homered and drove in two runs to lead Island Coast to victory at Evangelical Christian.
Kyle Harding pitched 3 2/3 innings in relief to pick up his third win of the season for the Gators (12-7), who play again at Okeechobee on April 10.
Island Coast150 030 1 – 10 8 2
Evangelical Christian021 002 0 – 5 5 2
W – Kyle Harding (3-0). L – Sherwin.
2B – Moore (ECS), Sherwin (ECS), Cole Ondrejka (IC), Randy Petito (IC) 2. HR – Johnson (ECS), Jordan Moody (IC).
Mariner 8, Cape Coral 3: Four base hits bracketed around two walks, a hit batsman and a balk enabled Mariner to plate four runs en route to a victory over city rival Cape Coral.
Daniel Alimonti drove in three runs, Audry Santana contributed three hits and Walter Cleary two hits for the Tritons.
Cain Spangler was 3-for-4 for the Seahawks, who scored three times in the fifth inning by stringing two hits with a double steal and a walk in the inning.
Alimonti (3-0) pitched five innings, scattering four hits and striking out eight to earn the win.
The Tritons (14-2, 6-1 District 4A-11) are in action Monday at Terry Park against Tampa Wiregrass Ranch in the first round of the Bud Roth Memorial Tournament.
The Seahawks (3-13) play Pleasure Ridge Park (Ky.) Monday in the Roth tournament.
Cape Coral000 030 0 – 3 5 2
Mariner004 220 x – 8 9 1
W – Daniel Alimonti (3-0). L – Stefan Groening.
2B – Daniel Alimonti (M). 3B – Audry Santana (M).