Plant City hit by 1-2 punch at Newsome
By Bob Bellone
Senior Staff Writer
LITHIA – The Newsome Wolves settled a score with Plant City, but not before the eighth-ranked Raiders were humbled by their own coach.
More on that later.
First, rewind four weeks to a matchup between the Class 7A-District 6 rivals that produced an 8-1 triumph for host Plant City.
“We felt embarrassed,” Newsome senior right-hander Jack Weber said after going the distance in a 2-0, three-hit victory in Friday’s rematch. “We played with a chip on our shoulders and did what we had to do.”
“Jack did great,” Wolves coach Dick Rohrberg said of Weber, who had nine strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter.
“He didn’t waste a lot of pitches. He was very efficient, so he was able to keep going. He spread his pitch count out, so he was able to get through an inning, come in and rest,” Rohrberg said. “I can’t even tell you when our last complete game was.”
Newsome senior pitcher Jack Weber (813Preps file photo).
Weber was so preoccupied with his mound chores that he missed seeing the only runs of the night. “To be honest,” said Weber, “I wasn’t watching. I was sitting on the bench; I was focusing on my game.”
After failing to reach base through three innings against Plant City junior right-hander Adan Longoria, who also completed a three-hitter without issuing a walk, Newsome went straight to work in the fourth.
Lucas Phelps doubled to deep center field on Longoria’s first offering, and Matthew Giles drove him home with a single up the middle. Giles took second on the throw plateward, and Evan Dempsey followed with a run-scoring double.
Phelps also was quick to recall the bitter taste of defeat at Plant City.
“We kept that in mind today,” he said. “We wanted this game. We were excited for it, looking forward to it all week.”
Mike Fryrear has had better weeks. The Raiders coach is now midway through a four-game stretch without three of his starting players – one lost to a family vacation and two others he suspended for violating team policies.
“I don’t like suspending guys,” he said. “I don’t like getting rid of guys. I don’t like doing any of that stuff because I think God’s put me in the role to really mentor guys. … That’s what’s more important.”
Plant City (9-3, 2-1) opens a three-game homestand Tuesday night against Riverview, still with three players adjusting to new positions.
“It’s next man up,” Fryrear said. “Let’s go. Next man up.”
Newsome (9-2, 2-1) will take a five-game winning streak into a Wednesday night trip to Strawberry
Crest. Through 11 games, the Wolves have posted four shutouts and limited two other foes to a single run.
⚾⚾⚾⚾
Newsome 2
(8) Plant City 0
PC 000|000|0 – |0|3|0
N 000|200|x – |2|3|1
W – Weber (2-1); L – Longoria (2-2)
2B – Dempsey, Phelps (N). Records – PC (9-3); N (9-2).
